My strongest competencies are Competency 1, acting with integrity, fairness, and ethics, and Competency 5, enhancing teaching and learning and working with curriculum and accountability systems. These were my greatest strengths at the beginning of the program, mostly because they are a daily part of my current job. Since I practice these competencies on a regular basis, it makes sense that these would be my strengths.
The areas where I achieved the most growth were those that dealt with staff development and finance. Activities that were a part of this program and my internship plan led me to be more confident and competent in these areas. I have really become much more involved in staff development plans and activities, and I am enjoying this new challenge. I also really appreciated the opportunities I had to visit with our Assistant Superintendent/ Business Manager during the course of this program. He spent a great deal of time explaining financial forecasting and planning, as well as purchasing and audit procedures and tax rates. My knowledge of district finances has grown throughout the program.
The competencies in which I still have the greatest need for growth are those dealing with political influences and district facilities. Although I feel that I achieved a significant amount of growth in these areas and learned a great deal, I still need to learn more and practice applying this knowledge for my confidence to grow.
Overall, I was quite surprised to see the amount of growth I experienced through this program. It was a great exercise to go back and see where I was only eight months ago and to realize how much I have learned in that time.
