Reading and organisation are two words that I have heard over and over again during semester one. I’m sure this will be the same during the next three years. At the beginning of first semester I was sure I would remain organised and keep up to date with all relevant reading, however I can honestly say this wasn’t quite the case. Although I did attend every input for all of my modules and took part in any tasks given I still believe I could have been a lot more productive with my time which is a vital skill for a teacher. I did manage to earn good grades on all of my assignments including my elective but I was very last minute and this resulted in causing myself a lot more stress than necessary. After receiving good grades I knew I was capable but wondered if I hadn’t left it till the very last minute would I have been given even better grades?  This semester I plan to develop my time management skills to make assignments less stressful for myself and to ensure I have the right skills required to be an effective teacher in practice.

To begin with I was unsure about why reflection was so important and why there was such a huge deal made about it. Already I am beginning to see the advantages to reflecting critically. It has helped me to decide what I need to improve on in this semester academically and am looking forward to seeing what advantages it will bring me during my placement. I think it will be a great tool to use everyday not only for my student years but throughout the whole of my teaching practice. I feel as though it will benefit me hugely during my placement and I will try to use critical reflection as much as possible. Hopefully during my placement I will also be able to develop time management skills which are absolutely vital.