Taking advantage of learning opportunities
Learning Objectives
After considering this resource, you should understand the importance of taking opportunities presented to you to develop your practice learning.
Placement will present you with the golden opportunity for making maximum use of the learning opportunities you will come across (Thompson and Thompson, 2008, p.37) .
You should be prepared to make the most of these chances to develop your practice including shadowing other workers and managing your own case load (Thompson and Thompson, 2008, p.37). In accepting these challenges, you may well make mistakes, but only by adopting a proactive approach will you be able to put to the test what you have learnt elsewhere and improve your skills as a practitioner.
In the following case study, Mags talks about a placement at an advocacy project she has recently completed, and the lessons she learned about taking advantages of the learning opportunities she was presented with.
Reflective Questions
- Have you had a similar experience to Mags and shied away from an opportunity? Why were you reluctant? If you were presented with the same opportunity again, what might you consider to make you think differently?
- How could Mags have prepared for her placement at the agency so she was better equipped for the learning opportunities she would face?
- If you were Shamila, what might you suggest Mags does to increase her confidence in practice learning situations?
- What are your own priorities for learning when it comes to practice learning opportunities?
Reference:
N Thompson and S Thompson (2008) The Social Work Companion. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.