Education Support Worker: Reflective Practice and Improvement

This assignment delves into the reflective practice and professional development of an education support worker. It begins with an introduction to inclusive education and the role of an education support worker. The assignment is structured around a series of activities, including evaluating organizational performance, self-assessment of skills, and understanding the impact of self-awareness within the community services sector. It covers planning and executing a feedback session, the importance of feedback, and the benefits of professional networks. Further activities address competency development, seeking specialist advice, and the significance of self-care. The assignment culminates in setting SMART goals, researching industry best practices, understanding codes of ethics, and a summative assessment with questions on ethics, self-management, personality models, professional development opportunities, and personal development plans. The content emphasizes self-reflection, skill enhancement, and the ongoing pursuit of professional growth within the education support worker role.

Reflect and improve on one’s own
practice Education Support worker

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ACTIVITY 1....................................................................................................................................1
PART A...........................................................................................................................................1
1. Describe the implications of an organisation that does not implement or conduct
performance evaluations for all employees. (120-150 words)....................................................1
2. How can you evaluate your own skills and why should you do so? Discuss in 120-150
words...........................................................................................................................................1
3. How can self-awareness affect the way you conduct yourself within the community
services sector? Discuss in 180-220 words.................................................................................2
ACTIVITY 2....................................................................................................................................2
1. Select someone from whom you would like to receive feedback and use this activity to plan
a feedback session.......................................................................................................................2
2. Criticising a colleague's work is not helpful? ........................................................................4
3. How can feedback be delivered so that it is productive and useful? ......................................4
ACTIVITY 3....................................................................................................................................5
1. Importance for feedback from other members of work group................................................5
2. Seeking feedback from colleagues I must be receptive to the feedback ................................5
ACTIVITY 4....................................................................................................................................5
1. Benefits of participating in professional networks and association to obtains and maintain
personal knowledge and skills? .................................................................................................5
2. Research the available support networks and provide a list of three service..........................6
ACTIVITY 5....................................................................................................................................6
1. Current competencies should be develop and plan to develop these competencies...............6
2. What specialist advise might me need and how would me access it? ....................................6
3. Importance of employee seeking further training and advice ................................................6
ACTIVITY 6....................................................................................................................................7
1. What is self-care? ...................................................................................................................7
2. Six area addressed by a self-care plan ....................................................................................7

3. What can you do augment psychological and physical self-care? .........................................7
ACTIVITY 7....................................................................................................................................7
1. Five questions should be consider when determining and developing professional
development goals?.....................................................................................................................7
2. Personal SMART goals...........................................................................................................8
ACTIVITY 8....................................................................................................................................9
1. New research results and best practices information can be assimilated into the service
provided by an organisation? .....................................................................................................9
2. Research for local community for industry experts ...............................................................9
ACTIVITY 9 ...................................................................................................................................9
1. Purpose of having a code of ethics and professional and organisational Standards ..............9
2. Research a code of practice relevant to the community service industry...............................9
Summative assessment 1................................................................................................................10
Question 1......................................................................................................................................10
How do codes of ethics affect professional, community service delivery................................10
Question 2......................................................................................................................................10
Step you might follow in self- management.............................................................................10
Question 3......................................................................................................................................11
Appropriate research into the five factor model of personality Big Five theory and describe
each of the five factors..............................................................................................................11
Question 4......................................................................................................................................11
Five professional development opportunities that are available to improve professional
practice......................................................................................................................................11
Question 5......................................................................................................................................12
Step that follow to create a personal development plan aimed at improving professional
practice......................................................................................................................................12
Question 6......................................................................................................................................12
Explain how you evaluate your own work and why it is necessary to do so............................12
Question 7......................................................................................................................................12
Which are 10 critical aspects of receiving and giving feedback...............................................12
Question 8......................................................................................................................................13

