Running Head: SDL Competency self-evaluation

Student Development and Learning SDL (ACPA/NASPA) Professional Personal Reflection

Amelia Tostrud
University of Wisconsin La Crosse
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As I reflect on my first semester in the program and practicing as a graduate assistant I

recognized my own development and learning as well as others. At the start of the semester I had

little to no previous knowledge of NASPA/ ACPA competencies. My skills and abilities to

perform higher education task was obtained during my previous education and work experience.

My student development goes as far as my comparing my transition to undergrad to my

transition into graduate school. The transitions were very different but had similar level of

difficulty as I am a first generation student and have to learn to navigate campus on my own. I

developed independency skills as an undergrad student. I had to learn to self-advocate and ask

for help when I recognized I need it, also reaching out to peers for support.

As being a student and practitioner I am aware that my professionalism needs to improve

as part of my student development. I focused the first semester in my G.A. position on knowing

polices and the operation of our office. In the academic graduate program, I focused on learning

theory’s and transitioning onto campus. As a student practitioner there were definite

unprofessional mistakes which led to asking for assistance and improving self-care.

In my graduate position I performed self-reflection to evaluate my standing in the

“Intersection of Competencies as stated in ACPA/NASPA, (2015) professional competency

areas for student affairs educators. The Authors of the organizational document

explained as a person may be fundamental in one area they can also be intermediate in

another competency area (p.9). While working in the McNair Scholars office on campus I

recognized many areas where I am at the fundamental beginner stage in development and have

room for continuous improvement. The explanation of intermediate, fundamental, and advanced

outcomes of the SLD competency were defined as “The ability to apply theory to improve and

inform student affairs and teaching practice” (p. 14).

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During my undergrad, fulltime work experience and beginning my graduate program I

found definition in “Informal theory” as part of my work. Love, P. (2012) Informal Theory. The

author Partick Love wrote an article with the focuses on the role “informal theory” (p. 177) plays

in our daily lives. They define it as unwritten theories people hold based on their own lenses,

experiences, culture, and backgrounds. The author Love, P. (2012) explained the implementation

of informal theory in practice. After reading the article and participating in class activities I

recognized my own biases and informal theories acted like a blurred lens in some situations and

an asset in others. Some of my informal theories were based on my own insecurities and

hardships in my background. When combining my personal informal theories with learning new

definitions of student development theories gave me a better understanding of myself.

In conclusion my student development and learning within the first semester as a student

practitioner provided me with rapid improvement and valued learning. He most valued learning

was from my initiative to be vulnerable and open-minded. I learned from others and my peers as

I participated in class activities, hands on, research, and community involvement. As a student

my identity developed to become more silent as I grew professionally within the last few months.

In many areas I may be behind on the developmental learning the curve, but my goal in the next

semester is to continuously improve and go above and bound before the end of the academic

year.
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Resources

ACPA/NASPA, (2015) Professional competency areas for student affairs

educators. Professional Competencies. Published by: ACPA—College

Student Educators International & NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators

in Higher Education. p. 4-11

Love, P. (2012) Informal Theory: The Ignored Link in Theory-to-Practice Journal of

College Student Development, (53,) 2. p. 177-191 Publisher: John Hopkins

University Press. DOI: 10.1353/csd.2012.0018