Jessica Brandt 1

Ed695B
Competency Reflections

A. Leadership:
What drew me to this program was the emphasis on effective leadership. I have learned a wealth
of information about the characteristics of effective leaders as well as what my leadership style
is. The biggest aha moment with this competency was when I found out my leadership strengths
(attached below). It was inspiring to have five strengths that I could relate to and highlight in my
leadership positions. Learning about successful leaders has encouraged me to make changes in
my current position, but also think about how I will use that knowledge in my further positions
as an educational leader. Reading through course textbooks increased my drive to make positive
change in my current role and strengthened my desire to step into leadership roles that would
allow me to make positive change. I believe leadership is a process that takes self-reflection,
collaboration with employees and stakeholders and constant communication. Through my
practicums at the University of Minnesota and Insight School of Minnesota, I have demonstrated
my ability to self-direct while also directing and supervising others. I have also had the
opportunity to serve as a leader in implementing strategic plans and changes within both
institutions. The experiences I have had through my practicums and the knowledge and skills I
have gained in my courses at MSUM give me the confidence that I am and will be an effective
and successful educational leader.

B. Organizational Management:
This competency was met through several activities, readings and projects. Two of the most eye-
opening experiences for this competency was attending administrative meetings and attending
school board meetings. For my practicum at ISMN, having to attending administrative meetings
while going through audits and improvement plans was incredibly helpful to gain insights on this
competency. I gained an understanding of the hierarchy and organizational systems within
education, the process of program evaluation and implementation and planning how and who
will support and carry out those changes. I was able to structure all plans around the
understanding and using technology as a management tool due to the virtual setting of ISMN.

An area of growth for me would be subcategory B5. While I have had plenty of discussions and
meetings regarding budgets, I didn't have the opportunity to manage a budget personally. This is
an area that we have talked about and read about in ED636 as being a vital skill as an educational
administrator. I look forward to strengthening this skill in my future leadership roles.

C. Diversity Leadership:
This competency is one of extreme importance as higher ed begins to place this high on the list
of priorities for administrators to focus on and learn about. Our student population is becoming
more diverse. We need to ensure our students feel represented, celebrated and accepted in their
classes. As educators, we must adjust our curriculum to learn from our students' and staffs'
backgrounds, knowledge and experiences. Through my course readings, discussions and
assignments, I have gained an understanding on how to appropriately create and monitor a
Jessica Brandt 2
Ed695B
Competency Reflections

positive diverse educational environment. My ED613 and ED____ courses is where my learning
objectives were met for this competency. Learning about current issues, as well as solutions in
this area was eye-opening. I am confident I can effectively incorporate multicultural learning and
celebrate the diversity in my future leadership roles.

D. Policy and Law:

I was the most unaware and inexperienced with this competency out of them all. However, I
have begun to realize that policy and law must be understood as a leader for anything to work in
terms of program creation and implementation. Having had the opportunity the learn and finally
understand educational policy and law, it has become clear how to use it effectively as a leader.
To implement change, a leader must understand the local, state and federal laws and policies that
are already in place and see where change is needed. This is also important to understand which
stakeholders are needed to involve in the decision-making process for support and assistance.

E. Political Influence and Governance:

Similar to policy and law, this was another area that I marked low in at the beginning of this
program. As time went on, it become obvious that educational administrators are surrounded my
political influence and governance. Through conversations with my practicum supervisor, she
mentioned one of the most important things to know as an educational administrator is to know
and use politics. This was exemplified through my courses and my practicum, as we discussed
how to involve stakeholders into our program initiatives.

F. Communication:
Communication is one of my strengths and I believe to be one of the most important skills to
have. All individuals come into situations with expectations. If those expectations are not laid out
and discussed, they will lead to disappointments and conflict. A leader is responsible for creating
an environment that others will feel is a safe and open space to communicate honestly. There are
also several forms of communication and knowing which form to use based on the topic and
audience is key for proper understanding and follow through. Communication is embedded into
education and must be carefully considered and applied in all situations. A successful leader
understands that communicating with fellow leaders, staff, students and community is what will
drive their department and school forward.

G. Community Relations:
Before starting this program, I had no idea how community members were necessary parts of
educational programs and initiatives. Taking part in my class discussions and actively
participating in school board meetings and administrative meetings allowed me to gain insight
into how community members can add significance and resources. An additional component of
this is public knowledge and acceptance. Being involved in the media gives administrative
leaders a face and voice to their school. It can promote community awareness of the programs
Jessica Brandt 3
Ed695B
Competency Reflections

and implementations occurring in the school or district and can be a way to advertise the need for
assistance. It can also impact the way in which the community views education and leadership
within education. To increase my skill set in this competency, I would like to gain more
experience responding to the media and asking for community feedback (specifically G2 and
G3).

