FINAL REFLECTION PAPER

Cassandra Nelson
Oakland University
The internship has been an amazing learning experience. I have been able to see

leadership from multiple perspectives. I have also learned about many, if not all, styles of

leadership. This has all allowed me to reflect and see what type of leader I am and want to be in

the future. Of course, over the last two years there are some highlights that I would like to

share about my experience and how they relate to the course work we’ve been doing.

I have discussed in a previous reflection paper that I never thought I would like to work

with curriculum. But it seems ever since our curriculum development course, I have spent so

much time with it. During the course we performed a curriculum audit and wrote out plans as

to how we would make improvements to the curriculum. To receive relevant internship hours, I

applied to help write the mathematics curriculum for Detroit Public Schools Community

District. That was in the summer of 2018 and I am still writing and making improvements till this

day. I have put in over 200 hours of curriculum writing in the last year and I think it has finally

paid off. I was offered a job in the Office of Mathematics as a Training and Support Coordinator

for grades K-8, where I can provide leaders and teachers with professional development and

support with the math curriculum. This awesome opportunity came about with thanks to the

internship and engaging in activities that I never thought I would enjoy as much as I do now.

One of my favorite courses was Dr. Delgado’s Theories and Techniques of Leadership

course. His class really allowed me to look at leadership theories and techniques closely. I was

able to practice many of the leadership styles and I found one that is just right for me. After

sitting with my mentor for our leadership interviews, she showed me a leadership style that
FINAL REFLECTION PAPER
Cassandra Nelson
Oakland University
was perfect for me too. My main leadership style is transformative leadership. “Transformative

leadership begins with questions of justice and democracy; it critiques inequitable practices and

offers the promise not only of greater individual achievement but of a better life lived in

common with others” (Shields pg 559).

I was able to practice my leadership style in the field. This year I was hired to be a Math

Master Teacher. The Master Teacher leads from the classroom and cultivates peers’ ability to

deliver excellent instruction and increase student achievement. Teaching students half of the

day to model best practices and generate useful materials for the school. The other half of the

day, providing a range of support to peers, such as leading one-on-one observation and

coaching, facilitating collaborative time, co-planning with small teams, mentoring new teachers,

and modeling in other teachers’ classrooms. Becoming a leader in my building has taught me

how important instructional leadership and management both are.

From morning duty to the after school professional development. Master Teacher has

taught me so much about what it takes to sustain a consistent learning environment. Finding

balance between teaching my students and coaching my peers has been the most difficult thing

I’ve ever had to do. My intro to leadership course taught me that it is important to find that

balance and make sure that one or the other is not being neglected in my building. This

internship has not only taught me how to lead but has helped me become the leader that I am

today. I have learned so much, and I have experienced so many things that I would not have
FINAL REFLECTION PAPER
Cassandra Nelson
Oakland University
tried otherwise. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and now I can say, proudly, that I am

ready to lead a community towards success.

References

Shields, C. M. (2010). Transformative leadership: Working for Equity in Diverse

Contexts. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(4), 558-589.