My Externship Experience

1
My Externship Experience

• Newtown Road Elementary School
• By Aimee Sraver

2
My Self-management Skills

• Reliable- Must be someone that kids, parents, and
  colleagues can turn to for advice and guidance.
• Determination to make a difference.
• Easy going in order to make yourself approachable
  and easy to talk to.
• Frank- Must be straightforward and able to speak
  with confidence.
• Gentle- Exhibit good-natured qualities.
• Open-minded to be able to understand and work
  with children who come from very different
  academic, social, and emotional backgrounds.
• Positivity to be able to see the good aspects of
  every situation.
• Trustworthy in order to be someone people feel
  like they can confide in.
• IN YOURSELF and in others!

3
Functional Skills

• Convey enthusiasm
• Motivate others
• Listen attentively
• Understand different perspectives
• Capitalize on diversity
• Empower others to believe in themselves
• Expand perspectives of others
• Build trust
• Care for myself and others.
• I think all of these skills are equally important
  in pursuing a career in either school psychology
  or social work, because in order to do your job
  effectively you must understand different
  perspectives and be able to genuinely listen and
  motivate children without being judgmental.

4
My Content Knowledge

• On the site, I learned how to do an in class
  student observation (where I watched a specific
  student in 30 second increments to see how well
  he could stay on task.)
• Gained general knowledge about how to test a
  student for ADHD or a learning disability.
• Learned how to score IQ tests.
• Learned how to provide a non-threatening
  environment for a student in a one on one therapy
  session.
• Gained an understanding of different learning
  styles and preferences and how a child can
  succeed given proper resources and attention.

5
Reflection of Values

• One of the most important lifestyle
  considerations for me is that I can work in a
  trusting environment, where I am able to
  contribute to the community. From my externship
  experience I have already seen how I will be
  encouraged to help others learn and grow and
  share my opinions freely, which is something I
  had the chance to do while I was at Newtown Road
  Elementary.

6
More Values

• I highly value being in an environment where I
  have supervisors and co-workers who I get along
  with and respect. I noticed that Dr. Farley had
  very good relationships with the teachers and
  school social worker, and being able to rely on
  them and seek advice from them is something that
  she highly valued. I enjoyed the fact that every
  day at Newtown road was stimulating and
  challenging. I appreciated coming in to work
  every day knowing that there would be something
  new to face. I also valued the fact that no day
  was ever the same.Every day I had to hear about
  many discouraging situations, but I saw that as
  another experience that would keep me confident
  in knowing that there wouldnt be many
  circumstances that I would not be capable of
  handling.

7
My Career Interests

• Working with underprivileged kids.
• Social Work
• School Psychology

8
Newtown Road Elementary Schools MISSION

• The mission at Newtown is to create and nurture a
  cooperative environment for children, families,
  and staff. The school fosters respect,
  self-worth, interdependence, and life-long
  learning.

9
My Next Step

• Develop my electronic portfolio.
• Revise my resume as I gain more experience.
• Keep in touch with Dr. Farley.
• Take advantage of community service and
  leadership opportunities.
• Keep an open mind!

10
What I have learned

• This externship experience has proven to be very
  helpful. I really enjoyed getting to know Dr.
  Farley and Melissa Diffley, the school social
  worker. The most important aspect that I will
  take away from this experience is that it is
  always important to look at all the factors
  concerning a childs situation before jumping to
  conclusions.
• While you may not be able to fix every
  situation, you can always make it better!