Implications

Implications for Professional Practice
(Learning Outcomes #4, #5; Artifacts A, C2, H, I)

When I look at the holistic picture of who I am as a professional and a person, through
my strengths and areas of growth, I see lifelong learning as the theme that comes through as the
implication for my practice in this field. I think that a big reason why I want to be in this field is
because, the sheer nature of working in an environment where learning is promoted everyday.
The Student Development Program has shown me how much change can occur in the life of an
individual in just two short years. I think we have this idea that we will have things figured out
by the time we are considered adults, and that we will basically become who we are and that is
the end of it. I have experienced first hand that there is always more to learn about yourself and
others, always practices to improve on, and always more information to gather.
Awareness of Self: Learning Outcome 5; Artifact A & H
One aspect of lifelong learning includes continuing my own personal and professional
development. I have learned through the program that understanding ourselves is critical to
being able to understand others. I have a much greater confidence in who I am and what I know
after having been through the program. Prior to the SDA program I was still determining my
personal and professional identity; I did not even have all the language I needed to articulate who
I was and what I believed. Through the skills I have gained and the experiences I have had, I am
better able to demonstrate Learning Outcome 5 Adapting student services to specific
environments and cultures. Through understanding the skills I hold I am better able adapt for
the situation at hand. Looking at Artifact A, my resume from applying to the program and my
resume now, I can see the tangible skills I have gained as a working professional over the past
two years and I feel more confident in my approach to serving students at different institution
types and in different spaces. Without the self work I have done in the program I would not be
ready to take on the work of serving others as I do in my position.
I can see that even though I have gained a lot of knowledge and competency in the
program, there is always room for growth as shown by Artifact H, the NASPA/ ACPA
Competency Assessment. By looking at the areas I am most competent and least competent in I
can better know what I need to give attention to in my professional development and will grow
in LO5.
Awareness of Others: Learning Outcome 4: Artifact C2, I
I have always had the best of intentions when it comes to incorporating aspects of
diversity and social justice into my practice, but before the program I did not have all of the
knowledge and skills needed (Pope, Reynolds, & Mueller, 2004). Artifact C2, my Professional
Philosophy essay created in SDAD 577 Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession, really
shows how I have developed Learning Outcome 4 Understanding and fostering diversity,
justice and a sustainable world formed by a global perspective and Jesuit Catholic
tradition. I believe that you cannot truly understand where another person is coming from
unless you have some experience with diversity and social justice. How could I possibly work
with students if I have not tried to understand the many unique contexts and backgrounds they
are coming from? There is so much to learn in these topics, that I may never be done learning. I
purposefully included aspects of continuing my understanding of this topic, in Artifact I, my
Five Year Professional Development and Action Plan. I look forward to expanding my
knowledge of different contexts and backgrounds people can come from and how it informs their
experiences. I hope to do this through intentional interactions, traveling, and researching.
Two other of the most useful classes for understanding others were COUN 5100
Fundamental Counseling Skills and MGMT 5335 Leading with Emotional Intelligence. These
two classes showed me how to really be perceptive in my interactions and how to better read
social situations. As a result I am much more effective at communicating with others and
interacting on a meaningful level.
Awareness of the Field of Student Affairs
Student Affairs is an incredible field to be in because there are so many aspects that it
encompasses. My third implication is my expanding awareness for what it means to work in
student affairs and to fully understand the context that is higher education. I remember first
completing Artifact H, the NASAPA/ACPA Competencies, during SDAD 5300 Foundations of
the Student Affairs Profession, and being overwhelmed looking at how many areas that I needed
to gain competency in. Comparing that document, to my current one really highlights how many
aspects of Higher Education I have learned about through my coursework, my professional role,
and through my peers. This is a field where there is always more to know and improve upon. I
am curious to see even how these competencies change with time as I to will change with time in
the field.
REFERENCES
Pope, R. L., Reynolds, A.L., & Mueller, J.A. (2004). Multicultural competence in student affairs.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Implications

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Implications

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Implications

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Implications for Professional Practice

(Learning Outcomes #4, #5; Artifacts A, C2, H, I)

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.