Posts Tagged ‘change’

Experience: The Irreplaceable Piece of Your Professional Education

Saturday, August 27, 2011

This past week I have found out that what you do not know or realize can hurt you. I’m going to be making some changes in my life and educational track, but in order to explain the context, I need to give you, my dear reader, some history.

As a BSW student. I was in a placement that did not get me the kind of experience that I needed as a BSW student. During my entire placement, which spanned from late August 2010 to late April 2011, I had one client contact. My field instructor had been concerned about liability and skill levels, so another intern and I were told to observe and shadow for most of our time at the placement. I also contributed to some statistics and research projects, but most of my time was spent observing at this agency. When I did raise my concerns to faculty, my placement was not changed, despite the fact that I wasn’t doing anything that would contribute positively to my experience levels.

Despite these placement conditions, I did well in my field courses and practice courses and graduated from my program with a 3.6 GPA in my major. I did not think that my placement conditions would affect my future schooling.  I thought that wherever I went for future placements, I could share my story and my field instructors would bring me up to speed. While that’s an optimistic and sunny way of thinking, it wasn’t realistic at all.  Field instructors are entrusted with the task of equipping students with skills based on program requirements and grading them that way.  I was not equipped with what I needed for my first MSW placement.  Recognizing this, my summer field instructor contacted my field coordinator and informed her of some things that she was concerned about.  I had thought I would be fine, but a phone call on August 17 changed all of that. I was shocked by this call, and on August 18, I had a field review to discuss the issues.  My school wants to work with me for my success.  To this end, they have scheduled a special meeting called an Academic Standing and Student Review for this upcoming Monday at the school’s main campus.  This process is not one in which I am shunned or punished, but the decision that will be made will be best for my future and continuing my education. Despite good academic performance, I need to consider that the experience I have missed must be made up.  Regardless of whether I continue in the program part-time, or take a full year away from school entirely to work on my experience level and return full-time next year, I must recuperate the experience I have lost.  Some have said that this call and this problem has cost me a year of work, but if I continue in field placements, I am doomed to fail because of what I do not know.  While it hurts to think that my program will take a year longer than I anticipated and hoped for, it is the best thing for me and for the social work profession.

Following the field review, I spent some time regrouping with family and loved ones. I then went back to my alma mater and asked for help getting the experience I missed.  My former field coordinator contacted a field instructor in one of their trusted BSW placements, and through a series of calls and emails and a great interview on Thursday, I have a great informal internship. In addition, I hope to take part-time courses and work full-time or nearly full-time hours. There are also several personal goals that I’ll address during this time.

I didn’t know how important the experience that I missed really was. The experience piece is one of the most important components of the BSW, because whether the graduate continues into Masters or Doctorate programs or joins the workforce, the field work gives the BSW practical, professional experience. Without the experience piece, the BSW would present as an eclectic blend of political science, sociology, psychology, and research arts.  The BSW, however, is a professional degree, and that experience is paramount to networking, development, and identification as a social worker.  Never underestimate how much you learn from what you do.  Experience is one of the most effective teachers available.

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Sandstorm

Monday, July 25, 2011

I am in awe about how quickly time seems to pass.  With my schedule, with some parts of it static and others changing often, I really need to stay on task in order to make sure I get all of my work done and meet my obligations.  However, it’s not possible to please everyone or do everything.  It’s not possible to say yes to every obligation or opportunity that comes my way.  Sometimes that means deferring an invitation to dinner out, declining extra hours at work when I know that, as much as the extra funds would be a blessing, it’s over my energy limit, or reminding myself that even though it’s summer, the “lazy” days are over for me.  Sometimes it hurts to have to say no, especially when something sounds exciting or new to me. Excitement, however, is overrated.  I can’t sacrifice what’s important for me to do in favor of something more engaging or exciting.  That’s like sacrificing principles and values I hold dear In order to “have a little fun.”  What’s important to me right now is getting through school, being the best employee I can be, and being a great friend and family member.  Those roles and priorities aren’t without their exciting times, either.  As a graduate student, I often get to research, write about, and discuss topics that are interesting to me, and many exciting networking opportunities come my way.  As an employee, I can challenge myself to be a better one, mastering my paperwork, engaging more effectively with consumers and those at the agency office, and developing my skills as a great problem solver.  As a friend and family member, I can integrate my sense of adventure into time spent with family or find creative ways to express to them that I care.  I can’t say “yes” to every opportunity that comes my way or pretend that I’m living simply for the adventure of life—I have to find the adventure in the circles I move in.  I say “yes” to fun and creativity in the decisions that I already make each day.  When my work is done and it’s my time to have fun, I can seek out the large-scale adventures I crave.  It takes all that time, like sand slipping through the hourglass, and keeps it from being a disorienting and ineffective mess—like a sandstorm.  Instead, time well spent becomes a protection from disaster like a sandbag, a place of refuge like an oasis, or an opportunity for beauty, like sand art. Spending my time wisely takes the seemingly endless desert of my routine and turns it into something wonderful, with effects that don’t slip away as my time seems to.  I try not to worry about the hourglass.  I have better ways to spend my time—like making sure I’m making the most of each moment.

