presentation is not just making good points; it is about how you express them. He goes on to say that a person who speaks fast is likely to be perceived as untrustworthy and as I result I aimed to slow down my speech during my presentations. The feedback I received from both presentations was very positive, with only one fellow student making a remark on the speed of my voice.
From when I embarked my degree programme I had already reached the decision that I wanted to become a primary school teacher, with a particular interest in SEN. However, over the last two years I have worked voluntarily as a classroom assistant in a mainstream primary school and I feel very much that I would like to work more closely with children with disabilities but I am undecided in what context I want this to be in. Due to this uncertainty I decided to read up on the different types of careers there are that would enable me to use the knowledge that I will acquire whilst studying towards a Batcher of Arts Honours (BA HONS) in SEN. I visited a government run careers advice website and followed the links to enable me to assess my skills and interests (Directgov, no date). Upon completion of this short assessment I discovered that I have very good social and people skills and that my interests are mainly linked to a career which involves helping people, either within social services or education and training. I was then able to view job profiles within these vocations. I am currently considering a career as a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) or a SEN teacher within a special school.
This module also allowed me to practice my CV writing skills. At the start of this module I did not feel confident in my ability to do this. I worried that I did not have many skills and attributes that a prospective employer would want for an employee. However, after reading through Cottrell’s Skills for Success Handbook (2003) I felt at ease; mainly due the fact that it explains that there are many ways in which a CV can be written. In addition to this, it provided a number of good quality examples that I could use as guidelines for writing my own CV. As well as researching Cottrell’s theories I visited a graduate careers advice
website and as recommended by our tutor I downloaded a CV template that I found very easy to follow; the chronological CV template. Prospects (2007) maintain that this is the most familiar format, stating that it outlines your experiences in reverse chronological order and that it also features sections for education, experience and achievements. They go on to state that it is easy to follow and effectively demonstrates how you’ve progressed over time. Nevertheless, I did use my own initiative and altered the CV template, which allowed me to express my own academic character.
The last issue I felt I could improve on during this module of professional development was the art of reflective thinking and writing. I feel that this is an important skill I need to possess for my current level of study as well as for my future career in education. As a student I need to be able to reflect upon my own learning; to be able to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and to be able to understand how to improve in the areas I feel are my weakness. Moreover, as a future SENCO or SEN teacher I need to be able to reflectively evaluate students learning over a period of time. Moon (1999) defines reflection stating that it is a form of thinking in order to achieve a result. She goes on to state that it uses a set of abilities and skills in order to solve a problem. In addition to reading Moon’s theories of reflective thinking I studied Cottrell’s plans on how to think and write reflectively. In particular I followed Cottrell’s (2003) advice on how to write a reflective essay. She states that I need to consider my personal aims and goals, as well as considering what my expectations and objectives were when I embarked on my degree programme. She goes on to maintain that I need to reflect upon how these expectations and objectives have changed since the start of my studies. By considering these theories I completed a brainstorm which showed my thoughts and aims previous to starting a degree at university. In addition it illustrated my present day aims and expectations. By comparing the two I found that I could reflect upon the changes that had taken place; the change of career path and academic studying.
Although I came into this module feeling reasonably confident in my academic abilities I did feel that there were some areas I needed to improve on. Furthermore I felt that the opportunities on this module would help me develop my presentation skills as well as enhancing my CV and reflective writing skills. As a result, I feel much more confident in completing these tasks and moreover I know that throughout the remainder of my degree programme I will have plenty more opportunities to put these skills into practice. In addition to this, I entered this module unsure of my career prospects, questioning what careers would be available to me as a graduate. However, I now feel quite certain of the area of work I would like to enter, this being working closely with children with SEN. As well as this, I have discovered through research what other professions there are available to me other than teaching, which will enable me to work within my preferred subject.
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REFERENCES
Bradbury, A. (2006) Successful Presentation Skills. 3rd edn. London: Kogan Page.
Cottrell, S. (2003) Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Directgov (no date) Available at: http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/skills/ (Accessed: 15 April 2009).
Moon J. (1999) Learning Journals: a Handbook for Academics, Students and professional Development. Kogan Page: London.
Prospects (2007) CVs and Covering Letters: Sample CVs. Available at: (Accessed: 12 April 2009).
Thompson, N. G. (2005) Jobs Interviews Success – everything a graduate needs to know. Cirencester: Management Books Ltd.
