Week 9: Final Reflections

Dang, it’s hard to believe it’s already August.

Not gonna lie, I came into this experience feeling like I was ready to conquer my tasks and really blow people away with what I was already capable of. Boy was I wrong. After giving my final presentation yesterday, my site mentors gave me some incredible feedback both about my project and general time at DPSCD, and I needed to hear every word. I had become to reliant on the flexibility and patience of my professors and expected everywhere to give me the same leeway without consequence; and while my site mentors were very understanding and patient with me, they let me know that it seemed as though I took advantage of that. Other areas of critical feedback reminded me of how badly I need to stop assuming that people don’t want me to ask questions. Especially when conducting research for people who know way more about the district/area, I definitely should have reached out more with questions or things I couldn’t find. They let me know that it came across as me lacking interest or initiative 🙁 which is something I should have been fearing so much more than coming across as annoying. I mean, that was the point of this experience, asking for answers from community members who know way more than me, and I would have definitely embraced that more if I could go back to nine weeks ago.

On the bright side, I’m definitely proud of the final project I presented to my site mentors. I compiled an entire plan for a Future Educators Club, which my mentors praised. I was super proud of the praise I received for my “Next Steps” section, where they said that the steps were tangible, specific goals that will be great for the next person on this project to pursue. I really wanted to make sure that my project would be a solid springboard or foundation for the work that would come next in making a DPSCD Future Educators Club a reality, and it sounds like I left a clear path to follow.

I appreciate this feedback and experience more than almost anything I’ve received from formal education. I’m way more sure of my future path and current decisions now than I was 9 weeks ago. I can’t thank my site mentors and the community members I interacted with enough. I’m excited to go forward and learn to let go of the fears that hold me back from doing my best work for myself and others.