After watching the videos, I feel I am more aware of the importance of self-evaluation. I understand that the only way to improve and move forward is to take time to reflect on how well you did something and what you could improve for future. Without taking the time to look back and evaluate, you may stunt your professional progression. It is hard to get into the habit of self-evaluating. It can seem a little unnatural and uncomfortable, but the rewards definitely make it worthwhile and it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.

With placement fast approaching, it will be useful for me to take time to reflect on how I perform when I am there, and what aspects could do with some improving. I know that it is okay to make mistakes (which is very likely in your first placement), as long as we learn from them. Hopefully this will mean I get the most out of my time at placement. Placement is an exciting but nerve-racking time, so it is important to use time efficiently and make sure we benefit from our time at school.

From watching the videos, I understand not only that self-evalutaion is important but also that peer evaluation is also key. A lot of the time, someone else can pick up on things you don’t notice. A second pair of eyes can catch things that may have slipped through the net. It is important for a peer or mentor to be encouraging, by giving praise as well as areas to improve. The videos talked about how vital it is for a trainee and mentor to have a good relationship of respect and understanding, in order to give effective feedback. I think it is also important that we, as teachers, are comfortable receiving feedback and don’t take it personally – we all want to be the best we can be professionally, and the only way to achieve this is through evaluation and reflection. We should make sure when we are reporting back to a trainee or peer, that we give constructive criticism and feedback, rather than judgement.