During my first semester at the University of Dundee, I learned a lot. Before I started the education course, I wasn’t very sure what to expect. When I learned that one of the modules entailed us working together with members from other professions, I was, at first, apprehensive. I knew little about the Social Work and CLD professions. However, working together with my group was one of the most important aspects of the first semester for me. I soon realised, after working as a group for only a short period of time, that I had no reason to be apprehensive. Although we were different in many ways, including profession, age and gender, we all had a common goal which enabled us to work well as a team. This was one of the most important things to happen to me as I not only learned a lot about myself and my own profession, but the others in my group too. This played a key role in my professional development as I was given the opportunity to work with people from other professions as I will when I am a teacher. Therefore, it has been a very worthwhile experience.

As much as in the past I have enjoyed working as part of a group, I have always said that I prefer working on my own. This is not to do with me being anti-social but rather I prefer to work at my own pace and not have to face the worry of being judged by others for my thoughts and ideas. However, through the working together module, I have learned how important it is to listen to others and value their opinions as well as sharing my own. I had a very positive experience with my group and I truly believe that we would not have done as well if it wasn’t for the contribution of everyone in the group. This highlights to me how beneficial it can be to work as part of a team and not just independently. As for feeling worried about speaking out in front of my group, I did not find this to be an issue. Everyone valued the opinions of everyone else and it has taught me that I should use my voice and contribute to discussions more. Although at first I did feel slightly nervous, as i got know my group and began to feel more comfortable around them, it soon became easy to speak out. This benefits me as well as the people I work with.

The process of reflection has been very important to me over the last few months. Although I started out apprehensive, when I look back on working with my group, I realise how important and significant it was. It has not only helped me as an individual, but I will also carry the experience with me into my profession when I have to work with people from different professions. I will no longer feel as nervous to share my ideas as I know we all have a common goal and everyone’s opinions will be valued. I feel I have come a long way from when I first started at the University. I very rarely contributed in discussions and when I did, I always felt nervous I was going to give the wrong answer. Since the module, I have become much more open when sharing my views and I truly believe this will help me in the future.