Reflective Essay on Class Role Plays

Question

Task: Students are required to write a self reflective essay in light of the skills learned over the trimester which will incorporate feedback received from peers.

Answer

Self-Reflection of in-class role plays
Every person we come across and interact with positively impacts our lives, which is what personal development is all about. This reflective essay reflects the progress I made in the trimester of my college days which indicates growth and proliferation by learning something new and innovative. It will also focus upon some positive and negative aspects of my learning during the course for three months.

Individuals may spend a lot of time analyzing their productivity of the day and the kind of development that happened to them. College learning is a part of consistent proliferation where ideas are shaped and reshaped with each other present in the class (De Smul et al., 2019). Peers with different cultural backgrounds are made to represent their knowledge in one premise, making the entire setup a complete hemisphere of consistent learning. Classroom learning is subject to constant building pressure where an individual is given a task or a test and based on which assessment is done. This leaves behind time, which would have helped a child broaden the extra knowledge, apart from the syllabus. Therefore, teaching courses like Community Services in the curriculum is far more essential now than before.

As a college student who is dealing with the trimester, this entire course has benefitted me in several ways. To begin with, I have noticed myself calm and composed, which has indirectly improved my code of conduct in the class. Two forms of communication, intrapersonal and interpersonal, have taught me that both are interrelated and contribute to emotional intelligence. (Vetrivel, 2018)Before asking questions in the class, I have started examining the structure of a well-suited and professional substitute. Talking to myself, I have realized that the majority of the answers I look forward to were within me, helping me become more independent and less self-critical in class. I have started reading a person’s facial expressions to find out whether that person is interested in carrying forward the communication or not. If that person is over a phone call or text, I make out with the kind of replies received.

Initially, when things were not adaptive, it took me a day or two to figure out the key personality development areas that needed to be worked upon. Communicating with people, I found out that it’s not only the verbal cues they used but also the non-verbal cues to make the entire communication process more impactful and attain clarity. (Vogel et al., 2018) Earlier, I had this notion that using hand or other gestures gave more negative and unprofessional meanings. Still, this course taught me that there is a proper method for bringing these into practice while communicating or stating your points. While going for internship programs, I used my communication techniques in the group discussions rounds and aced the interviews with extra grace marks. From that day, whenever I get into any constructive discussions or debates, I always make sure to use both forms of communication and seek honest feedback. While others speak, I always try to listen to their points carefully and understand their perception with an optimistic attitude. I have also started understanding semantic and non-semantic barriers in communication and always look forward to clearing them if they are present. This process has helped me become an effective communicator. Listening develops analysis capacity and paves ways for correction in a communication process. (Christina et al., 2018)

Seeking validation is not always good, but sometimes, it is necessary(Neave et al., 2020). I have learned that many a time, our approval is all a person seeks who is struggling hard with confidence. This is also important when we communicate something too personal. I, too, felt the need for my friend's validation in the class of how I looked in an appearance on the day of my presentation. Validations help in boosting confidence(Harris &Orth, 2019), but first, there has to be a thorough preparation for the task; otherwise, validation will only give us false hopes. Communication is both negative and positive and what I have learned is that we should always refrain from taking part in the latter(H. AHMED, 2020). Besides, we should always show gestures of empathy and kindness while we talk to others. While delving through this course, I realized that after the advent of the internet and social media, we have forgotten about people around us; we have started to pay attention to more likes and shares on social media(Anderson &Rainie, 2018). This results from an unhappy state of mind because a person who is discontented with life seeks refuge on the internet, which is an illusion despite the real presence. Another important thing learned from the course is that most misunderstandings occur because of the absence of in-person communication.

At last, something that I found extremely beneficial was the planning part of the course and not leave anything for the eleventh hour. This has benefitted me in my decision-making process, which has led to a sense of responsibility in me. During my internship, when I was able to complete all my given assignments on time, our mentor asked me to help my peers who were struggling with the same. This came to me as an advantage because I noticed that my area of understanding is gradually becoming stronger while assisting them. We learn better by explaining the same to others(Ahmad & Karim, 2019), and that day, the sense of realization and respect increased for all the teachers who have taught me since my childhood. ,/

We were made to learn about Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how they master communicating via gestures. They have completely different protocols than normal Australians, which made me realize that nonverbal communication could be so effective(Bailie et al., 2017). I learned that these people, out of respect, avoid eye contact while communicating with their seniors. I also learned that these people mostly use indigenous languages to communicate and stick to their culture.

To conclude, I believe that this communication course has transformed my personality from a novice to that of a person with vast knowledge. I want all premier academic institutes to adopt this or teach a few syllabi in the curriculum. I wish to explore more in this field of learning, as communication is a never-ending process. The key to effective communication starts from the moment you communicate with yourself first therefore, it is crucial that we understand the importance of the personality development courses in academics apart from other subjects and topics. As they indirectly benefit our growth and help expand the existing knowledge.

References
Ahmad, F., & Karim, M. (2019, April). (PDF) Impacts of knowledge sharing: a review and directions for future research. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333107966_Impacts_of_knowledge_sharing_a_review_ and_directions_for_future_research

Anderson, J., &Rainie, L. (2018, July 3). 2. The negatives of digital life. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech; Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/03/the-negatives-of-digital-life/

Bailie, J., Matthews, V., Laycock, A., Schultz, R., Burgess, C. P., Peiris, D., Larkins, S., &Bailie, R. (2017). Improving preventive health care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care settings. Globalization and Health, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-017-0267-z

Christina, Asaah, G., Lacerda, H., & Sawada. (2018). The Art of Listening: Listening Skill Development, Classical Music Appreciation, and Personal Response through Visual Art in a Middle School Program. Research & Issues in Music Education, 14(1). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1201779.pdf

De Smul, M., Heirweg, S., Devos, G., & Van Keer, H. (2019, October). (PDF) It’s not only about the teacher! A qualitative study into the role of school climate in primary schools’ implementation of self-regulated learning. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336275828_It H. AHMED, A. (2020, December). (PDF) Positive Communication: The New Shift in Interpersonal Communication. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347994396_Positive_Communication_The_New_ Shift_in_Interpersonal_Communication

Harris, M. A., &Orth, U. (2019). The link between self-esteem and social relationships: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(6). https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000265

Neave, L., Tzemou, E., &Fastoso, F. (2020). Seeking attention versus seeking approval: How conspicuous consumption differs between grandiose and vulnerable narcissists. Psychology & Marketing, 37(3), 418–427. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21308

Vetrivel, Dr. V. (2018). Employees Personality of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal on Emotional Intelligence. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, Volume-3(Issue-1), 582–585. https://doi.org/10.31142/ijtsrd19043 Vogel, D., Meyer, M., &Harendza, S. (2018). Verbal and non-verbal communication skills including empathy during history taking of undergraduate medical students. BMC Medical Education, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1260-9