During practicum, I can practice my professional skills as shown:
Reliability:
- I regulated myself to become a positive model for the children in practicum and demonstrated positive examples for them to follow.
- My mentor and other ECEs can rely on me to fulfill our duties. It fosters a sense of trust, cooperation, and mutual support within the team.
Punctuality:
- I consistently show up for work and fulfill my responsibilities to provide a stable and dependable environment and maintain consistency in routines for the children and our team.
Communication skills:
- During my practicum, we communicated with children to engage with them and build relationships. I used words that they could understand to interact with them. From pretend play to guiding them and navigating conflicts together. I can help the children be considerate for others by showing my empathy and telling them how I understand their feelings.
- Among co-workers: I communicated with our mentors to make sure I was supporting them and staying on the same page with them to ensure the program went well. I express what I discovered about the children and communicate with the ECE about what I’ve noticed. I asked my mentor for advice when I faced a conflict between children. I offer them help by asking them when I think they need to. I asked an ECE about what I had observed in this room, and we discussed it. I am not scared to ask my mentor for feedback when I need it.
Problem solving:
- I can help children with their needs. When I can not understand what children said or need, I will go for other ECE to ask them for help.
- For instance, I talk to children about holding their friend’s hand even I know she wants to hold mine,but her friend needs her to hold his hand when I see they don’t want to hold each other and might cause some dangerous things to happen during our trip on the road.
- I can alternate my work time with my partner when my partner can’t shift as usual.
Contributions to the team:
- Working collaboratively toward goals, such as assistance with ECE in addressing behavioural challenges during hiking, bus and picnic trips with children.
- Ensure my measures are the same as those of ECEs to approach their goals, for instance, supporting children in wearing clothes by themselves during the transition and keeping dangers away from children to provide a safe environment.
- Flexibility and willingness to adapt roles and responsibilities support the team’s efficiency. When they are short of staff, I can cover for absent team members to support their work during nap time.
- I can encourage the recognition of ECE’s contributions and promote a positive work atmosphere.
Guidence:
- I help them navigate through the conflicts without judging them. Because I know that, at that moment, the child was already feeling bad about it. Teaches them how to negotiate and consider others’ perspectives.
- Support their mental health by finding ways to express care and support for a child who is recovering from a difficult experience and showing them how to stand up to someone who is treating them unkindly.
For instance, they can better say ” Stop! I don’t like it” to others when they encounter uncomfortable things.
- Allowing children to try tasks on their own and offering help only when they needed it. Promotes their independence and self-confidence.
- Introducing diverse backgrounds to them through books. Foster an inclusive environment where children learn to respect differences.
- Model positive behaviour, such as sharing toys with them, empathy, and patience, which children are likely to imitate.
- Praise them for their good behaviour and help them grow their confidence. This action demonstrates that we are aware of and value their performance.
Reflective practice:
- Take some time to reflect on what went well and what could be improved every day. For instance, after reflecting, I understand that sometimes children only need us to accompany them instead of being involved in their play.
- by observing my partner in practicum, I can better know what I need to improve in.
- Seek guidance and feedback from my mentor or other ECEs. Their perspective can provide valuable learning opportunities.
Ability to listen to:
Adapt practice based on constructive feedback
- By listening to children, I can better understand their interests or concerns. It allows me to adjust myself to meet various needs.
- By listening to children’s emotions. They can feel a sense of understanding. It values their experiences and helps them learn to regulate their emotions.
- By listening to co-workers, I can better know their ideas, concerns, and perspectives, and we can work together more efficiently and solve problems together.
- Listening to coworkers’ feedback allows me to learn from their experiences and ideas. It also can help us understand each other’s perspective and then address misunderstandings.