List at least four different types of learning style and describe which one you relate to and
why............................................................................................................................................13
Summative assessment 2................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Education support worker is an individual that works as an active part of a team which
holds the responsibility to create a classroom atmosphere which encourages the concept of
inclusive education (Cahnmann-Taylor and Siegesmund, 2017). The primary duty of them is to
ensure that the environment developed incorporates learning for both, students with special
needs as well as those without it. Inclusive education can be referred to as a phenomenon
whereby all students participate in the learning process in nearby schools irrespective of their age
and health status, and they are rendered support to take part all areas of school life. The
following assignment is a reflective account of a educational support worker who is seeking to
enhance existing skill set to undergo professional development.
ACTIVITY 1
PART A
1. Describe the implications of an organisation that does not implement or conduct performance
evaluations for all employees. (120-150 words)
It is imperative for an entity to carry out regular assessment of performance delivered by
employees within the organisational premises. This is because it helps to ascertain whether the
output given by workforce is aligned with the requirements of respective company. In this
regard, performance evaluation is a technique that is taken into use by entities. The organisation
which does not carry out performance evaluation for the whole of its staff is affected in a number
of ways. The probability that the output of employees may not reach the set benchmark gets
inflated as a result of this. Further, the scope of taking corrective actions in the initial phase to
reduce the deviations between actual and desired performance gets eliminated, thereby
enhancing the risk of non accomplishment of goal and objective of respective corporation
(Fairman and Mackenzie, 2015). Another likely outcome of lack of performance evaluation of
employees is the possibility of large variance with respect to organisational performance as a
whole.
2. How can you evaluate your own skills and why should you do so? Discuss in 120-150 words.
I can carry out evaluation of my own skills and competencies by performing a skill audit.
This can be referred to as a process whereby measurement as well as recording of skill set
1

pertaining to a person or a team is carried out. The major emphasis behind doing so is to
ascertain the skill set possessed by an entity as well as the skill set that enterprise needs to
execute the tasks of business. This is a procedure through which skill gap is effectively analysed
within the entity in order to ascertain the requirements of training for employees (Cahnmann-
Taylor and Siegesmund, 2017). It is essential for me to do so because this will help me in
determining the skills that are required to be enhanced by me to perform the activities in an
effective as well as efficient manner.
3. How can self-awareness affect the way you conduct yourself within the community services
sector? Discuss in 180-220 words.
Self awareness can be regarded as the ability of an individual to perceive elements of
one’s behaviour, personality, thoughts, emotions, point of views in order to develop
comprehensibility of oneself. This helps personnel to become self-conscious as objective
evaluators of themselves. By gaining the awareness and understanding of one’s own self, an
individual can effectively deliver services within the community services sector (Farrell, 2015).
In this regard, being an education support worker, my prime duty is to ensure the development of
a working atmosphere whereby inclusive learning is fostered to provide assistance to students
having additional or special needs. To ensure that such children get equal opportunities as those
without special needs, it is important for me to have comprehensibility of my existing set of
skills, characteristics, knowledge base and competencies (Fairman and Mackenzie, 2015).
Community services sector is an industry that is largely aimed at provision of facilities which
ensures ease, comfort and convenience of personnel. The desired standard of living of people can
be maintained by taking help from community service sector. When I will gain knowledge about
myself and gather information regarding the knowledge and skills present within me, I will be
able to ascertain the skill gap and thus take steps to enhance my skill. Thus, through self
awareness, I will be able to make myself compatible with the services required to be offered
within community services sector.
ACTIVITY 2
1. Select someone from whom you would like to receive feedback and use this activity to plan a
feedback session.
2

What do you want to
receive feedback about?
I want to receive feedback over my existing set of skills,
competency and knowledge base which provide assistance to me in
carrying out work. As a Education support worker, I needs to
ensure about all the activities related to my activities so that I can
easily undertake my task in systematic manner. This will contribute
in improving my team working through which I easily got my
target in stipulate time frame.
What example evidence
you have to support
feedback?
Checklist made by assessor will act as example of evidence in this
case to support the feedback associated with my knowledge and
skills. With the assistance of this, I can improve my skills related to
the team working within the educational aspects. This will support
me in taking right decision and at the same time also encourage all
the team workers so that set target can be easily achieved.
What are you prepared
to change if necessary?
I am ready to incorporate changes within me to enhance my
existing level of skills, competencies and knowledge areas, if
deemed to be necessary. For this, I also analyse my working
activities at the time of performing task at working area. Along
with this, I will also tries to increase my abilities to take participate
in team activities. This will support me in improving better
coordination among all the team workers within the specified task
activities (Farrell, 2015).
What support are you
going to need
(resources/personnel)?
To bring about enhancement within my present skill set, I require
technical resources. These will aid me in undergoing online
learning to inflate my existing set of attributes. Furthermore,
physical resources are duly needed by me to undertake training
from my seniors as well as executives. Along with this, personnel
support is also support me in improving my communication skills
through which I can build positive relation with my team members.
With the assistance of this, I also improve better coordination
within the team. By this all the set target easily attained and at the
same time also improve the chances of developing motivation ion
3

