My experience of UWS so far has been pleasant. I have just started my third ‘official’ week here (excluding the induction week) therefore my experience is somewhat limited. Over the past few weeks I have learned a lot about myself, and what will be expected of me over the next four years.
It is interesting as I thought I knew myself pretty well; however I learned something about myself I didn’t think was possible… I am capable of grasping Maths concepts! I have always had an anxiety when it came to Maths, and therefore when I found out that it was a core module and was assessed by an exam (which also brings great anxiety to me) I started to get a bit worried. When I walked into my second tutorial (Place Value and Number Base) I could feel the anxiety building up again. However, with the help of the lecturer and physical aids such as counting blocks I began to grasp how to calculate base values. Once I grasped the concept I stopped using the physical aids and even began helping other students! I feel I need to have more faith in myself, and that Maths doesn’t need to bring me the anxiety that it does.
Another module I feel like I have particularly benefitted from is the workshop in Situated Communication that is held in Performance Studio 3 a.k.a The Dungeon. Here we are pushed out of our comfort zones and expand the friendships we have already made. At first I found the class overwhelming as I am someone who hates having all eyes on them; however over the past few weeks my confidence has grown and I have become more comfortable with being in the lime light. I may take some of the exercises we have done into my future practice as it may help the children I will be teaching to build up their confidence. It is important to do this as the Curriculum for Excellence states that school must enable children to become ‘Confident Individuals’ (Scottish Government, 2009).
Reference List
Scottish Government (2009) curriculum for excellence building the curriculum 4 skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. Edinburgh: The Scottish Government.
