When writing a reflection paper on your internship/practicum, the point is to include your thoughts and reactions to the internship. The reflection paper needs to be organized and include an introduction that includes your expectations before the experience. The body of the paper should explain the learning that has taken place, basing your content on your experience. Your conclusion needs to refer to your expectations in light of your feelings and reactions to your experience.
The paper should be four to five pages in length, and will need to be written in accordance with the rubric.
Instructions
1. Construct an introduction that includes a short explanation of the experience that you will later discuss in the body of the paper. Be sure to include the name of the organization and the competency areas upon which you will be focusing throughout your practicum/internship. A great way to open a reflection paper is to state a short description of your experience. For example,” As I was in the lobby waiting to meet the Executive Director, I was a bit nervous about my first day. I was then approached by a kind lady who was a resident of the retirement community. We began talking and I grew much calmer about the unknown experience that lay ahead.” You can then add details about the length of the experience and any other circumstantial details such as the names of the director/supervisor with whom you worked
Organization: KSU Child Development Center
Competency areas: Human Resources Development & Supervision / Nonprofit Program Planning / Nonprofit Risk Management
You can read my notes and site logs to write exactly what I’ve written about the whole internship
2. Organize the body of the paper in chronological order using the highlights you noted in the brainstorming stage. Each paragraph should discuss the most influential moments of your experience, such as meeting a mentor, accomplishing a goal or overcoming a challenge. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence which introduces the reader to the new topic you will discuss in the paragraph. For example, “I was pleased as I reached the eighth week of the practicum that I had successfully completed 25 of the 40 social histories I was required to conduct.” This sentence introduces the reader to the competency area you will then be discussing in the body of that paragraph. You may want to reflect upon some of the individuals that you had interviewed up to that point and comment on some of the more challenging clients. Please do not mention any names of your clients due to confidentiality. You may want to talk about how you felt about the supervision you received during this part of the practicum.
Influential moments: Digitizing 1995-1997 children files project & making enrollment application online & Doing an interview with a new employee by myself
3. Write a conclusion that reflects on the importance of the event or experience. This paragraph should focus on the information and lessons you have learned from the experience, rather than a recap of what you experienced. For example, “I could never have imagined the profound impact speaking with the residents of the retirement community about their lives would have on me. I now know that I want to make my career working with older adults in any capacity in which I am able to find employment. The practicum really opened my eyes about my desire to not only work in the field of gerontology, but be involved with older adults in an interactive manner.”
Talk about learning how I am a fast leaner and how I learned to be detail oriented in work
Site Logs & Notes:
(Please write the paper using these notes)
Learned about portfolios, screenings, reporting requirements (spent 4 days reading folders)
1/22 Sort out kindergarten kids and wrote a letter for families + Print them and put them in kids mail boxes
1/24 Data entry *Rochelle Work* (Blackboard) + Helped in room 2
1/26 Worked on checking paper until
1/29 Babysitting list + Filled Employee Record charts for child care
1/30 Worked on new teacher workers documents (checked their new papers and added them to their file) + Participated in an interview for assistant teacher and showed her around
1/31 continued sorting documents for new teachers + data entry on blackboard (create folders) - finished recording hours for employees
2/1 worked in room 2
2/5 did room 1 + made a binder for ED students observer documents + put new stuff in employees files
2/6 worked in room 4 (stayed for extra one hour)
2/7 organized new employee files – Made a subscribers list with Terri - Worked on sorting 1996 children files (did 10)
2/8 helped in room 2 - Worked on sorting 1996 children files (did 2)
2/9 arranged new employee files - Copy 1996 children files to a online database
2/12 did inspection on 4 classes - Helped classes on specific children (put Jackson to sleep) - Did 12 children file (from 1996)
2/13 Distributed Math & science night flyer to all children’s cubbies + Did 22 children file (from 1996)
2/14 Wrote each teacher assistant name and fill out forms for mid term review to each lead teacher to complete and put them in their mail box - Helped in room 1 - did stuff for math & sci night (cutting color papers + small cards + straws)
2/15 didn’t go
2/16 worked on Math & Sci. night (cutting straws) - did 10 children files (from 1996)
