Learner Record 2

Learner Record Entry 2

Insightful reflection on personal strengths and weakness when working with children, families and team members, with development strategies to improve knowledge of working with children.

Personal S.W.O.T. in an ECCE Setting

Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Attending Level 5 childcare Award on my own initiative Aistear Curriculum Child friendly, materials are age appropriate I’m responsible, helpful to others and reliable Willing to learn and dependable. Resourceful and observant Good on computer	No Experience in an ECCE setting. Emotional when hearing sad stories Can’t fully understand when children age 3-4 talk, ie. bubbling	Personal motivation On-going study in childcare More support and information from management Availability of counselling for staff in the event of stressful incident	Ratio due to lack of qualified and experienced staff.

My strengths in a placement

            Doing an analysis on my personal strengths gives me an idea that I can still have some talents to offer in a Childcare Education.  I see my strength which is beneficial for me and for my future employer.  To be qualified and competitive I am going to continue my ongoing professional development in childcare.  It is good that I can go to Roscommon town to do it which is only 20 minutes’ drive from home.

Personal Weakness in a placement

I have no experience in a Childcare Facility but doing my assignment both in Childcare and Education Practice and Child Development able me to experience and observe how a Childcare facility look like or governed.  Hearing sad stories makes me emotional and be affected by it. Furthermore, I cannot understand well when children ages 3-4 talk like bubbling words, too slang.

Building opportunities in the placement

           

            Being motivated is one key for a good opportunity which help me to do my ongoing studies in childcare. A positive response from the manager when I ask if I can do my work experience someday gives a good outlook in the future ahead where I see myself enjoying working with children.

Threats in my placement ECCE setting

            The only thing I saw a threat in my placement is lack of qualified and experience staff since I notice sometimes there is only one staff with 5 kids.  Nevertheless, the management tried their best to get a qualified staff since I saw their advertisement in the local newspaper. Even I am very interested in the job I cannot apply since I still need to finished 5 modules to complete the Level 5.

Evaluation of Personal Strengths

            Even though I’m only doing it for my assignment, I was able to put my strength into practice.  I am friendly, calm and patient by nature and is one important traits when dealing with children.  The on-going study helps me to understand children and found it very easy to deal and relate with them.  I am looking forward to work with children and I find it very interesting and enjoyable while I was only few days with them. 

It was a very meaningful experience as a promising childcare worker.  I will only listen to my friends how their children doing in pre-school or in a creche, but still I can think about how I was doing when I was young and compared the present situation.  I appreciate the different personalities of children since they came from different culture.  This helped me more observant and often prevent a situation before it unfolds.

One of my good traits is flexibility where I am able to work well in many different areas within the childcare setting.  With my on-going study, there are room for knowledge, experience and improvement.  I am open minded, quick learner and observant.  I am also physically fit which is very important in order to keep up with energetic and busy children.  Being aware of the importance of Physical exercise for children and my basic knowledge of a good exercise could helped.

Strategies for Improving my Weakness

           

            Having completed only 3 modules to complete my childcare award, I feel that I am optimistic, confident I will be knowledgeable and learned in my chosen new path.  Doing my assignment both in Childcare and Education Practice and Child Development able me to experience and observe how to be a good childcare worker someday. Following the procedures in place in the childcare setting will help me do a better job and reduce my sensitivity.  Doing my assignment in an ECCE setting gave me a practical experience of dealing with children and idea what’s going-on in a childcare facility.  I learned from the staff and children and helped me to interact with others and improved my deteriorated social skills after being jobless for more than a year.  This also helps me to cultivate and re-ignite my long years being stagnant and unmotivated.