Rationale

On April 17, 2021, I attended QPR Institute’s Suicide Prevention Training. QPR stands

for Question, Persuade, and Response. I chose to attend this professional training because I

wanted to learn from experienced professionals about how I can best pick up on the warning

signs that someone shows when they are considering suicide. I also wanted to play a role in

helping to prevent it, especially as a professional who will be working with both youth and adults

daily. I think this is a very important topic as it is something that begins to weigh heavily on

students, particularly beginning in the middle school years. The QPR training that I attended is

intended to offer hope through positive action. Through this training, I learned how to recognize

the early signs of suicide, how to intervene, and how to point people to the proper services.

Furthermore, I actively reflect upon all of the lessons that I teach. I think self-reflection is

extremely important as an educator because it not only helps you actively seek out opportunities

to grow professionally, but it also helps you adapt future instruction. As a teacher, I consider

myself a lifelong learner. Therefore, I believe that no matter how much experience I have, I can

always grow and develop my skills. By drawing on past experiences and past lessons, both good

and bad, I am able to make the proper notes so that I can be the best support possible to my

students. Additionally, self-reflection also encourages me to seek the advice of other experienced

professionals. For example, while reflecting on lessons during my student teaching experience, I

was encouraged to also seek the advice of my cooperating teachers to get their input on what

they think I could have done differently. Together, we were able to come up with great insights

and make the proper adaptations. Below, I have attached a lesson plan with a self-reflection

piece at the end.