# educ7650 Paper 2 Jethro Jones | For a better reading experience read it at [drjethro.com](https://drjethro.com/7650paper2) For this paper, I used ChatGPT extensively. First, I uploaded into ChatGPT my [[EDUC7650 notes]], my [[Dissertation ideas]], and all the assignments for this class. Then I gave it the directions and told it to write the paper with me. I actually went through this process twice. The first paper below is written using the GPT I trained to know my work, know my history, and have access to much of my content already, things I've written, and podcast transcripts so it can understand and use my voice more effectively. I then went through it paragraph by paragraph and made adjustments You can view [the transcript here](https://chatgpt.com/canvas/shared/68085ca57a608191ba50bfabd3e335f3). For the second example, I used ChatGPT4.5 which is much better at writing, and you can see the much more academic approach. It even cited sources correctly at first, but I made it conform to my approach instead. Again, I went through this paragraph by paragraph to explain how it got things right or wrong. You can view the [second transcript here](https://chatgpt.com/canvas/shared/6808628cf2d48191a0d926b4e1ce67bd). This painstaking approach is the only way that AI is acceptable at this point! While it is amazing what it can do, it takes the expertise that we have to make it do what we want it to and simply entering information in and expecting it to work from a 1-sentence prompt is a fool's errand. That being said, what follows is no less academic than if I had written it solely myself, and it even uncovered some things that I may have missed or forgotten. What this exercise enabled me to do was spend the time thinking about the concepts and ideas, rather than the perfect way to write them. For example, the piece about Dr. Ranney in the first paper below reminded me of something that I had forgotten and brought to the forefront this line: > In fact, I believe sustained leadership growth—and really any kind of learning—is intensely personal and unique to each individual person. This key idea that learning and leadership growth is intensely personal and unique to everyone's journey will be a key piece of my dissertation. My notes on Dr. Ranney are quite insignificant, so the AI surfacing this particular quote was helpful in reminding me what the important point of her session was! Interesting to me, the second section required significantly less editing, but was devoid of my personality (as is probably to be expected). In the end, this whole paper is just shy of 2000 words. I fully expect you to skim the remaining, as it was generated by AI. A better approach would have been to detail which things I wanted to be a focus of my work and which things I wanted to ignore. Providing an outline and a plan of attack would have yielded better results, in my opinion, but I also wanted to see what new advancements were available. I believe the point of this paper was to get us to reflect on the class and what we learned. This method of writing the paper with AI has provided me a way to reflect meaningfully for me and where I'm at in my career and how I'm currently working. Thank you for this opportunity. # Reflections on EDUC 7650 and its Influence on My Leadership and Dissertation Over the course of EDUC 7650, I've found that rather than challenging my foundational beliefs, the course has reaffirmed and solidified them. It provided language and clarity to ideas I've long practiced but haven’t always been able to articulate. As a former principal, consultant, and coach, I’ve encountered hundreds of leadership frameworks, but this class gave me new ways to explain and contextualize what I already believed and implemented. This paper explores the insights from EDUC 7650 that will directly inform both my professional work with school leaders and my dissertation on sustained leadership development. ### From Self-Reflection to Systemic Shift One of the most striking themes came at the end of the course: **the difference between perfectionism and excellence**. This idea of perfectionism versus excellencism was new to me, and I really like it. Emamzadeh’s distinction clarified the mental trap many leaders fall into—believing they must be flawless to be effective. It's a concept that is going to impact my work going forward, both in coaching and research. I want to continue learning more about this distinction because it aligns closely with my interest in helping leaders achieve sustainable, reflective excellence. For my dissertation, which explores the impact of reflective mastermind groups on SEL/character skill development in principals, this insight becomes essential. Coaching leaders out of perfectionism and into reflective, sustainable excellence is the cornerstone of my work. ### Leading with Empathy and Intent The April 15 session on **Adultification of Minority Students** prompted me to reflect on the systemic blind spots that often go unaddressed in traditional PD. Although adultification is not something that feels personally relatable to me now, it was eye-opening to take the assessment Monica suggested and see that my adultification score was a 9—so low! I've been so blessed in that regard. The discussion about family dysfunction, mental illness, and the unintended consequences of parentification deepened my resolve to help principals address these dynamics empathetically. This aligns with the formative five—particularly **empathy**—as a leadership skill I aim to measure and develop through my dissertation interviews. Empathy surfaced again in a session with Dr. Sarah Ranney, where she emphasized **personalizing and depersonalizing data simultaneously**. This nuanced perspective helps principals see the story behind the numbers without getting defensive. That dual lens—heart and mind—is foundational to my dissertation’s core argument: sustained leadership growth emerges from both emotional and intellectual engagement. In fact, I believe sustained leadership growth—and really any kind of learning—is intensely personal and unique to each individual person. This reinforces the need for reflective practices that honor the personal nature of growth. ### Reflective Tools that Drive Real Growth Jeffrey Benson’s readings on **Four Systems Types**, **Personal Best**, and **Some Closure