2/19 helped with children speech & hearing screening - got a job with the director (helping in a research called Parents Expectations which mainly focus on the cultural experiences of ——, they wanted me to identify children with international backgrounds and/or different language and make a list with their parents/guardians names and contact information) - organized some new paper work for employees into their files
2/20 worked on Monica’s list - organized some new paper work for employees into their files - helped put a kid to sleep in the health room (Jaxon)
2/21 finished Monica’s list - Worked on making a waiting list for toddler enrollment for fall 2018 - helped at the main desk
2/22 finished the toddler waiting list - copied original forms for Pam - organized new paper work for TAs - washed room 2 dishes
2/23 worked on lists for preschool enrollment applications - did an interview for a subbing position - organized some new paperwork
2/26 organized some new paperwork - updated international families list for Monica’s research - made a paperwork checklist for student participants of a professor - attended the main office for half an hour - worked on lists for preschool enrollment applications - send out Monica’s research email to international parents
2/27 organized some new paperwork - responded to international families emails
2/28 organized some new paperwork - created new checklist for TA paperwork
3/1 organized some new paperwork - worked on the new checklist for TA paperwork
3/2 organized some new paperwork - finished the new checklist for TA paperwork - helped Terri Cardy with her new MacBook Air
3/5 wrote a paper with TA’s missing paperwork - Sent emails to families who are participating in the research study - organized re-enrollment forms for children to put in their cubbies - worked on the enrollment applications for preschool - put teachers email addresses in copier
3/6 put re-enrollment forms in children’s cubbies - worked on organizing summer enrollment forms
3/7 didn’t go
3/8 do paperwork - do Dr flesser’s students paperwork - made a checklist for dr. Casey Myers students
3/9 did the summer camp forms and put them in all the cubbies - made Jaxon sleep in nap time
3/12 updated families email addresses for Monica’s research - worked on re-enrollement and summer forms
3/13 did some new re-enrollment forms and TA paperwork - did 24 children files (from 1996)
3/14 did some new re-enrollment forms and TA paperwork - set up new iPad Pro
3/15 bought iPad Pro cases
3/16 finished setting up iPads and pencils - worked on the information for iPad registrations - did some new re-enrollment forms
3/19 opened iPad keyboards and cases - prepared re-enrollment forms for parents who didn’t submit it - updated Dr.flessener’s and Casey Myers student papers - did 8 1996 children files
3/20 helped in room 2
3/21 updated waiting list for fall 2018 enrollment - added new paperwork to TA files - put Jaxon to sleep - did 36 children files (1996)
3/22 helped in room 2
3/23 added new paperwork to TA files - put cases for iPads - put numbers on keyboards
Spring Break
4/2 worked on new intersession/summer enrollment papers - new TA paperwork - Dr. Flessner’s students - made new list for intersession enrollment
4/3 made new list for summer enrollment - arranged and separated enrollment forms for each room
4/4 updated fall enrollment list - finished intersession/summer enrollment lists - updated TA paperwork - Made a list for a researcher professor Clarrissa Thompsons students - Did fall enrollment with Pam
Did an online form for enrollment database
4/5 calculated children’s age for STEAM camp eligibility
4/6 highlighted preschoolers who are eligible for STEAM camp - sent it to Pam
4/9 printed summer/intersession lists - worked with pam on summer enrollment - cutted cardboard for Terri Cardy - scanned 60 files (1996 children files) > "finished the first big box of files"
4/10 worked on new Dr Flessner’s student paperwork - scanned 24 files (1996 children files)
4/11 highlighted TA schedules on finals week (normal schedule or if sub were needed) - made a new list for summer weeks schedule
4/12 didn’t go (to study for family policy exam on Friday)
4/13 finished summer weekly schedule - updated TA schedules on finals week
4/16 updated TA finals week schedule - did intersession weekly schedules
4/17 updated TA finals week schedule - worked on intersession fees on toddlers
4/18 updated TA finals week schedule - did intersession fees for enrolled children on weeks
4/19 didn’t go
4/20 updated TA finals week schedule - worked on the total of intersession fees for enrolled children on weeks
These are the site Logs I’ve written before:
Log 1 (Week 1, 2 and 3)
During the first three weeks of my internship, my supervisor gave me a general idea of how the center works and directed me to read through all the essential handbooks to familiarize myself on the policies and regulations of the center. On the first days, I frequently sat and read through the handbooks. While reading the faculty handbook, I learned about all the positions in the center and the duties that are associated with them. Moreover, I gained knowledge on all the center’s registration requirements, arrival and absence policies regarding children and the age group for every classroom through reading the family handbook.
