Kelly Rynd
SEFB 420
Transition Project
November 24, 2015
Reflection
The greatest things I learned in terms of interacting with families from diverse
backgrounds is that I need to not worry about things I cannot control. I cannot control
another persons biases or stereotypes. I cannot control the way other people view me. I
cannot control the way other people view my students. However, I can control my own
cultural biases. I can control the way I view myself. I can control the way I view my
students. Most importantly, I can control my interactions and relationships with my
students families. At the beginning of the year, I was intimidated by the idea of meeting
with my students mom. Being a young, white, female I know the way I am perceived by
some. Especially when working with students from diverse low-income backgrounds.
Mrs. Williams was never able to meet in person so we had the initial parent interview on
the phone. At first I was worried that I was coming off a little too eager to be working
with her son. But I noticed that my energy was rubbing off on her. At the beginning, she
was confused by what the transition plan was even for. I as began to explain to her the
process and reasoning, her tone of voice changed. She was enthusiastic and hopefully for
her sons future, just like I was. I learned that by focusing on what I can control and
putting all my effort into the student, the difference of our backgrounds will not come
between us.
The four critical thinking skills I relied on the most throughout this project were
analyzing, information seeking, logical reasoning, and predicting. In order to write the
student summary, I had to analyze the students records, interest surveys, and interviews.
Using analyzing skills in the beginning of the project allowed to me to really take the
time to get to know my student. I studied all the different parts of my student and was
able to connect reason to his actions and personality. I also used analyzing for the
transition assessments and job analysis. I analyzed the different assessments and I
analyzed the results of each assessment my student completed. Information seeking
played a huge role throughout the project. Every step of the plan required searching for
and gathering material that was relatable to my student. I did not realize I used prediction
until I took the time to reflect on the project. I envisioned multiple different outcomes and
the consequences of each outcome before I was able to come to a final prediction for each
area of transition. And finally, logical reasoning was theme throughout the entire plan. I
worked with my student, his parent, and teacher to draw inferences on his post-secondary
outcomes. Each outcome was supported by assessments, data, and records and required
extensive critical thinking.
This project strengthened my collaboration skills by pushing me out of my
comfort zone. Since my student is eighteen years old, I was nervous about how our
interaction would go. I am only three years older than him but I am expected to take on a
teacher role. I had a similar nervous energy about meeting his mother. I did not know
how she would respond to me. I really wanted to have a positive relationship with her and
I know that required her to trust me. Both of these meetings went very well. Reflecting
back on my collaboration with students, teachers, and parents made me realize the
importance of first impressions. If my student could tell that I was nervous and uncertain
then our relationship would have started off on a completely different term. The same
goes for his mother. First impressions are important in every occupation, but especially
when it comes to education. The impression you get off to your students, faculty, and
parents the first time you meet them is the basis for your relationships throughout the
entire school year. Instead of being nervous about my first impression as a teacher, this
project has made me excited. I have gained confidence in my collaboration skills and
ability to interact with a variety of individuals.
The greatest thing that will help me develop my skills in these areas is experience.
Nothing will help me become better at collaborating with families than actual interactions
with families from all different backgrounds. As much as I read and learn about using
critical thinking skills, I cannot improve these skills till I am in situations that require me
to use them. The same goes for collaboration skills. I am thankful for the experiences that
were a result of this project. In addition to developing the skills listed above, this project
tested my ability to handle stress and my organization skills. I can confidentially say that
this semester has prepared me for life in the classroom.