Options** offered good insight, even though I wasn’t present for the session where he presented. I appreciated the follow-up and the resources provided afterward. The Four Systems framework gave me new language to help leaders diagnose their school culture. The Personal Best article reaffirmed my core belief that coaching is for growth, not remediation. The closure prompts, meanwhile, were practical tools that I’ve already integrated into my mastermind and coaching sessions. These resources directly support the reflective touchpoints I’m measuring in my dissertation by providing structures and frameworks that encourage intentional, personal reflection among educational leaders. ### Mental Fitness and Saboteurs While we didn’t explore the saboteur assessments directly in class, the work we engaged in lent itself naturally to what I do regularly when coaching principals. There was a great overlap between the course content and the day-to-day challenges leaders face—particularly around mental fitness. Many principals operate from a place of fear, hyper-achievement, or control—all mental saboteurs that I help them name and tame in our coaching work. This alignment reinforced the importance of these themes in my dissertation, where identifying and addressing internal blockers is a key component of reflective leadership growth. ### Conclusion: Synthesizing the Learning What stands out most from EDUC 7650 is not just what I’ve learned, but how it validates and extends the work I’ve been doing for years. This course has provided a richer vocabulary, deeper frameworks, and research-backed rationale for practices I’ve been developing intuitively. More importantly, it has sharpened the focus of my dissertation by giving me concrete references and experiences to draw from. My goal, both in practice and research, is to build reflective, relational, and resilient school leaders. This course has been a critical stepping stone in that journey. # Applying Course Learnings to Professional Role and Dissertation Throughout EDUC 7650, several key concepts, frameworks, and ideas resonated deeply, enriching my professional practice as a consultant and coach for school principals, as well as providing foundational insights for my dissertation. One particularly impactful idea is the understanding and management of perfectionism, a common saboteur in educational leadership. Emamzadeh’s differentiation between perfectionism and excellencism, will significantly inform my coaching approach, recognizing perfectionism’s harmful impact on performance, relationships, and overall job satisfaction ([[7650 Assignment 10]]). Another essential insight emerged from the materials shared by Jeffrey Benson, particularly the concept of school systems—Closed, Random, Open, and Synchronous. Although I wasn't present for the original discussion, I'm grateful Jeffrey provided follow-up resources to deepen our understanding. This classification aligns seamlessly with my book, *SchoolX*, and the consulting work I perform, emphasizing that culture is malleable and leadership-dependent ([[7650 Assignment 8]]). By identifying system types, principals can strategically navigate their leadership challenges, making informed decisions that foster responsive and coherent school environments. This aligns with my dissertation topic exploring the transformative potential of sustained, reflective leadership development, specifically through mastermind groups. The reflective and relational dynamics of masterminds, derived from Napoleon Hill's concept, serve as the core framework for my dissertation, examining how sustained, reflective "touchpoints" influence principal leadership growth. This aligns with Gawande’s insights from "Personal Best," highlighting the necessity for continuous coaching even among highly skilled professionals ([[7650 Assignment 8]]). My research further draws upon literature suggesting the inadequacies of traditional, episodic professional development experiences, emphasizing instead continuous, reflective development opportunities that principals find personally meaningful and professionally transformative ([[Literature Review Outline]]). Moreover, the "Formative Five" skills—empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity, and grit—featured throughout the course are integral to both my professional role and dissertation focus ([[7650 Assignment 8]]). Implementing these skills intentionally in leadership practices enhances school culture and drives meaningful change, aligning with Zaki's argument that empathy can and should be deliberately cultivated ([[7650 Assignment 7]]). This has been practically demonstrated in my professional experience, where structured empathy development significantly improved principals' relational and decision-making capacities. The practical application of emotional intelligence underscores the importance of empathetic leadership in fostering inclusive and welcoming school cultures ([[7650 Assignment 9]]). My observations in various schools emphasize that emotionally intelligent signage and environments significantly improve school culture and community relationships. This finding informs both my consultancy work—where principals are guided to "dogfood" their policies and practices for enhanced empathy—and my dissertation, reinforcing the need for emotional intelligence within reflective leadership frameworks. Furthermore, the emphasis on gratitude and small yet powerful actions, such as handwritten notes, discussed throughout the course, has reinforced my belief in incremental, relational strategies to enhance school culture ([[7650 Assignment 3]]). These seemingly minor actions contribute significantly to the transformative culture within schools, echoing the philosophy I advocate through the Transformative Principal mastermind. In summary, the comprehensive insights gained from EDUC 7650, including strategies to manage perfectionism, cultivate empathy, implement emotional intelligence, and foster reflective leadership, have profoundly shaped my professional role as a principal coach and my dissertation's direction. By integrating these learnings, I aim to demonstrate that sustained, reflective professional development opportunities not only enhance leadership efficacy but fundamentally transform school cultures, ultimately benefiting educators and students alike.