Week 6 Discussion - The Intern Report

The Intern Report

Monday, February 10, 2020, 8:14 PM

I believe the intern in this scenario learned the importance of speaking up when

confusion arises, communicating open and honestly, and understanding that asking

questions is not a weakness. A lot can be gained from wor

king through confusion and

seeking clarity. Afterward, the intern realized that concealing her confusion and not

taking time to gain clarification from the principal or the assistant principal was poor

leadership as it prevented her from getting the planni

ng done properly and

demonstrated poor decision making on her part. Additionally, she unintentionally misled

the assistant principal who was operating under the understanding that she had a clear

picture of the task at hand. As a result, time was wasted an

d plans for the

orientation/development day were still not completed to the expectation of the principal.

Additionally, because of the intern’s poor decision making, the mentor may feel

uncertain about giving the intern future tasks, not knowing whether or

not she will seek

help or clarification as needed.

In thinking about this scenario from the perspective of a principal giving this

responsibility to a novice teacher, it would be important for me to share my vision for the

event with the teacher and to o

pen the conversation up to questions after my

explanation. I would share any critical elements that I wanted included in the

orientation/development session and even mention examples of what I did not want

included in this session. I would remind the teach

er that she can always come to me

during the planning process if she has any questions. I would check in with the teacher

after the first week to see how the planning was going, give her the chance to ask

questions, and make sure that the initial plans wer

e aligned with my expectation before

we got to the end of the two weeks.

Expressing an openness to hearing questions or discussing ideas should help the

teacher feel comfortable coming to me with questions or concerns. It is important to give

this time and

space for questions, as this will support the teacher in taking on the

leadership responsibility of planning this event and will help ensure that the planning

meets my expectations and vision for the event. When questions and clarifications are

not welcom

ed, it can lead to misunderstanding, wasted efforts, and frustration, as in the

initial scenario.

The Intern Report

Monday, February 10, 2020, 8:14 PM

I believe the intern in this scenario learned the importance of speaking up when

confusion arises, communicating open and honestly, and understanding that asking

questions is not a weakness. A lot can be gained from working through confusion and

seeking clarity. Afterward, the intern realized that concealing her confusion and not

taking time to gain clarification from the principal or the assistant principal was poor

leadership as it prevented her from getting the planning done properly and

demonstrated poor decision making on her part. Additionally, she unintentionally misled

the assistant principal who was operating under the understanding that she had a clear

picture of the task at hand. As a result, time was wasted and plans for the

orientation/development day were still not completed to the expectation of the principal.

Additionally, because of the intern’s poor decision making, the mentor may feel

uncertain about giving the intern future tasks, not knowing whether or not she will seek

help or clarification as needed.

In thinking about this scenario from the perspective of a principal giving this

responsibility to a novice teacher, it would be important for me to share my vision for the

event with the teacher and to open the conversation up to questions after my

explanation. I would share any critical elements that I wanted included in the

orientation/development session and even mention examples of what I did not want

included in this session. I would remind the teacher that she can always come to me

during the planning process if she has any questions. I would check in with the teacher

after the first week to see how the planning was going, give her the chance to ask

questions, and make sure that the initial plans were aligned with my expectation before

we got to the end of the two weeks.

Expressing an openness to hearing questions or discussing ideas should help the

teacher feel comfortable coming to me with questions or concerns. It is important to give

this time and space for questions, as this will support the teacher in taking on the

leadership responsibility of planning this event and will help ensure that the planning

meets my expectations and vision for the event. When questions and clarifications are

not welcomed, it can lead to misunderstanding, wasted efforts, and frustration, as in the

initial scenario.