EDL 621 Internship: Final Reflection

Kim Ruud
What have you learned since beginning EDL621?
Since the beginning of my internship, I have learned a significant amount about
leadership and myself as a leader. There are skills and knowledge that I already possess, but this
internship allowed me to develop my skills, and add many new layers and levels to my
understanding of leadership and leadership qualities. Along with the projects and assignments I
accepted during my time with Dr. Byers and Dr. Miller, I made sure to pay attention to how both
of these leaders interacted with other people. They did not get to where they are today by simply
their knowledge and hard work; it was so much more.
A portion of my time with Dr. Byers was spent observing and participating in three
technician interviews and one elementary teacher interview. I understand much more about the
type of people Lincoln Public Schools are looking to hire for their organization. Through
different questions, we looked at the applicants motivation, work style, and relationship skills in
order to see if they were the best candidates to be hired for their positions. I appreciate that I saw
people from different generations in these interviews, allowing me to compare the differences
between the interview styles of someone in the Baby Boomer Generation compared to a
Generation X or Y candidate. After reflecting, I knew it would be important for me to learn more
about the different generations in order to be prepared for their work styles, values, and beliefs.
Dr. Byers included confidential information in another assignment given to me. As a
teacher, I learn confidential things about my students, but I rarely see data that is so protected.
This allowed me to practice experiencing both knowing and obtaining critical information that
absolutely cannot be shared. It is not that I learned that I should not share it, but I actually was
able to put this into practice. Dr. Byers also gave me the opportunity to update the syllabus and
content of her class, TEAC 908: Seminar in Teacher Education. This experience created a
feeling of pressure. My changes would impact the class of educators who are mentoring student
teachers. If I would not create and find the best material for the course, I could be negatively
impacting these Cooperating Teachers, and in turn negatively impact the students learning to be
teachers as well as the classroom students. In order to modernize this syllabus I read through
over seventy articles and texts in order to determine what content should be added to the course,

and what material should be considered for removal. Through my time with Dr. Byers I was able
to observe and practice Strategic, Instructional, Organizational, and Community Political
Leadership.
With Dr. Miller, I learned a lot about maintaining relationships and keeping contact even
with a busy schedule. I attended and assisted Dr. Miller with two professional development
sessions, which were also great learning experiences. In addition to that, I wanted a beneficial
project that I could do for Dr. Miller in order to support my learning, yet would be flexible due to
her hectic schedule. That project we decided upon was creating an online LibGuide for
instructional coaches at our district. A LibGuide is a content management system, or essentially
an online library. I built it with the initial help of another leader at the district office from the
Media Services department. This was a long and difficult project, but I am proud of what I was
able to accomplish. What I learned from this project was that with the right resources I was able
to create something that will benefit educators for many years to come. This experience was also
a positive example of the levels of teaming that is necessary to complete an ongoing project.
How are you different today than when you began?
I am more confident. There were some projects I took on that I initially was nervous
about not completing to the satisfaction of my internship supervisors. As I completed the
projects, I recognized that I was more than capable. Although I did not do my internship at a
school site, I still feel that my experiences and the knowledge I learned from my experiences will
transfer to school leadership. I recognize that the knowledge I have acquired can help my
building and my district, even though I am just a teacher. I have the capacity to make positive
change regardless of my job title. Servant leadership is servant leadership. When you put others
first and want to make a difference, you can do just that.
I am also different because I am more mindful about my communication skills. I was
fortunate this summer to work with leaders who are consummate communicators. My
assumption was that they were born this way, but in truth they both told me this is something that
they have worked on. That is my goal now, as well. I am going to be very intentional about
positively communicating with every person that I work or come into contact with. I want to
practice being a mindful listener, not a listener who is listening waiting for their turn to speak.

What new knowledge, skills, and attitudes have you developed?

A great deal of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes I already have are elevated. For
instance, after an interview Dr. Byers and I debriefed. I talked about the natural charm she has
with candidates, and I asked, Do you ever turn the charm off if an interview is not going well?
Her answer was, I want everyone who interviews with me to leave the interview feeling like it
was the best interview they have had. I want them to have a positive experience at Lincoln
Public Schools. The way she communicates with her colleagues, candidates, and even strangers
on the phone appears effortless, but I know she is intentionally treating people in a way that
makes them feel important and cared for. She keeps in mind the community of Lincoln in her
choices, and this shows mindful Community Political leadership.
She went on to tell me about how she has to have difficult conversations as well. She
wants to give grace even to the people she has to have tough- or even termination conversations
with- to leave them with dignity. I do believe that naturally Dr. Byers is a dynamic individual.
Through this conversation I learned she has studied how to communicate with people effectively.
She is strategic in her thoughts, decisions, and actions. This big picture strategy is critical, and
although I have learned this in my graduate classes, to see a master in action made it concrete.
With Dr. Miller, I learned a great deal about effective instruction and instructional
coaching. Through reading Unmistakable Impact by Jim Knight, seeing Dr. Knight present, and
by creating a LibGuide for instructional coaches I feel as though I have gained a substantial
amount of knowledge on the topic. There are skills and attitudes you must acquire in order to put
that knowledge to use. Using partnership principles as well as intentionally and positively
communicating with your collaborators is critical to be a great coach.
How did your diversity experience influence you?
I had two very different diversity experiences. Another educator and I planned and
presented a professional development session to a group of teachers from a variety of private
Catholic schools in Lincoln. I had very little knowledge of private Catholic schools before this
experience. I learned both in planning and in presenting. In terms of planning, it was difficult