H. Curriculum Planning and Development for the Success of All Learners:

Due to my current position as a Family Engagement Coordinator and my emphasis in Higher
Education Administration, I was concerned about meeting this competency. Working through
this program, I was surprised to be able to learn about curriculum development and apply it to
my work and practicum. Going through the planning process of curriculum development was the
most challenging for me to do. I really had to focus on theories and course readings to assist in
my assignments. Another thing I learned through the development in my curriculum building
skills was to reach out to others. It was extremely helpful to ask for others' ideas and suggestions.
I felt this was an important step in my development for this competency. I gained even more
experience with this through the creation of handouts for the College of Pharmacy at the
University of Minnesota. My field supervisor and I discussed the importance of this handouts
due to the increase in global competitiveness. We discuss changes in trends to focus the content
on areas showing they need improvement.

The area of growth I identified here is the curriculum assessment and planning for early
childhood and elementary school students. I have not had hands-on experience working with
students of that age for a couple years, so I think this will be an area I can learn more about. This
competency in general is something I strive to focus on learning more about. I would like to
incorporate more curriculum planning into my current and future position as an educational
leader to maximize the potential of success for all students.

I. Instructional Management for the Success of All Learners:

The research I completed throughout this program has added depth and real-life experiences to
the content learned through my course text and discussions. Academic journals and articles have
led me to understand the process of research and the application of the results. Taking those
findings, I have developed the understanding of the importance of research and its implications
on decisions we make as educational leaders for our students.
I have had the ability to analyze research and apply it to my assignments and work for the benefit
of all students. I have also had the opportunity to conduct my own research within my position at
ISMN and use the data to implement change to the curriculum to ensure all students were
successful in the programs I teach.
I believe it is important to continue to look to research as it develops to be aware and
knowledgeable in new findings within academia. As technology progresses and our students'
Jessica Brandt 4
Ed695B
Competency Reflections

needs are changing, we must look to current research and conduct our own research to determine
the best possible instructional strategy.

J. Human Resource Management:

With my current position at ISMN, I had the opportunity to interview, hire and supervise a small
support team. From learning about key leadership characteristics in my classes here at MSUM, I
have gained an understanding about what to look for in candidates for our team. I have also
learned about what staff need once we hire them. What I have learned through this process and
my course readings is that people will not be able to effectively teach and support others if they
do not feel supported themselves. This includes proper benefits, professional development
opportunities, and salary.
I have also gained critical knowledge about working with staff through difficult situations and
crisis. In any work environment, there is a mix of personalities and opinions. Not all people will
see eye-to-eye, so as a leader, it is necessary to know how to manage and navigate those
situations in a professional manner.

K. Values and Ethics of Leadership:

My understanding of the values and ethics of leadership was learned throughout observations
and discussions with my professors and practicum supervisors. It was interesting to learn about
the balance each educational administrator must work for each day. To balance the concerns and
pressures of the community all while making decisions that ultimately support students and
enhance their learning environment. I had hands on experience with this through my practicum at
ISMN, where we had to create plans based off what our parent company, K12, our school district
and our community was wanting us to do, all while ensuring our plans were meeting the values
and ethics of our program. Not everyone wants to abide by the ethical and moral standards of
education because it is not always easy. As a leader, we must set an example of how to focus on
what our role is as a school and as educators in society and do our best to create programing that
ensures all students can succeed.

L. Judgement and Problem Analysis:

Education is growing and transforming which means new problems arise and solutions are
formed. An educational leader must look at those problems and analyze how to best approach it
with a solution in mind. This work is not done alone, as leaders must work with their fellow
leaders and staff to collaborate on ideas. A lot of my work within ISMN exemplified this
competency through the development of our School Improvement Plan. We had to choose a few
areas of concern and develop a plan to solve and improve those areas. We conducted surveys to
determine areas of concern for students, parents, and staff. The administrative team I was on then
met weekly to come up with possible solutions. We brought these ideas to students, parents and
staff to gage their support and identify areas that needed further discussion. We planned out
short-term and long-term goals for the next three years. Throughout the meetings, I was able to
Jessica Brandt 5
Ed695B
Competency Reflections

apply concepts from class to increase my engagement as a trusted and collaborative leader.
These experiences highlighted the complexity of educational administration and the need for
collaboration and problem-solving skills in a leader.

M. Safety and Security:

This competency is an area of growth for me. Due to my current position as an online educator
and my practicum experience being at a university, I didn't get much hands-on experience with
safety and security protocols. I did have conversations and discussions in and out of class with
my practicum supervisors and professors. In all school environments, bullying is something that
educators are working to combat. The safety of students is something that needs to take
precedence in our schools. Ensuring policies and procedures are not only followed through by all
school employees, but also updated and reviewed annually is crucial. My issue paper for ED662
highlights one area of concern for students needing service animals on campus. Writing this
paper gave me insight into how challenging it can be to provide a safe and secure learning
environment for all students based on their needs. It takes a strong leader who is willing to listen
to their students and problem-solve to implement the most safe and secure procedures they can. I
am looking forward to learning and growing in this area in my future leadership roles.