Instructions: Congratulations on the end of your first semester in field! We im

Instructions:
Congratulations on the end of your first semester in field! We imagine that if you take a moment to think about who you were in the beginning of the semester and who you are now, you may be a little surprised at how much skill you have developed. You may have also evolved in your values and beliefs about society, humanity, and your role in creating change. Pause and congratulate yourself; this was hard work! You completed 225 hours of a practicum in a graduate program. That is a huge step toward reaching your goals!
Now, let’s start thinking about next semester. Take stock of all of those IPAs and timesheets that you submitted over the course of this semester. Did you truly practice skills within all of the competencies? Even if you think you’ll never use those skills, you still need to develop them as a generalist practitioner.
Social work students often feel the need to designate themselves as a “micro person” or a “macro person.” The truth is that the very essence of what makes someone a social worker is the ability to take those foundational skills and apply them across micro, mezzo, and macro contexts. However, it is likely that your placement context tends to focus on one area of practice more than another. Think about ways you can expand your experiences or apply the skills you are learning in different dimensions. Consider and engage in a discussion about your strengths and weaknesses from this semester, along with plans for the next semester.
In your initial post, respond to the following:
What have you done well?
Which competencies have you not truly demonstrated at this point?
With which competencies are you uncomfortable?
How can you work on developing those competencies next semester? (It may be that we can help you create a project where you can develop these skills. It may also be that your field liaison needs to talk with your field instructor. Whatever we need to do, let’s do it.)