workers at the time of performing task activities (Fook, 2015).
What action are you
prepared to take?
I am ready to undergo training or coaching of any kind that is
required to inflate my skill set. Also, I am prepared to exercise
collaborative working by operating within groups. I can even take
classes that are effective enough to improve the skills, knowledge
base and competencies that is lacking within me. I also
communicate with my team workers and my seniors to improve my
confidence level of better communication. Apart from this, taking
participation within the decision making also assist me in
enhancing my skills related to critical thinking. By this I can easily
improve my decision making and at the same time also develop
positive attitude at working area.
2. Criticising a colleague's work is not helpful?
Yes, colleague's work is not much helpful for me because it's insulting and sets up me for
bad working relationship. Criticism can highly demotivate a co-worker or embarrass them and
create less passionate regarding their work (Hargreaves and Fullan, 2015). It is less likely to
contribute as well as provide better solutions and new thought which can prevent the betterment
or improvement of educational industry. Along with this, it is condescending, unprofessional and
most decidedly not constrictive criticism. Present, some students have problems with the other
person's work. Along with this, some time colleague's not work properly which will impact on
me while maintaining atmosphere of classroom and also attracting students to learn speedily. In
education sector, there are some employees who's not work timely which will impact on mine
while working as a education supporter in an education industry.
3. How can feedback be delivered so that it is productive and useful?
There are different ways which will be used by me in order to communicate feedback to
the colleague's. As it will help me in my working place and also support me in completing my
work with more productive manner. Pay It Forward, Be Very Specific,Don’t Wait for a
Quarterly Review,Make it one-on-one, End on a Positive Note, Use the 3×3 Method, Focus on
Performance, Not Personality, Focus on Individual Efforts and Employee Feedback Goes Both
4

Ways are consider more effective and essential ways which have been used by me while
delivering productive and helpful feedback for colleagues. Feedback is mainly related with the
classroom atmosphere, requirements of equipments etc. In order to addressing these information
I am able to use 3*3 method.
 People feedback – in each and every presentation, I ask five person for 3 pros and cons.
 Tape record for each and every presentation which is give by me. When I hear it played
back, I write down the 3 most positive feature and 3 areas for improvement.
 Videotape myself at every opportunity.
ACTIVITY 3
1. Importance for feedback from other members of work group
Feedback is more important and essential for me while I am working in a group. In group
working different opinion and new idea of other staff members are useful and effective for me.
As it will help me while completion of each activities within given time duration.
2. Seeking feedback from colleagues I must be receptive to the feedback
I have different role while seeking feedback from colleagues or co-worker. For this I
must receptive to the feedback from colleagues in effective manner. There is six things that I
show when I receptive feedback from colleagues which are determine as under:
 I am credible in the eye of Colleagues.
 The timing and circumstances of providing the feedback are appropriate.
 I will try to communicate feedback with good intention.
 I understand and manage my emotions during giving feedbacks from colleagues.
 I Actively listening to feedback from colleagues.
 I am reflecting and following up on feedback from colleagues or co-worker who are
working with group within education industry.
ACTIVITY 4
1. Benefits of participating in professional networks and association to obtains and maintain
personal knowledge and skills?
In order to obtain and maintain my knowledge and skills, participating in professional
networks and association is more beneficial for me. Internship and job opportunities,
5

