Jessica L. Brandt
was weary I would hit all of the competencies I needed to, especially through my practicum. I
practicum to ensure I really focused on all the competencies I needed to for this program. I had
the opportunity to be a leader on the administrative team at Insight School of Minnesota (ISMN)
and assist with the development of our School Improvement Plan for Minnesota Department of
Education (MDE). Reflecting back on my experience being a part of the administrative team at
ISMN, I am confident that I met all the required competencies needed for the completion of my
practicum class and my master’s degree. I have learned more than I even realized.
Being a part of the administrative team for the School Improvement Plan gave me insight
as to how a team is developed, what the team leaders’ responsibilities are, and what the expected
outcomes of these meeting are. I spent the beginning of the first few meetings observing the
leaders and seeing how they interacted before I contributed my opinions. Being a new leader to
this team, I wanted to make sure I was interacting and contributing appropriately. I was met with
listening ears and collaborative ideas. Not all I had to say was agreed upon, which was a good
thing for me to experience and learn about. I learned how to also be a better listener and how to
communicate my ideas for buy-in from others. I noticed myself really starting to actively listen
and consider everything each leader brought up. I left the meetings feeling that I was able to
The cliché “having a seat at the table” turned into a literal and physical phrase for me
during this practicum. I felt included in the school’s decision-making process and felt I had a lot
to say once I gained the confidence in my skills and knowledge. Being a part of these meetings
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interactions. I had research and examples I learned from my readings, assignments and
discussions that I was able to use to back up my ideas for school improvement. I was surprised at
how much I could relate to and understand their conversations, and I think they were impressed
by my contributions. I felt more knowledgeable and empowered as time went on. I was learning
what it takes to be an effective leader and how that impact educational change.
understanding about the hierarchy and organizational management structure. I never realized
how much goes into planning a simple program initiative for our school. I now understand why
some programs take such a long time to implement. We had to make sure we had the data
reflecting a change was needed first, then develop suggestions for change based on local, state
and federal policies, laws and expectations. Not only that, but we had to get buy-in from other
stakeholders such as our students, parents and staff. I learned this is not always easy, as changes
impact families in various ways. All plans the administrative team made had to be carefully
communicated to each stakeholder. Some initiatives require changes in the allocation of budget,
which need to be approved by several people. Never working with budgets before, it was a good
learning experience for me to learn when there isn’t extra money, the money we do have needs to
be shifted. Not all parties agree with where the money needs to move from, which was a conflict
creation and planning phases of the School Improvement Plan, it became clear that some
stakeholders felt left out of the plans and decisions. This was a critical point in my learning
process, as teachers and staff were unaware of changes that they were expected to implement in
the near future or changes that would directly impact them. I took this into consideration and
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expressed my concerns with the team about a communication strategy that would ensure
stakeholders felt acknowledged and informed. This was something I made note of in the
presentation to MDE. This is also a component I plan to focus on in my future leadership roles,
because I saw how damaging it can be to exclude stakeholders from decisions and plans.
purpose for my current role. It taught me to think about stakeholders, policies, laws, and other
opinions and suggestions. It opened my eyes to collective leadership and shifted my perspective
on what successful leadership is. I found out I feel most fulfilled from a leadership position when
I am working with others on an shared outcome, specifically when we are creating something for
the common good. I enjoy collaborating and using the strengths and skills of my fellow leaders
and colleagues to develop new initiatives. I strive to be a leader that makes an effort to learn
from others and ensure everyone feels they have a voice in my department.