because each of the private schools is set up and function differently. There is no guaranteed or
viable curriculum throughout the private schools. Each building is seemingly its own entity. My
partner and I had to prepare knowing that we needed to make it as uniform as possible, yet
without much consistency on the part of the schools we were working with. Additionally, when
we arrived at the school site to present, we found out that our Google Presentation would not be
allowed, due to the opinions about Google believed by the Catholic Church. My partner and I
had no awareness of this. Luckily we were able to make changes in order to successfully present
to the teachers. This opportunity allowed me to recognize that some teachers and building leaders
have to do the same amount of work as a public school teacher or administrator with fewer
resources. They also must follow certain rules based on the state in addition to the Catholic
Church.
My second experience was visiting the Islamic Foundation of Lincoln. Before my visit, I
was already in a vulnerable position when I was told that I must cover everything except for my
face and handsthat even my hair must be covered. I wanted to stay open minded, but I was
uneasy. That uncomfortable feeling is one I wanted to make sure I treated as a learning
experience. Do Muslim girls and women feel uncomfortable or different at school with their hair
covered? Proud? Before my arrival I already had a lot of questions.
I arrived at the Islamic Foundation of Lincoln early on a Friday morning. I visited IFOL
during Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims
worldwide as a month of fasting in order to purify the soul and to commemorate the first
revelation for the Quran to Muhammad. A woman named Karez, who works at the Department
of Labor and will begin her Masters in Education this fall, greeted me. She led me inside the
mosque which at this time is just a home that has been redone for the purposes of lecture and
prayer. There were diagonal lines on every floor of the building, including a room for men and a
room for women. The purpose of the lines were for prayer and they all faced northeast, to face
Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The rooms are divided because women are not obligated to pray, and
also so that there is no temptation or disrespect as women are kneeling and bending over when
they pray. After a tour of the rooms and library, I also met a young woman named Hannah, who
is a UNL student studying dietetics. We sat down in the womens room and began to talk. My
first question was about the hijab, a veil or headscarf worn by Muslim women and girls.
Females wear this once they have reached puberty, depending on their family. It is a sign of

respect and modesty, so that people who meet them get to know whom they are as people,
opposed to what they look like. Hijabs are respect for us, Hannah said. Karez said, You
know how diamonds and other expensive things are behind glass cases? That is what the hijab
and our clothing are. Our bodies are sacred, and it is a safe guard from men. Women can have
the hijab off in front of Muslim women, men who are blood related (or very young or very old),
or their husbands (if they are married.) Some stereotypes assume Muslim women are powerless.
These educated and empowered women shared their knowledge with me in such a transparent
way it demonstrates to me that Muslim women are more than capable of being assertive and
sharing their opinions.
Once I learned some of the basics about dress and terminology, the ladies explained to me
the five pillars of their faith as well as their six faiths of beliefs. Knowing more about their faith
allowed me to understand their perspective about their cultural decisions. I asked, What are
some misconceptions or stereotypes that you wish people understood about your religion or
people? They started by explaining that Muslims are not all Arab. Many Muslims are Asian.
They want the public to understand that both men and women are equally encouraged to be
educated. Another statement made was You cannot understand our culture by googling it. You
must ask questions to our people.
Later, we began to discuss how this knowledge should impact me as an educator and a
future building leader. I gave them examples of experiences I had been through or heard of
colleagues going through. Each woman gave insightful and helpful advice. Hannah shared that
some people might be Muslim but their choices are dictated by culture, as opposed to religion.
When Muslims do not follow the pillars of their faith or the six faiths of beliefs, they are not
holding themselves accountable. They gave advice on how to deal with uneducated, unfaithful
men in their culture. Together they explained, Do not argue with an uneducated Muslim, and do
not even give him the time. Ask to talk to his wife! He will feel stupid because he will know you
know (about the culture). They continued by telling me about some of their own experiences
as students. Although they never felt like they had a negative experience, they wished that more
teachers had asked questions about their culture. Hannah told me to be considerate of students
fasting, or to keep in mind that Muslims do not celebrate certain holidays. Karez shared the
holidays that they do celebrate, and gave me the dates. Both women said they would have loved
to have a teacher tell them, Have a great Eid.