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Getting Organized

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

I realized the other day that as people, we all have different organizational styles. Some people develop systems for organizing nearly every object and bit of information they possess. Some don’t really have a certain system that they pay close attention to, but they do what seems to come naturally. It’s not that they don’t have some type of logic, but it’s not an endeavor that they put much time, thought, or energy into.

I fall somewhere in the middle of these two groups. I generally know where all of my things are, and some items I’m very meticulous about. Some people who see my space would tell me that it’s a bit chaotic. Lately, I’ve been more inclined to agree. It’s not that I’ve become more disorganized. I feel more organized than I was a few months ago. I’m seeing areas in my life and things that I have that I want to organize and improve. It’s not enough to be simply tidy. Now I want things in order.

That goes for my thoughts and keeping track of my time, also. I’ve never made this many to-do lists or left myself so many notes. I’ve got a good memory, but if it’s pretty important, I write a note anyway. I even caught myself thinking about color coding my new datebook with a plethora of highlighter colors today as I was driving home. It’s not merely something in me that’s changing—I’m changing because my life is changing. Reorganizing is my form of adaptation. It makes overpriced binders and pens worthwhile—even exciting—to find and purchase.

I didn’t want to admit that I needed to change my ways. Organized chaos is adequate if I’m not concerned about the consequences of forgetting or misplacing something. I’m just realizing that I have a lot of precious things to give my time and attention to. I can’t do that if I’m busy looking for a “whatchamacallit”.

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Room to Breathe

Monday, July 11, 2011

When I was structuring my schedule this summer and dividing time between my Master of Social Work program, work commitments, and family commitments, I knew one thing: I needed “me time” each week in which I didn’t have to focus on the demands of work or school. I wanted some time to have fun and enjoy the people in my life. In my BSW program, I sometimes had a hard time physically and mentally separating myself from work and school. At times, I experienced high anxiety around commitments to my education, paying my bills and working through school, and caring for the people in my life.

Once I graduated, I realized how imbalanced my amount of worry had been. I had room to breathe and reflect on how much I had enjoyed my experience but also how much I had missed out on because I was stressing about doing well. It was at that point that I determined that I needed to slow down, chill out, and carefully structure my schedule, a lifelong skill, so that I could make the most of my time and my experiences.

Self-care is an important component of social work because it allows social workers to meet their own needs as a person. In order to care for others, social workers must tend to themselves. Because social workers help others navigate life problems, crises, and trauma, they can be adversely affected by the gravity of what they are dealing with if they enter the situation emotionally raw. These situations, combined with a profession that, overall, is demanding, lead to burnout. While many social workers who experience burnout leave one social work role for another, some leave the profession entirely. Both of these responses to burnout lead to high job turnover and thus high administrative costs for social service agencies.

In thinking about my approach to my program and how I will care for myself, I think about a bonfire. A fire needs fuel to burn in order to remain lit. In other words, people need something to do or they fall stagnant. In order for our society to be productive, we need to keep the work coming. We thrive on challenges and deadlines. We grow when we have a role we need to fulfill. However, much like a bonfire being overloaded with wood and stifled, if we become overwhelmed with tasks, worries, or both, we can become less productive and effective and even cease to perform altogether. We need room to move, explore, and breathe in order to thrive and remain healthy. I must remember to challenge myself and allow myself to grow by exploring new things, but also to nurture myself with the free space to recharge. I will be my most brilliant self and care best for others this way.

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Change

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Today in my field orientation, the presenter made a really good point. For a competency in our field education learning plans, one of the practice behaviors was to “reflect upon the meaning of change in [social work students'] lives and the lives of their clients”. She said that we’re all entering this advanced standing MSW program and even though it is a wanted change, we are still going through a lot of processing right now. I appreciated this comment. I’ve been wondering lately if I’m just being forgetful or worrying too much. I may indeed be worrying too much, but it’s not an arbitrary mood swing. I recognize that this semester, seven weeks of very condensed class material, is already challenging and it is going to be even more challenging in the coming weeks. I recognize that life as I know it is changing constantly. I’m learning a large amount of material in a short amount of time. In January, the first month of my final semester in school, I’m supposed to begin looking for an MSW job. This is almost inconceivable to me because I’m just starting. In five months I’ll be presenting myself as an employable MSW? In ten months I’m going to start working full time as an MSW? There are many things to consider, including licensing exams and qualifications. In five months, I need to determine what geographic area I want to live and work in. Right now, I know I want to work with children and families. That’s just about it. The other ideas in my head really aren’t formulated yet.
If the above paragraph sounds overwhelming, hold on. Read a certain way, that paragraph is very overwhelming. However, I know it’s going to be ok. The changes I am making in my routine will become the routine itself before long. I’ll be accustomed to an adjusted social life, sleep patterns that promote the “graduate student” lifestyle, and to spending hours each day reading and writing. Everything really is ok right now, including the feelings of sheer grandness.
The best way I can describe this feeling is comparing myself to a new sailboat. I’m at the edge of the harbor looking out over the horizon, and all I can see is ocean. I can’t turn back now because I have been made to sail this ocean. I’ve been designed to move over the waters. I’m built to win. Everything I need to move forward at this time, I’ve been equipped with, and there will be plenty of places to get what I need along the way. There is always hope for me. There is a beautiful ocean stretched out right in front of me. I can be troubled and ignore all of the provision and hope, or I can be grateful and brave and accept this awesome journey.
This change is good. I’m going sailing!

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