Personal Development Process - Essay Example

The awkward resolution of a complaint, initiated by Tom, escalated into an uncontained environment that fuelled unsafe and untrustworthy feelings among the group. Toms trouble and unresolved issues with the tutor and college resulted in him feeling isolated, which I understood completely. I could tell this not only for the fact that I had been sitting always close to him but from his very often withdrawn stance and body language. I reflected on how Toms case affected me so much. I could feel his struggle to fight for some basic recognition of his rights as a student, but most importantly as a human being, who as far as I understood was left to his own devices.

A strong sense of power and justice came over me from the way Tom was treated. Aware of my tendency to play the role of a rescuer, I held back in making any kind of intervention in relation to his position to the group. However, I also felt that I could no longer ignore Toms actions as part of the group. This time, my rescue mode with Tom had a different flavour. I was recognising that my approach had more to do with me trying to understand Toms world and his experiences of it rather than my need to be useful and feel good about rescuing him.

Tom formed in me a sense of vulnerability and the anxious and unsettling feeling of not knowing what to do. The fact that only in the middle of the term was made aware that he had to re-write his essay, even after talking to some senior members of the college, made me think of the unbalanced power that we were possibly subjected to. Silence was very much a focus of this PD term. Many questions were asked about the reason for it and what it provoked in us. I have the view that silence is at times a comfortable and reflective space to be in, but it can also be uncomfortable at the same time.

Tashi felt agitated by silence because of the unknown element it brought into the room. My experience of silence was similar