My time at the Islamic Foundation of Lincoln was thought provoking. I feel fortunate to
have met both women and to learn from them each. I am inspired to have more colleagues learn
from these women about Islam and the Muslim people.
How did your reading impact your thinking?
Unmistakable Impact is a terrific text. It is organizedinawaythatalleducatorscanuse
thisbookasaguidetoenhanceorreconsiderinstructionalpractices.Thisreferencecanbe
beneficialforasingleteacherorleader,aschool,oranentiredistrict.Eachchapterisbased
aroundtheperspectiveofadifferenttypeofeducatororeducationalteam.Thesepeopleor
groupsmustbeinapartnershiporfollowpartnershipprinciplesinordertocreateorenhancean
ImpactSchool.IwasalsofortunatetoseeDr.JimKnightpresentinperson,andmanyofthe
topicshewroteaboutinUnmistakableImpactwerereiteratedinhispresentation.Thebiggest
wayitimpactedmythinkingwasduetoitsheavyemphasisonefficientcommunicationand
beingmindfullystrategicwhileworkingwithadultprofessionals.

What do you think about yourself as a future school leader?

I am better equipped today to be a school leader than before. The strategic leaders
that I was surrounded by this summer provided me many wonderful experiences and
opportunities. I have done and learned things that will help me greatly as an instructional
and building leader. My internship experiences gave me the opportunity to have a set
schedule but also that when I arrived I could have to go or do something spontaneously,
which I am aware, is the case for school leaders. There are projects or assignments
leaders do not know how to do, but must figure it out in order to complete it in a
satisfactory way. I experienced this during my internship.
Being around these leaders, seeing their professional interactions, the way they
build and maintain relationships, and their strategy for work each day, was truly
insightful. From my time around exceptional educational leaders, I recognize that I still,
and will, have much to learn.

What specifically have you discovered about school leadership?

Between my time with Dr. Byers and Dr. Miller there were three common themes
that I believe are the difference between strong leaders and those who are not: effective
communication, integrity, and lifelong learning. As an intern, you observe. I paid close
attention to conversations, to issues that arose, and compliments given to people doing
the right things. Both cooperating administrators spoke highly of certain people, and
when they did they would use words such as purposeful, intentional, and
transparent. It is my goal to continue to work on both my communication skills as well
as doing what I say I am going to do, and continuing to immerse myself in learning.
These two women were constantly engaging themselves in reading, webcasts, and
discussions to gain more knowledge.
Furthermore, there has been a learning curve for me because of my focus and
drive. I learned facts and absorbed knowledge during my internship and due to that I
want to make changes for the upcoming school year. I understand that not all people are
going to be ready or meet my expectations right away. With that being said, I have
learned that I need to meet people where they are performing at currently. It is the job of
a leader to see with whom they are working, how they work, and then plan strategically
to collaborate. The hope is that they (the people I work with) will learn and grow with
me, as well as me learning and growing from my experiences with them.
What recommendations do you have to improve the internship experience?
My time with Dr. Byers went well, and it was clear from the start what I would do
with my time. Once we discussed the different experiences and projects I would
participate in and on, I organized my days around what I needed to get done. My time
with Dr. Miller was fantastic, yet was not as a well planned as my other internship
experience. Dr. Miller was busy, it seemed she was not sure what to do with our time
together. Perhaps I was not clear enough during our initial internship meeting. It took
until after our first day together that I said, Is there a project I can help you with? Is

there something on your to-do list that I can take off? Her and I brainstormed which
item on her extensive to-do list would be suitable for my goals. My recommendation for
interns in the future is to suggest an assignment or ask their cooperating administrators to
consider a project before their time together begins.
Where do I go from here?
After Dr. Byers completed my final evaluation, we discussed how I performed
during my internship and where I was at in my leadership journey. She provided me with
feedback on some of my strengths as well as qualities of mine that she sees in current
building leaders in Lincoln Public Schools. We conferred some points that I will need to
keep in mind as a growing leader. In particular, Dr. Byers complimented me for being
perceptive and having an empathic perspective. However, she noticed that my body
language is not always matching my insight. She said at times I appeared to be guarded,
and asked if I had been hurt. Perhaps it is due to her twenty-plus years in human relations
that she was able to identify this, but I have never had anyone both recognize and
question me on the topic. I have been hurt, and I am guarded around people I do not
know. This conversation was critical. In my career as a leader I will meet thousands of
people that I will not know. I want each and every one of these people to feel cared for,
important, and welcomed when they are with me. I cannot do that if I am guarded. Due
to my conversation with Dr. Byers, this internship was more than a professional learning
experience; it is making me confront my personal issues and unwrap a defense
mechanism that I have built for nine years. Due to my integrity, it is my responsibility to
confront this challenge. I know I cannot be the best person or school leader I can be if I
do not work through this, and that is where I will go from here.