Sunday, March 8, 2009

practicum class: journal entry.

The purpose of this journal includes a descrption of all of my experiences; while completing the practicum requirements.

I am completing my practicum hours at CenterPointe Hospital. I am currently on the children's unit.

My experiences include a sense of frustration, satisfaction, and a sense of purpose. I enjoy spending time with the children. Spending time in the children's unit is a very good match for me. I have the experience, education, and a sense of belonging.

The childdren in the hospital have many issues that efect them. They may have multiple issues. Some children have mental health issues, in combination with a unhealthy family life. Some parents have there own mental health issues that only compound things for these children.

I am currently working with developing a sense of positve motivation/incentives for the children to believe in themselves. The positisve motivation/incentive is a way to encourage a child to accomplish somthing good in their lives.

I have begun a posivitve incentive smiley face board. The smiley face board keeps track of their progress throughout the day of how well they are doing. Then in the afternoon; according to how many smiley faces the child has will correspond with what the child is able to get out of the prize box. The children all look forward towards this time of day. I just wish that I could get the rest of the staff involved or enthused in this incentive time.

I have written some curriculum ideas. The curriculum ideas are used in group activities. The children like having a variety of different group ideas all of the time. Every day has a theme. Monday is I am marvelous monday, tuesday is teamwork tuesday, wednesday is walk away wednesday, thursday is thankyou thursday, friday is friendship friday, saturday is feel your spirit saturday, and sunday is super soapy sunday. The whole curriculum was completed in a whole forum of committess and planning. I completed the whole curricum for monday and tuesday. I wrote up ten lesson plans for self esteem ideas, and teamwork ideas.

My next project that I would like to develop includes being an instrumental person in developing training for current staff and for the new staff on everyone using the same language with all of the children. We have non-compliant children. As soon as a child hears the word no; then a child becomes upset. There are just certain trigger words that can cause an incident of having an upset child; or a way to use specific words to keep a child calm. Some people are use to telling a child what they can or can not do. This is good; however, you can't harp on all of things that a child is doing wrong. Catching a child doing good is impportant too. For example, if a child is making a lot of disruptive noises; tell a child what they should be doing. A person has a tendacy to focus on what the child is doing wrong. I would just like to develop a consistent language for the staff to use with the children.

I have had a conversation with my supervisor about the possibility of of developing a set of consisten language to be used by staff. I am planning on having an ongoing meetings with a social worker, to devise a consistent set of language words to use with the children. This will only benefit the children as a whole. I am very much an advocate for children. I love working with children and plan to continue working with children for a lot longer.

That is all I am going to say in this particular journal entry. I will write again soon. Until, then,

Marie Zajac

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