Workplace Areas to Develop - Essay Example

Sometimes, it doesn’t bother me anymore to have cluttered books, pens, etc. around me.  Lastly, I think I also need to learn to be wiser in my spending habits.  I have the tendency to be an impulsive shopper especially when I find novel materials.

3. Record two goals for yourself during work placement

          One goal is to develop healthy work relationships with my co-workers and the parents of my students.  Being surrounded by little children all the time makes me happy, but I also need to relate with other adults who may be able to give me wise advice in developing effective teaching strategies.  I would also need their friendship and support as a colleague who understands the same things I go through in my work.  As a teacher, I would also need to develop warm and congenial relationships with the parents of my students, as it is one of my beliefs that parents and teachers should work hand-in-hand to help the child reach his full potential.  Parents are considered partners in education for a better future.

          Another goal for me is to pursue excellence in my craft.  That includes making more effort to improve on my areas of weakness.  Being tardy may reflect that I take my work and the people there for granted.  Especially with young children, they would need a dependable teacher to be with them when they arrive at school.  Being a messy teacher will only impart negative influences on the students, as they can model this behavior themselves and think that is the way things should be.  Being an impulsive shopper would also put emphasis on a need to resort to buying new things instead of re-using or recycling old, available, inexpensive materials.  It will not foster resourcefulness and self-restraint.

4. Record two strategies for each of your goals.

           To be able to fulfill my goal of developing healthy interpersonal relationships at work would require that I initiate social contact with people.  I would make it a point to give attention to the people at work by greeting them each day with a smile or a simple friendly remark.  I will try my best to do this for each person at work from my superiors and peers, all the way to the janitors and security guards.  I would remember special days like birthdays and special occasions and greet them personally or send a note.

 I would cultivate deeper relationships with those I closely work with in order to foster team spirit and harmony at work.  This way, work will be much more pleasant.  Carrying friendships out of the workplace would definitely be another strategy, as I could plan fellowship activities after work or during weekends.

          With the parents of my students, I will develop good communication skills with them as I keep an open invitation for them to confer with me about their children anytime during work hours.  I can also update them about the progress of their children through narrative reports or phone calls.  If a student has been absent for at least two days, then I shall give them a call to inquire about him.  This concern, I believe, is much appreciated by parents.

          Pursuing excellence would be more difficult as it would entail getting rid of bad habits I have acquired through the years.  However, one strategy would be to keep a journal to track my progress in improving the three areas of weakness I have.  It should be an objective assessment of my day and how I struggled to be punctual, organized, and thrifty or resourceful in using materials available for the production of teaching and learning aids for my class.

          Another strategy would be to work for a reward.  If by the end of the month, I did not get late, kept my room clean, and used a lot of junk materials for crafts instead of buying from the bookstore, then I reward myself with something I really enjoy like buying myself new shoes or visiting a friend I’ve not seen for a long time.

5. Evaluate your goals several times during work placement

           Keeping a journal in itself, the way I described it – objective, is already an informal evaluation tool. With regard to the first goal of developing healthy relationships, my evaluation is how agreeable each workmate is with me during the period of my employment.  If dissonance breaks out in certain relationships then I would immediately take steps to remedy it like confronting the problem with the person concerned. I would make it a point to regularly evaluate both my personal and professional achievements as well as my lapses and strive to be better in everything I do.