1

Running head: DIRECT LOG WEEK TWO

Lindsay Gigous
DIRECT Log Week Two
Drexel University
EDUC 828: Superintendent Internship: Parents and Schools
October 2, 2016

Describe
This week I have been focusing on responding to the needs of the population of the
district on a small scale. At my workplace, we have been having some staffing issues, so we have
been required to get our Delaware certifications renewed and files updated so that we could take
over in a classroom if needed. Having this type of backup in place is important in a district
because it allows you to think about a problem from the beginning stages, becoming proactive
instead of reactive. I also have been thinking proactively about solutions to scheduling issues of
our classes, as this is something that has come up this week as well. As I develop my leadership
skills, I have realized how easy it is to criticize a leader when something is not done correctly
or in a way that makes sense to the rest of the employees, but I am learning that a leaders real
skill is foresight and being able to plan proactively to make sure that the districts needs are
being met. This is a theme that I would like to continue as I finish up my internship: planning for
the crises and problems. I plan to look at the crisis communication plans next week that are in
place at my workplace and compare them to the district I am interning in so that I can be
prepared in any circumstance necessary.
Identify
The ISLLC standard that I feel is most relevant to this situation is Standard 4: A school
administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of every student by
collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests
and needs, and mobilizing community resources. The Drexel competency that this opportunity
allowed me to develop was leadership.
Reflect

This week I have been focusing on goal setting and how to relate that to the needs of the
community or the district. At my own job, our course schedules were posted this week, so I have
been using this idea of making sure that I can fit the needs of the population by making
suggestions for how to help our potential graduates for the spring get all of the required courses
in. We have had to be flexible and willing to change posted course times in order to make sure
that they can take the classes they need without having conflicting times. I took on a leadership
role in this by preemptively looking up all of the Methods students schedules to see who our
potential graduates were. When the schedules were determined by the instructional coordinator
and instructional director, this was not considered because they did not know the time offerings
of the other departments. Knowing the needs of our population, I would have made sure to reach
out to other departments to make sure there were no conflicts. Also, I have been making sure to
be proactive instead of reactive in the way that I handle these situations, as this is an important
leadership skill to possess as well.
Evaluate & Connect
As we identified leadership skills necessary to run a district earlier in the Drexel
program, I realized that often it is not knowing what you dont know that is the main issue when
it comes to labeling someone as an ineffective leader. As a personality trait, I have never been
one to claim that I know everything, but I do notice in myself the lack of confidence in asking
questions. I generally like to believe that I can figure things out on my own, but I know that a
good leader uses his or her team effectively, so I cant be afraid to show when I dont know
something. A way that I can hone in on this skill is by making proactive plans. Trying to
assemble all of the pieces of the puzzle in advance will help me feel more prepared for situations
that arise on the job and help me be a more proactive leader than a reactive one. This will

especially come in handy when a crisis situation comes to fruition, but it will also help me feel as
though I have my team prepared and know who to go to for certain answers when the situation is
necessary. Foresight is an invaluable leadership skill that we discussed in our systems thinking
theories, as leaders need to be able to have a vision, and foresight is essentially having a vision
and preparing for any missteps along the way.
Toward New Actions
This semester, I developed my goals on my goal sheet to reflect two different situations:
what the district is experiencing and what my workplace is experiencing. I have contacted the
districts public relations manager so that I can further discuss the community and the media
portrayal. I am hoping that this gives me better insight for my activities this semester so that I
can make sure I am responsive to the communitys needs. I am also continuing to engage in this
conversation with my mentor, and she has invited me to attend a parent meeting in November
that is directly in response to social media concerns, one of the things that sparked the student
death. All of this will help me to know how to be responsive to the districts needs and how to
create a positive, constructive conversation from a devastating situation.
Hours Log
10/3/16 (1 hour)
Transgender Student Athletes Needs webinar
10/4/16 (2 hours)
Completed weekly readings
Completed discussion board
10/5/16 (1 hour)
Weekly meeting with mentor

5
10/6/16 (4.5 hours)
CPR/First Aid Staff Training
Improve Your Schools Performance w/ Protocols webinar
10/7/16 (2 hours)
Completed DIRECT log

Total Hours Completed This Week: 10.5

Total Hours Completed This Semester: 27.5/100
Total Hours For All Internships: 332.5