Preparing For Field Reflection 1
Preparing For Field Reflection 1
Zayda Swick
SOWK 382
Professor Ottone
Preparing for field placements through this class and the interview and placement
process has been a learning experience. Leading up to the end of the year, I was able to develop
both social and work skills through class discussions and videos. I have a better understanding of
the importance of body language and to be aware of my impact on others. Although the
placement process was a bit nerve wracking, I kept an open mind about wherever I got placed. I
have completed the first interview process and was educated on Midlands Communities and
Schools mission statements and purpose. I am looking forward to using my prior knowledge in a
workplace setting.
Human behavior in social environments and other learning theories are forms of
theoretical frameworks that will help me to understand each individual student at my placement.
This social learning theory aims to understand human behavior and all of the characteristics that
influence it. I will learn during my practicum that situations are not black and white. There are
many different dimensions to a person's behavior and actions. I will have to learn each student
comes from a uniquely different home life and culture. I will apply social learning theory to
observe and model appropriate behaviors for the students. Students will be at different learning
domains and need help to understand. I will have to meet them where they are and give them the
Supervision
The specific strategies that I will be making the most of during my practicum
supervision will be problem solving, asking questions, and community. I will be working under
the supervision of my task supervisor, who will be with me in the school at all times. She is who
I will be bringing problem-solving solutions and ideas to help positively impact the students. I
have once a month meeting with our field director and all of the school social worker
placements. During these meetings I will ask questions and share ideas with my community of
peers and professionals. I will need to be prepared to step out of my comfort zone and be a
constant figure in the students' lives. I have a training process in which I will learn how to
prepare and be proactive in certain circumstances to come. Throughout the training process, my
field instructor's role will be to oversee all my training and prepare me for the work I will do. I
have not yet been able to speak with my liaison, however, I understand her role is to match me
with students and give them the extra help they might need. She will be the person who connects
the parents and students to the school social workers. Once I have my group of students, the task
supervisor's role will be to help develop my skills and aid in my daily tasks. I will be expected to
be reliable, consistent, and a good communicator. My field instructor and task supervisor have
high confidence in UofSC students and will be there to help me reach my best potential.
My potential placement at Midlands Communities and Schools has a mission to lead with
respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to
achieve success. My expectations of this organization's culture are a positive and encouraging
environment to be a part of. Culture is about understanding each individual student and elevating
and influencing them to achieve success. I am going to impact the culture by bringing my
personal strengths and putting my heart into what I do. I fear that some students will find it
harder to connect and build rapport with me. However, I will use the values of empathy,
integrity, and competence to build those students up. It is important to me that each student
knows their individual worth in the world. I know I will potentially encounter conflicts during
my field practicum work. When these situations occur that create ethical dilemmas, I will consult
with my supervisors to uphold the code of ethics and resolve conflict in the best manner. I would
like to advance my skills in client competence and learn how to handle clients' parents.
The CSWE competence skill that I will be using the most is self-regulation to manage
my personal biases to understand and communicate with diverse students. I will use my
interpersonal skills to engage with my students and adjust activities based on their needs. This
experience will help me to grow my own personal knowledge and understanding of others. I am
excited to be supervised and learn alongside other social worker professionals. This experience
will help me understand more of where I want to go professionally in the future. The connections
and community I make during my practicum placement will give me future connections to the
workplace.
Self-Care
Self-Care is a crucial part of being a successful social worker. During my field practicum
I am going to unwind daily by journaling any thoughts or emotions I had throughout the
workday. I will maintain my passion by staying connected to others on my field placement site. I
will rely on my community for support so that I am able to give my energy to the kids. Once a
week I will go to Bible study with my small group. This will keep me optimistic even when
things start to feel difficult. I will also prioritize a section of time each day to breathe and be
Taking Introduction to Field Education has helped me feel both confident and passionate
about my choice of social work as my profession. My goal for this internship is to advocate and
accommodate the needs of children in our school system. If I could make a positive difference in
at least one child's life that would have a big impact on me. My heart goes out to children that are
hurting and I am looking forward to making a difference at my placement. Throughout this class,
I learned that I would need to put my personal biases aside. This class taught me I had
subconscious biases I was unaware of that I need to be mindful of. My plan moving forward is to
finish the last interview process and then complete my training during the summer. If I were to
give one piece of advice to students beginning the field practicum, I would tell them to keep an
Closing statement
Overall, I feel confident moving forward into the fall of 2023. I am relieved there is a class that
helps students to prepare before actually going into field work. After all of the discussions and
readings I feel more than capable of beginning my social work practice in a school setting.
Although I do not know what school I will be placed at, I am keeping a positive outlook going
forward. I am looking forward to working with Midlands Communities and Schools and
Davys, A. M., & Beddoe, L. (2009). The reflective learning model: Supervision of social work
students. Social Work Education, 28(8), 919-933.
Educational policy and accreditation standards - CSWE. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2023, from
https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/Accreditation/Accreditation-Process/
2015EPAS_Web_FINAL-(1).pdf
Home - Midland Public Schools District. Midland Public Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19,
2023, from https://www.midlandps.org/
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of
Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-
Ethics-English Washington, DC: Author.
Sweitzer, H. F., & King, M. A. (2013). Stages of an internship revisited: Facilitating learning and
development through engagement. Journal of Human Services, 33(1), 56-72.