I remember most

1. Reflect on and write about what you most remember learning. Jot down what you recall.

I remember learning about the difference between directive and reflective supervision.

2. What do you feel will stay with you?
I feel that what I have learned about the different stages an employee goes through will help me to become a more effective supervisor.

3. What will be useful?

It will be useful to have the ability to recognize the what stage an employee is in, because it will help me to distinguish which style will be most effective in managing a specific employee.

4.What might you have liked to hear more about?
I would have liked to learn more about different ways to challenge self-doubt

Self Assessment Blog

1. What are your strengths that are most helpful to staff (teachers)?
My strengths that are most helpful to staff are my abilities to motivate others to be the best that they can be, patience, and openness to new ideas. I am able to help my staff recognize and build on both their strengths and weaknesses. I encourage my staff to always look for ways to better themselves as both teachers and individuals. I exercise patience with my staff and always make myself available to them. I think in many cases a supervisor that is not frustrated easily and is available for staff keeps office morale high. I encourage the staff to look for new innovative ways to work. It keeps them form getting burnout so quickly. If a staff member comes to me with a new idea I encourage them to implement new policies.
2. What additional skills would like to gain?
I would like to improve my directive supervision skills. My preferred style is reflective supervision, but some employees need a supervisor with more of a direct approach.

Facing Change

The change I am currently facing is being unemployed. I have always worked from the time I was 16 years old. Last year I was laid off from my job and I have not been able to find work. I have gone on numerous interviews, attended job fairs, and professional workshops, yet I remain unemployed. I also returned to school to imporve my skill set and hope that it will help me be able to find work in a different field. However I am finding that many employers want to have someone with experience in their field. I am really stressed because of my employment status.

At this point I feel I am in the stage of despair.

Core Values

The three core values that are most important to me are compassion, respect, and optimism. I believe that it is important to have compassion when working in a leadership position. It is important to express compassion for those around you when they are going through difficult times. It is also important to have someone express compassion toward you when you are having difficulty.

Respect is also extremely important. If we respect each other's feelings, beliefs, boundaries, and limits both in our homes and in the workplace we can eliminate much of the conflict that we encounter. We can respectfully express our opinions and beliefs without being disrespectful toward others.

Optimism is really important at this time in our society when so many families are facing unemployment and foreclosure. There really is power in positive thinking. A few positive words can often make a difference in the outcome of a person's day especially when working with children.

Caring for Ourselves

The three things that I can think of off the top of my head that bring joy into my life are:

1. My relationship with God.

2. My family and friends.

3. My education.

Although, I am not the most religious person. I do take time everyday to pray and thank God for the blessings that he continuously places in my life. It is wonderful that I can always go into a quiet place and tlak with God. No matter what I am going through it is good to know that God will always work it out.

My family and friends. I come from a large family. Although, it seems we are not as close as we used to be because everyone is so busy. It is nice to kow that they are always there when I need them. It also makes me feel good when I can be a blessing to one of them. My children are a great source of joy. They are really good kids. We have a great time together. They always know the right thing to say or do to make me smile when I am having a bad day. My husband is also a great source of joy. We really enjoy one another's company.
My friends are great. Most of my friends have been around since elementary and middle school. We have been through both good and bad times together. We have grown from being children ourselves to now having our own families.
One of the things my grandmother used to stress to me was the importance of education. She would say that education is something that no one can take away from you. One of the reasons that I decided to return to school was so that I could set a better example for my children. I did not want to be the parnet that would always tell them how important school is knowing that I haven't finished myself. School challenges me to push myself to the next level and I'm enjoying the challenge.

Combination Feelings

One of the situations where I constantly seem to experience combination feelings is when I go on job interviews. I usually experience excitement and nervousness. The excitement usually comes from the anticipation of actually getting the job and the nervousness is usually a feeling of not being good enough to get the job. These are usually jobs that I am well qualified for in the area of education and experience. I also prepare for the interviews by researching the company and even going as far as having family members or friends to do mock interviews with me.
The most recent interview I had was with a telecommunications company which I have many years of experience in telecommunications, so I knew I was well qualified for the job and also thought I was well prepared for the interview. I left the interview feeling like it went pretty well, but after a couple of days I received the dreaded we chose someone else email.