Category Archives: 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities

Reading Enthusiasm

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After reading through these posts from my peers, I am now looking at my own posts with a more critical eye. While I do engage with my professional blog on a fairly regular basis, from looking at these excellent posts, I really want to engage with the idea further.

All of these posts are highly insightful in the subject that they have chosen to talk about, and provide a very interesting read indeed. It is clear that these students have spent a long time working on their posts and have truly grasped the idea of collaborative learning by sharing the excellent ideas they have come up with. Also their enthusiasm for their subject and commitment to their learning shines through in abundance.

By reading through these posts, I have learned new ways to show my understanding of ideas and I have seen first hand the excellent results that can come from sharing our creative and insightful views.

In future, I want to spend more time on my e-portfolio to ensure that my ideas can be as structured and well thought out as these.

Dance like no one is watching!

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“Only 9% of respondents attended a dance show or event (7% of males and 12% of females). The highest level of attendance is among those aged 35 to 44 (13%) and the lowest is among those aged 75 plus (4%). The majority of respondents who attended dance shows/events did so once or twice a year. Dance is the fourth most common cultural activity adults participated in, with 12% of adults indicating they had taken part in dance in the previous 12 months. ”

The number of people participating in dance in Scotland today is exceptionally low, especially considering that we are a culture rich with both Highland and Scottish Country Dancing. The studies conducted in this review show that girls more than boys, and youths more than adults, participate in dancing of their own free will. This is particularly evident when looking at dance classes, including my own, which are overrun (and in our case entirely filled) with girls. It’s a pastime which boys find much less attractive than other sports such as football, and I believe the awful stigma surrounding male dancers needs to be eradicated.

In terms of in schools, the focus tends to be on the heritage of Scottish country dancing, which often fills pupils (certainly in secondary school) with dread. As a Scottish country dancer,  who has been attending class for over 10 years, I believe that schools are not teaching this wonderful art form with the credit that it deserves. Children become bored with the dances that they ‘learn’ year after year, which are then forgotten about until the next wedding they attend. Schools should be teaching these dances with enthusiasm to allow children to understand the culture they come from, just as Bollywood is respected in India.

Schools should focus on teaching children the benefits of dance, as a relaxation technique or as a social activity for example. The dedication and concentration required for dance can be used as inter-transferable skills across the curriculum, and it is my belief that dance must be taught in a more positive, inclusive and meaningful way to unlock the potential of more able children.

Get Scotland Dancing: A Literature Review Produced by Catch the Light for Get Scotland Dancing.

Available at: http://www.creativescotland.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/26149/GSDLitReviewv2.pdf

Accessed on 20/01/16

I’m a professional, and you’re under arrest!

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The police force are in a career which would, I believe, undoubtedly be seen as a profession, and having watched “24 hours in Police Custody”, that has been proven to me even more.
Capture

These were the words that I have previously used to describe a professional. When looking back on these after observing the police unit, I believe that these are truly, but not exclusively, the qualities needed to be a professional. However, on reflection, there are a few more I would add. Linking to caring, I would add that professionals must be concerned about and considerate to the people they are working with. This was shown particularly by the police force in that they understood that they had a “duty of care” to the individuals they worked with. They were always asking if the suspects, and the families had any questions, and in one instance worried for the health of a suspect as he looked “pale”. This shows genuine care that I believe not everyone could show to these individuals. Another instance of this was where the officers did not want to go to the home “mob handed” as there was a child living there, and they did not want to frighten them. Again this shows a duty of care, not just for the suspect but for their families. For the second suspect, this was evident where the officer sat down with the wife, and explained what was happening. This would make her feel included and could lead to better cooperation with the police.

In terms of the video itself, I would reiterate my thoughts on having to be calm but confident. The first suspect shown in the video was not particularly helpful in the interview, however, the officers stayed calm, and treated the suspect with respect, even though he was under arrest. The officers in the same interview also showed confidence that must come with being a professional. The officer was determined that she was going to ask a certain question, and was confident, even though the solicitor was not happy.

An example of professionalism can be described in the scene where the viewers were informed that the suspect would work with social services whilst on bail. This inter-agency working takes the strain from the police as they can allow the suspect out on bail knowing that he will be looked after and can no longer pose any threat to his family.

In spite of the overwhelming professionalism of the police officers, there were some points which struck me as rather unprofessional. For example, the officers did not have a dress code as such, apart from the police body warmer that they wore while out visiting houses. While I understand that this may have been to make the suspects feel more at ease, I believe that dress code is important when considering professionalism as the way you look can often be the first impression people get. To establish a sense of professionalism, and the qualities that go with it as listed above, can form an early trust or bond between the “service user” and the professional. In positions such as police officer or teacher I believe that this relationship is extremely important. From a police point of view, without trust from suspects, there is less chance of cooperation. From a teacher’s point of view, this trust may not only come from the children, but also from the parents who will look at the teacher and instantly make assumptions about them and the school they work in, which I believe can all come from dress code.

The impact of the police officers’ professionalism was evident in how the suspects acted. They were not disrespectful towards the officers, as they themselves had been shown respect, and they were cooperative, especially in the case of the second suspect.

My university degree:

Attending Lectures – 20%

  • Lectures give basic knowledge about topics

Background Reading – 20%

  • Background reading emphasizes what students have learned in lectures and can spark new ideas and interests
  • Develops commitment and time management skills

Role Play etc – 20%

  • Allows students to use the theories that they have been taught and that they have read about to develop practical skills which are useful in their profession, without as much pressure

Work Based Learning – 40%

  • Gives students a feel for what it is actually like to be a police officer, and will draw in all of the other elements that they have learned at university

From watching this programme I have learned that the term “professional” is really an umbrella term which includes connotations of many other skills and qualities. While each profession will interpret these differently, they will all be used to some extent whether in the medical, police or teaching profession.The programme has reiterated to me that a “professional” is much more than someone who goes to work in a suit and tie and carries a briefcase. A professional is a well rounded person with genuine good intentions and a desire to succeed in what they do for themselves and the people they work with.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall…

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Reflectionmirror as a noun occurs in everyday life, however, it is seen less often as a verb.

Reflecting upon work you have done is important in being able to progress and improve. This is especially prevalent in the teaching profession, as reflection on a day’s lessons can help improve the lessons for the next day, and in turn improve the overall education of your pupils. In terms of academic writing, reflecting on an experience can often form the basis of a piece, however, reflecting on these pieces individually will also help to improve overall writing ability.

Reflecting is not simply pointing out what you did wrong. Reflection is about finding weak areas, realizing how to improve them, and making a conscious, motivated decision to make them better. It is not enough to know you are not good enough, you need to know how to change for the better and actually implement these changes.

Personally, I believe that I struggle with reflection. While I can identify where I feel I may have gone wrong, I struggle to improve this, even with great effort sometimes. I have seen this in my past experiences of academic writing at high school, where I saw myself as a writer who focused more on delivering the facts or theories than one who had an opinion about them. I rarely challenged what I saw, however, I know that I need to improve this at university level, and will hopefully improve this during my time at university.