The curriculum coordinator taught me how to enter data on Blackboard for the families of enrolled children. The data included reflections about daily activities performed during the day. I spent some time on the folders organization and wrote the summary for each folder based on the content. Then, my supervisor gave me a box filled with teacher assistant files. I had to check and sort their documentations based on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services checklist.
Further, I had to cover for teachers in classes when there was a meeting or a shortage of teachers in classrooms. I got to see all classrooms and undergo their different daily schedules which were helpful and interesting to me in terms of atmosphere differences and routines. On certain days, I participated in interviewing new teacher assistants with my supervisor. I enjoyed doing that especially when I had the opportunity to ask questions and give my insights on how I perceived the interviewees and their skills. Sometimes I asked the interviewees couple of questions during the interview about their past experiences with children which helped to clarify their knowledge.
Log 2 (Week 4)
On week four, I worked on employee records and their documents mostly because we hired some new teaching assistants and teaching students. By the ODJFS policies, we are required to complete their paperwork as soon as possible so they can start working with children. Further, I had to tend the main office for short periods of time when the secretary was not available which made me more confident of my management skills through answering clients questions, guiding employees on some schedule changes, and delivering essential papers to different people throughout the center.
Further, I got to go around every classroom and check the licensing requirements. It was so interesting to go through them all in the perspective of an inspector rather than a teacher in the classroom. My supervisor gave me the trust to go through every classroom alone and do the inspection with no mistake which encouraged me to do the job entirely and write down every detail possible. I made sure that I was not rushing through them so the inspection would be accurate. Each day, I did two classrooms because there are eighteen things to inspect in each classroom.
I also helped one of the faculty members to make a mailing list for a group of participants in the center; she asked me to help her because she had a hard time doing it. Though doing it I learned about various ways to make a mailing list other than LISTSERV software. The exciting thing is that this faculty member knew that I love technology and I am kind of good at it through communication. This made me think more about the benefits of communication in the workplace. If I’ve never expressed my interest in technology, she might not have asked me for help.
Log 3 (Weeks 5-9)
During week five and six, I kept working on digitizing the old children files from time to time. Further, we had a math and science event for children, so I helped in doing some educational activities with straws, small cards and other materials. It was interesting how we made math and science fun through simple stuff. My supervisor asked me to make mid-term evaluation forms for the lead teachers to evaluate their assistant teachers. I had to make them and give it to the teachers at a scheduled time. Following up with that I had to make sure that no teacher was having trouble with one of the assistants and then I had to put their evaluations in their files for future use.
After that, I participated in children speech & hearing screening where I had to take children from their class to the designated room for the screening and made sure that only children with parental consent are tested. It was a pleasant experience because I have never been a part of screening before and I was fascinated with the way the specialists tested the children. They used a lot of constructive toys and asked children to do certain things and gave them the opportunity to explore everything. I loved how they were organized and each specialist had her own space with toys and books that she used with the children. It was really organized and they gave children stickers whenever they finished their screening.
During the seventh, eighth and ninth weeks, I worked on the re-enrollment applications which I had to give to families of existing students to make sure that we count how many are returning before we accept new children. I also worked on the summer camp enrollment forms along with working on Fall 2018 enrollment applications where I had to make a waiting list based on their child’s age and the date of application. Working on these at the same time taught me multi-tasking and be aware of each part of these forms to avoid mistakes because each form has specific things that integrate their chance of being admitted.
Log 4 (Weeks 10-12)
During the last two weeks, we were busy mostly on the fall registration, summer and intersession enrollment. I learned a lot from my supervisor on how we can make adjustments to fit all the people enrolling in these programs. The striking thing is that even though the Child Development Center is not advertising for their programs neither online nor in the university, it gets a lot of applicants. However, they have a limited number of occupancy in their program thus they admit only a few of them.
While working on the Fall enrollment applications and going through the strategies my supervisor follows in order to get the most suitable applicants, I got an idea of making a webpage that parents can access online and fill out the application forms. Thus, I went home one night and put my thought into action by design it in a way that makes it easier for us to see who is qualified. Because CDC is part of the Early Education program at KSU, they give priority to the parents who are in College of Education, Health and Human Services. Either of they are an undergraduate, graduate, faculty or visiting scholars they have the highest priority. After I finished it, I showed my supervisor what I made and she was thrilled that I got the idea and did it because they have always wanted to make the enrollment process online but no one knew how to do it. We are going to spend some time on it after we finished planning the summer and intersession schedules.
Michelle_Michy
240742881_Reflection_Paper_Guidelines_5629939643608201.docx
