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Reflective Journal: Learning journal

and personal Development plan

This essay journal will explain the importance of journaling and will give a reflective account of
my interpersonal and team working skills. Focusing on teamwork and communication through
Kolb's experiential learning cycle cited in (Bassot, 2016, p.31) which will be analyzed using
SWOT, the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities for achievement and any Threats that might
hinder my progression and how I will endeavor to develop these skills will be shown in the
Personal Development Plan (PDP) (Bedford and Wilson, 2013, pp 160-162).

Journaling is a personal key aspect of self-developing as a learner and as a professional. This can
be implemented through identifying, reflecting, logically thinking, implementing the changes
and then self-assessing. These critically reflective thinking skills gives a practitioner an
opportunity to understand their own and others’ behaviours and to improve on it positively
(Moon, 2006, p.46); (Bassot, 2016, p.20). For me reflecting will help me identify my weaknesses
and strengths when communicating with staff members in a more confident and professional
manner. This would enable a positive structured learning environment with the learning
outcomes being achieved. I am always doubting myself and questioning whether I am doing this
in the correct way? Was this the right way of communicating and modeling the activity for the
children? I also get the feeling that sometimes the staff are not happy with how I might be
implementing learning or communicating as team or with children.

Teamworking skills are equally importance as interpersonal skills this enables to build on
positive relationships and reduce tension of each other's opinion which I feel now there is tension
in my HI (Hearing Impaired) team. This HI team is new in my work placement, a provision for
deaf pupils. We are still getting to know other and sometimes even feel threatened or competitive
of each other's skills. This relates to Tuckman’s theory (Tuckman, 1965, pp.384-399) where we
are still in the forming stage relying on our manager for guidance and direction because objective
is yet not clear and tend to ignore each other or do not ask of each other's support. I feel that I
know too much and tend to step on other team member's toes or do not consider and listen to
others rather than just empathizing on my opinion only.

Having recently joined the primary school. My expectation was that I would be working solely
with deaf children in the classroom and would be able to provide support to others (pupils or
staff) when I feel the deaf pupil is independently coping. However, the teacher being new to this

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idea of HI TAs within the schools has different expectations and feels that I am purely for early
years and that I should be assisting others as well as working as a TA 1:1 allocated to the pupil.

On a few occasions there has been a situation when the class teacher was giving out multiple
instructions to me at the same time and expected it to be done at a fast pace. I really felt annoyed
and intimidated by her and felt that she needed to communicate in a calmer and more precise
manner. I felt that this was unnecessary as other members of the team were already working on
the job and that I can only do one thing at time. I feel this would impact and delay the pupil’s
needs to be met as I am not given opportunities to see the important needs of the pupil, example
ensuring that the radio aids equipment is on or working, create ideas or resources to support their
delayed language and understanding skills.

My response to the situation described above was not clear to the class teacher as I found it
challenging to say that to the teacher because she does not expect a reply of my given an excuse
or reasoning of why I cannot do what is expected of her. I find it challenging to process all
information and to achieve all the requirements that are needed all at once. I need time to learn
and adjust to my surroundings. I assume the teacher was trying to teach me the early years
routine or was not aware that I had not understood the instruction.

I realized that working in early years could be very hectic environment and so this could also be
problematic for the teacher as there is added extra stress and she needs to feel supported by her
staff. The HI provision is a new experience for the school, and it will take time for the school to
adjust to these recent changes. These are added challenges as the staff have no understanding of
the support required with the hearing impaired and are not deaf aware. I did not discuss with the
teacher how I felt about her demands, but I am now making it clear what I am doing and how
when I finish, I will do the next task as requested.

The reflective journal is a useful tool to help you progress and develop yourself professionally
and, in my case, would also progress me academically as Cottrell (2019, p.101) states ‘being
responsible for your own learning’. Bedford and Wilson (2013, pp.155-156) states that
understanding own weak areas both academically and professionally builds evidence of learning
which specifically would support a learners’ embarkment to their chosen career also a way of
showing greater in-depth of understanding and ability of being able to work in line of policies

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and procedures. This reflection has given me much needed of self-awareness and a way of not
only finding and recognizing weaknesses but also recognizing the positivity of me strengths and
confidence, it can be exceedingly difficult to recognize self-strength especially in a working
environment where other team members will have expectation of your already gained
knowledges and experiences and thus the need of the feedback is ever considered. I have
achieved greater awareness of my learning needs; gaps and I have also recognized that I create a
lot of bias assumptions without really thinking clearly but also at the same time has given me
greater depth of understanding of how I can organize myself and enhance learning academically
and professionally without the extreme of overwhelms and has given me greater confidence in
myself of the ability to achieve and develop myself academically and professionally both at the
same time. From this reflection some of the highlighted weakness are stated for areas of
development which is highlighted in my PDP Appendix one (Bedford and Wilson, 2016, p.162)
with given time frame and to be reviewed during February half term.

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References

Bassot, B. (2013) The Reflective Journal. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

Bedford, D. & Wilson, E. (2013) Study Skills for Foundation Degrees. 2nd Edn. London:
Fulton

Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook. 2nd Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Moon, J. (2006) Learning Journals: A Handbook for Reflective Practice and Professional
Development. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Routledge

The Johari Window: A Useful Framework for Personal Growth — Becoming Who You Are.
(Accessed it 5 December 2020)

Tuckman,B. (1965) ‘Development Sequences in Small Groups’, Psychology Bulletin, 3(6),

pp.384-399.

Understanding Johari Window Model to Boost Self-Awareness | Cleverism . (Accessed it 5

December 2020)

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