IndexIntroductionDescriptionFeelingsEvaluationAnalysisConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionAs part of my social work studies, I was required to carry out observations on six children, make a power point presentation and write a reflective report on the whole exercise. To make this reflective account coherent and concise, I will adopt the six stages of Gibbs' (1988) reflective cycle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayDescriptionI used the Tavistock method (Esther Bick, 1964) to make these observations. After the sixth observation I made an informal presentation and a formal power point presentation. My task began with the acquisition of an unknown child of a different age range from my children and of a different race and background like me. I reached out to parents and preschools for assistance. I observed a 4 year and 8 month old girl in a school setting. Before starting, I obtained consent from both parents and the school through a written agreement reviewed and signed by the school, the child's parents and me. I also signed a copy of the school policy on volunteers/external involvement. Feelings My decision to use an unknown child put me in an awkward position. I felt uncomfortable approaching unknown people, telling them that I needed their child for my own personal interest. But I got encouraged and started contacting parents with children. My negotiations about observation were with the principal and not the classroom teacher. This made me feel helpless towards the teacher. Furthermore, during the observation, the pupils occasionally came to ask for help/chat but I couldn't and this made me feel like an intruder on the teacher's territory. During the presentation, I felt very nervous at first and was also anxious that the time would not arrive. Enough. This made me rush the presentation. However, the constructive feedback I have received has made me feel that I have started to learn how to apply theory to practice and is now starting to reflect me in my practice. Although I felt that my role as an observer was unnecessary, I understood why I should do observation. According to Carole Sharman et al. “Practitioners can learn more about why and when children and young people do something by learning about development and observing what they do. Without this knowledge we can misunderstand what they are trying to tell us, and this can make life difficult for everyone." Evaluation My decision to observe an unknown child was a very good one. It enlightened my knowledge of nature and nurture and limited the impact of my personal values and prejudices on observation, although it was difficult for me to try to invade the territory of strangers to have a child. There were careful negotiations between all parties involved in the observation. The agreement was reviewed by all parties before the final copy was printed and signed. I also recognized the class teacher as part of 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 key in social work practice (Wilson et al 2008). He also showed respect for human rights. However, this caused some delay in the preliminary trial. The Tavistock method used for observation allowed for concentration. But I think one hour is not enough and that using the same time and environment limits the understanding ofbehavior. According to Bandura (1969), Holland (2004) and Howarth (2010) cited in M and S O'Loughlin (2014), behavior is best understood in different contexts. However, the school environment gave me the opportunity to see how children interact with the outside world outside the home, even if there were distractions from other children. My power point presentation went well but not without flaws. My slides were attractive, but some contained too much information and seemed compressed. I spent more time, used faster speed and less eye contact as expected. I believe this was caused by my inexperience, anxiety and time constraints considering the information I had. However, the questions and feedback improved my ability to think critically and constructively and showed areas where 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 to develop resilience and reduce feelings of helplessness and lack of purpose. I deduced that although Bowlby recognized secure attachment for children under 5, he failed to recognize this attachment outside of the mother. I could see the child firmly attached to friends within the school. Therefore, the challenging meso system provided her with the opportunity to explore and develop positively. However, despite these external factors, there are biological factors that influence temperament and, in turn, can determine how a child acts or reacts in the environment and what he or she gets in return. At this point, as a mother, I have reflected on my children's relationship with school, its effect on their social and academic development, and the impact of their removal from school. As a professional, I have thought about the emotional impact of removing children from schools, especially during adoption. The observation also revealed Erikson's (1950) stages of psychosocial development. I saw hope, willpower, purpose and care as the child played; even if there was no dedication to the cure. I have learned that children can show an element of caring earlier than Erikson suggests. I have learned that good skills such as compassion, love and leadership can be developed through play. However, the child's intermittent movement from one game to another made me believe that children may not have the ability to maintain these skills. I saw the link between play and social and cognitive development as I observed. I saw his cognitive ability emerge through the game as he actively explored his environment for alternative ways to crown his party. I believe this exploration was triggered by a stimulating environment provided by the teacher and the school. This implies that both the adaptation process and the environment play a significant role in the formation of the child. The presentations were an opportunity to express and improve my communication skills which are important in social work practice. Some feedback I received created in me an awareness of my own prejudices. This confirms that where you stand determines what you see. It made me understand what to look for beyond race and gender; highlighting the need for a reflective practice that is anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive. Although I learned a lot through observation, I believe that the teacher's interaction with the child may have been influenced by my presence, thus bringing an observer effect on the behavior. Fawcett (2009) states that “we learn a lot from our observations, but.
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