Identifying skills and abilities

I have rated myself in the tables below, 1 being not very well developed and 3 being very well developed. For the last table, which is “skills to be developed”, as I develop these skills I will update the information.

Skills and Abilities 1 2 3
Flexibility

X

Self confidence

X

Self discipline

X

Work under pressure

X

Set personal goals

X

Take risks

X

Share opinions confidently

X

Team work

X

Take responsibility

X

Build social networks

X

Manage time

X

Act as a leader

X

negotiation

X

Make presentations

X

Listen to others

X

Debate formally and informally

X

Contribute to discussions

X

Converse confidently

X

Take notes

X

Write for academic purposes

X

Problem solve

X

Generate new ideas

X

Work on own initiative

X

Organise and plan

X

Think critically

X

Evaluate information X

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How I will use these How do I know (evidence)**
Work under pressure By staying calm and controlled when working under pressure to achieve the best results From doing a levels I have found that some of my best work has come from increased pressure of time or importance
Set personal goals By setting realistic goals that I know can be achieved I set myself personal goals of what I want to achieve
Make presentations By making presentations that put across a point clearly and effectively I have made creative and effective presentations in school that have been informative and engaging
Listen to others By listening to others and taking in and reflecting their opinions I have participated in group work where listening to others and accepting other people’s views is key
Take notes By taking notes that include the important and relevant information I take good notes that include the important points
Organise and plan By organising and time and work load well I organise and plan by using to do lists that help to keep on top of work

 

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills to be developed How I will develop these How do I know (evidence) **
Self confidence By learning to speak out in discussions and encouraging g myself to do better
Share opinions confidently By not being afraid to speak my mind whilst also being respectful of other people’s opinions
Negotiation By learning how negotiate and not giving in just because it’s easier

 

 

Why teaching?

I cannot remember the exact moment where I realised that I wanted to be a teacher. But I know that children and learning have always been something that I’ve been passionate about. As the eldest of 8 grandchildren I’ve grown up looking after my younger siblings and cousins. This is where my love of children started and it only developed as a grew up. As a child if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I would have always said that I wanted to be a teacher but it was only in high school that I started taking this prospect seriously. 

In high school I started to get involved with  helping out at the various clubs and organisations that were held at mimg_7073y church. I helped out at girls brigade on a Monday night where I would lead games and craft with the younger girls. I became a leader a junior youth club on a Friday night where I became the youngest leader to take the story. And I became a small group leader at children’s church helping the 4-6 year olds on a Sunday morning. 

As I grew up I used the skills I had gimg_6650ained through church organisations to become a leader at different teams and camps in my summer holidays. From an outreach team in Belfast focused on reaching out to the local kids and teens to Bekoji a small village in Ethiopia where we helped teach children about God, these teams helped my love for children develop and my passion for teaching grow stronger.

As I embarked on my journey to becoming a teacher I did work experience in a few local primary schools. The experiences through getting to know the children on work experience drove me to become completely focused on becoming a teacher and getting a place on the course at Dundee. Even though I can’t remember the moment which made me want to become a teacher, I believe that the combination of experiences and skills that I have gained over the years have equipped me to start my journey to becoming a teacher and I can’t wait to get started! 

Welcome to your WordPress eportfolio

Welcome to your eportfolio. This is where you will document and share your professional thoughts and experiences over the course of your study at the University of Dundee and beyond that when you begin teaching. You have the control over what you want to make public and what you would rather keep on a password protected page.

The eportfolio in the form of this WordPress blog allows you to pull in material from other digital sources:

You can pull in a YouTube video:

You can pull in a Soundcloud audio track:

You can pull in a Flickr page

Teacher, Lorraine Lapthorne conducts her class in the Grade Two room at the Drouin State School, Drouin, Victoria

You can just about pull in anything that you think will add substance and depth to your writing.