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  • Essay / Reflection on the observation and presentation of my child

    Table of contentsIntroductionDescriptionFeelingsAssessmentAnalysisConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionAs part of my social work studies, I had to carry out six observations of children, make a PowerPoint presentation and write a reflection report over the entire financial year. To make this reflective report coherent and concise, I will adopt Gibbs' (1988) six stages of the reflective cycle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayDescriptionI used the Tavistock method (Esther Bick, 1964) to make these observations. I gave an informal presentation and a formal PowerPoint presentation after the sixth observation. My task began by finding an unknown child of a different age group than my children and of a different race and background than myself. I contacted parents and preschools for help. I observed a girl aged 4 years and 8 months in a school environment. Before beginning, I obtained consent from both parents and the school through a written agreement reviewed and signed by the school, the child's parents and myself. I also signed a copy of the school policy on volunteers and external participation. FeelingsMy decision to use an unknown child put me in an uncomfortable position. I felt uncomfortable approaching strangers and telling them that I needed their child for my own benefit. But I encouraged myself and started contacting parents of young people. My negotiations regarding observation were with the director and not with the head teacher. This made me feel helpless towards the teacher. Also, during observation, students would sometimes come over and ask for help/talk, but I couldn't and it made me feel like an intruder on the teacher's territory. During the presentation, I felt very nervous at first and I was also anxious that the time would not be too long. enough. This made me rush the presentation. However, the constructive feedback I received made me feel that I have started to learn how to apply theory to practice and am now starting to reflect in my practice. Although I thought my role as an observer was unnecessary, I gained an understanding of why I should be observing. According to Carole Sharman et al. “Practitioners can learn more about why and when children and young people do things by having developmental knowledge and observing what they do. Without this knowledge, we may misunderstand what they are trying to tell us, and this can make life difficult for everyone. »EvaluationMy decision to observe an unknown child was very good. This informed my knowledge of nature and nurture and limited the impact of my personal values ​​and biases on observation, although it was difficult for me to try to invade unfamiliar people's territory to get a child. There were careful negotiations between all parties to the observation. The agreement was reviewed by all parties before printing and signing the final copy. I also recognized the teacher as a stakeholder in the observation and briefly introduced myself to her on the first day of my observation. I believe this enabled a good professional relationship which is essential in social work practice (Wilson et al 2008). It also showed respect for human rights. However, this delayed the preliminary process a bit. The Tavistock method used for observation allowed concentration. But I think an hour is not enoughand that using the same duration and setting limits understanding of the behavior. According to Bandura (1969), Holland (2004) and Howarth (2010) cited in M ​​and S O'Loughlin (2014), behavior is best understood in different contexts. Nevertheless, the school setting gave me the opportunity to see how children interact with their external world outside of their home, even if there were distractions from other children. My PowerPoint presentation went well, but not without flaws. My slides were attractive, but some contained too much information and looked compressed. I spent more time, used a faster speed and less eye contact as expected. I think this was due to my inexperience, anxiety, and lack of time given the information I had. However, the questions and comments improved my ability to think critically and constructively and showed areas I need to improve. AnalysisAccording to Trevithick (2012) “we learn a lot by observing others and, as such, we learn what is conveyed through tone of voice, volume, intonation, posture and gestures. “Through observation, I saw how secure attachment could help a child develop resilience and reduce feelings of helplessness and helplessness. I deduced that although Bowlby recognized secure attachment in children under 5 years of age, he failed to recognize this attachment outside of the mother. I could see the child firmly attached to his friends within the school. Thus, the stimulating meso system offered him the opportunity to explore and develop positively. However, despite these external factors, there are biological factors that affect temperament and which, in turn, can determine how a child acts or reacts in the environment and what they get in return. At this point, as a mother, I reflected on my children's relationship with school, its effect on their social and academic development, and the impact of their leaving school. As a professional, I have thought about the emotional impact of removing children from school, particularly in adoption. The observation also revealed Erikson's (1950) stages of psychosocial development. I saw hope, will, purpose, and caring as the child played; although there was no dedication to care. I learned that children can show some care earlier than Erikson suggested. I learned good skills like compassion, love and leadership that can be developed through play. However, the child's intermittent movements from one game to another made me believe that children may not have the ability to maintain these skills. I saw the connection between play and social and cognitive development through my observations. I saw her cognitive abilities emerge through gameplay as she actively explored her surroundings looking for alternative ways to make her own party the crown. This exploration, I believe, was triggered by a stimulating environment provided by the teacher and the school. This implies that the adaptation process and the environment play an important role in the formation of the child. The presentations were an opportunity to express and improve my communication skills, which is important in social work practice. Some feedback I received made me realize my biases. This confirms that your location determines what you see. It made me understand what to look for beyond race and gender; emphasizing the need for reflective anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. Although I have learned a lot through observation, I think that.