conferences, industry standards, codes of ethics and updates on policies are consider major
benefits or advantages of participating in professional networks and association (Horton-
Deutsch and Sherwood, 2017). As it will help me by maintaining my personal skills and
knowledge such as communication skills, knowledge about government's regulations etc. As it
will help me in attracting more students towards specific study by maintaining atmosphere of
classroom.
2. Research the available support networks and provide a list of three service
In local community there are different support networks such as Australian Association
for Research in Education, Australian Childcare Alliance and Australian Council for Educational
Research. All these are plays essential role by providing effective services to the educational
industry. Along with this, mission of all support networks is to create as well as promote
research-based understanding, products and services that can be applied to enhance learning
across the life span (Kelly and Cherkowski, 2015).
ACTIVITY 5
1. Current competencies should be develop and plan to develop these competencies
My role is education support worker and for this position I need to develop different
current competencies. For this, teamwork and collaboration, career management, critical thinking
and problem solving are identify current competencies which I need to develop within education
industry. In order to develop these competencies I have to plan to create team work and situation.
Along with this, in order to develop time management skills I need to use Gantt chart as it will
support me by providing starting and ending time period for completion of specific project in
education sector.
2. What specialist advise might me need and how would me access it?
Advisers gives me with independent expert advice or opinion on what, in their
professional judgement, it is reasonable or effective to expect in the circumstances of a case
(Kennedy, 2016). Along with this, specialist explain technical terms and data and point us to
applicable guidance and legislation. As advise from specialist will be require by me in making
improvement in education industry. This advise access me while I need to improve in whole
education industry.
6

3. Importance of employee seeking further training and advice
Training and advice is important for employees because it will help workers to complete
each activities in effective and systematic manner. Training will support workers by increasing
its productivity, performance and skills within education sector (Knott and Scragg, 2016). If
accurate training and advice are not provided to employees, they can not work properly. As it
will negatively impact on organisation by increasing employees turnover, decreasing market
image and goodwill of education industry.
ACTIVITY 6
1. What is self-care?
Self-care introduces as an any activity that I do deliberately to take care of our
emotional, physical and mental health. In addition self care refers as the ability of individuals,
and communities to boost, prevent disease, maintain health and to cope with illness with as well
as without the assist of a health care provider.
2. Six area addressed by a self-care plan
Adventurous Self-Care, Spiritual Self-Care, Physical Self-Care, Mental Self-Care,
Sensory Self-Care and Emotional Self-Care are consider six area of self-care plan which is used
by me. As it will help me in increasing my knowledge and skills in particular field of area.
3. What can you do augment psychological and physical self-care?
Physical self care involves different activities that enhance my physical health including
diet and exercise. On the other hand, Good psychological care can even support me by
improving my physical health outcomes. Therefore both types of self-care are effective and
essential for me in developing effective atmosphere in school premises. As it will further assist
me by increasing my knowledge and skills in specific field.
ACTIVITY 7
1. Five questions should be consider when determining and developing professional development
goals?
1. What is my professional development plan?
2. What are my greatest professional strengths and weaknesses?
3. What are my overarching goals?
7

4. What are the ways through which I can achieve professional development goals?
5. Consider what experience is required to get to the next level of my professional
development plan?
2. Personal SMART goals
My objective and goal is “To improve the Children's education through bring
improvement in educational programmes to ascertain positive increment in standard of education
within next 6 months of time period”.
Specific The specific nature of goal is determined from the nature that here major
focus is provided on the improvement of Children's education.
Measurable Improvement of children's education is measurable goals. In order to
achieve these goal I have to take support from governments.
Achievable In order to achieve these goal I have to use different educational program.
Realistic/relevant To improve the Children's education through bring improvement in
educational programmes to ascertain positive increment in standard of
education within next 6 months of time period” is realistic gaol because it
will help in future development within education industry.
Time-based In order to accomplish children's education I have to need minimum 6
month of time period.
ACTIVITY 8
1. New research results and best practices information can be assimilated into the service
provided by an organisation?
Yes, new research outputs and best practices data can be assimilated or acquired into the
service given by an enterprise. Company mainly provide better services in educational industry
which will support me in attracting customers for learning. Along with this, research will assist
an organisation by providing accurate information or data about the educational industry
(LoBiondo-Wood and Haber, 2014). Therefore, research and best practices will support an
enterprise to gain better results within given time duration.
8