Reflective Essay On Social Work

As an observer who often sees students getting in trouble for what they have done, I never would have thought that one day, the student would be me. I am unable to recall exactly what day of the year it was, but I remember what happened clearly. That day, everything seemed to go so well; I had a great day with my friends and the school day was coming to an end. Suddenly that evening, at 2:12 PM, my day began to get worse, as if I got jinxed. During passing period before my last class, I decided to go use the restroom and unsurprisingly, the girls restroom was packed. By the time I got to class, I remember clearly that I had arrived a second or two after the last bell had rung. That day, my teacher happened to be standing by the door during passing period and when I got to class she said, “I want you to write me a page on why you

The past year has been quite a journey and I have learned and matured greatly over this time. I understand how big of a mistake I made, and I have thought on numerous occasions of how I would keep something like this from happening again if I was once again a student at the University of Alabama. I gained much insight from this event as I now live my life in a different manner and hold myself to higher ethical standards. I plan to live out these standards both inside and outside of the classroom, as I believe academic integrity carries over to more than just school. I hold myself personally accountable for every action that I take, and after everything has happened I know how to conduct myself even when no one is watching. My character has changed over the year and I carry out all of my actions in an honest manner regardless of the situation and these actions will also been shown in an academic setting. I believe honesty is key when following the academic code of conduct and I will be honest in all instances, which includes during the completion of any school work. I have learned that it is better to be honest when doing anything and I am also able to own up to any

From the course, I was surprised to learn how many social workers throughout history have been part of oppressive practices that negatively impacted different groups of the population, which could explain why there are people who have a strong dislike to social workers. This was surprising because as social workers we are bound to advocate for social justice for everyone including those who are living in poverty. Also, respecting different beliefs and lifestyles of individuals, families, groups, communities and nations without discrimination as emphasized in the Social Work Code of Ethics (Canadian Association of Social Workers [CASW], 2005). Some examples mentioned in lectures include social workers playing a role in the deportation of people

This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.

The journey towards the attainment of the Bachelor of the social work degree has been an enlightening and educational experience, as the individual is exposed to the realities of many social and political issues in the society. As a student, I ventured into the degree, with minimal insight as to how the degree can influence and shape the way I perceive the social world, and the way I relate these matters to myself. However, throughout my endeavour, which encompasses years of theoretical studies, and two intensive placements at two drastically different organisations, I believe I have accumulated the bare minimal knowledge to possess a solid foundation about the unfairness and inequality that people in disadvantaged conditions face. Social workers are predominantly found in welfare organisations which Howe (as cited in Limber, 2015) suggested largely influences the practice, direction and values of the social worker, and impacts on their ability to act autonomously (Lymbery, 2015). During my placements, there was a dominant theme that frequently stood out and enticed my attention. This was the accepted practice of focusing on the individual’s problem, as opposed to the social problems that existed and the lack of acknowledgement about the social restrictions of the human agency that limited self-determination. The realization that organisations were managed this way was important in ensuring that I made a proactive effort to understand and untangle the reasons behind such

In this essay I will discuss what learning from K216 materials has been useful to me whilst working with vulnerable and/or disadvantaged service users in my student placement, and what learning I have applied to my practice. Throughout I will look at how my learning informed what I decided to do, how I went about doing this and my understanding of the practice. I will discuss learning in respect of two areas of social work, which are ‘Communication’ and ‘Working collaboratively’. For ‘Communication’ I will focus on communication with service users with disabilities and/ or additional needs and I will explore a case of a mother who I had a telephone call with who was in crisis and in a highly emotional state. With ‘Working collaboratively’,

Principal Hecktor looked at me, I was more ashamed than I had ever been in my entire life. “Please explain to me what happened. If you tell me the truth, the punishment will not be as harsh.” He said to me. The family pictures on his wall reminded me of my family. They looked so happy, unlike how mine would be once they found out what I had done. I looked up, tears in my eyes, and said; “Yesterday, I sold my ADHD medicine to other students, and you have no idea how sorry I am. I know I deserve the worst punishment, this is the most horrible thing I have ever done.” I looked down at the burgundy carpet, my tears dropping to my lap.

I graduated from college with a degree in philosophy and psychology with no idea where I was headed in life. I moved back home and found a job working at Mendota Mental Health Institute (MMHI). After almost two years I was beginning to feel stagnant and restless. I believed that there was more I could be doing with my life. Despite my pessimistic outlook on life, I truly believed (still do) that I could accomplish something meaningful that would leave a lasting impact on another life. The driving force behind this desire for change was the idea of one day being a therapist, but I was unsure how to accomplish this goal.

So I played it off and went to school the next day. So the next morning my granddaddy takes me to school that’s when I got nervous because everybody knew I wasn’t supposed to be there. So I couldn’t let no staff members see me because I knew they would tell. I waited for my granddaddy to pull off so I could sneak in he left so I tried to go in but the principle was right there so snuck through the back door of the gym. Class started and I had no class to go to so I went to every P.E class I could. But eventually I had to go to class I went to math class but she didn’t know about it so I was good for now. Then came six period we had to switch classes. I walked out everybody’s in the hall so no one seen me I went to the only person I could trust and that was coach b. I went to his class and tried to lay low for the rest of the day. But he had to leave and so did I so I started roaming the halls like I always do. But I forgot about the cameras and the intercom. The principle seen me on camera and called my name all over the school. So I had to hide for the rest of the day. And all the staff members had walkie-talkies and she started to call

It all started in 7th grade, my amazing straight A average was slowly starting to slip and nevertheless, it became a B average which is almost makes you a disgrace to my parents. I felt so guilty because I had been lying to my family for the whole entire year. One late afternoon, my dear mother questioned me, “ Let me see your grades,” she asked. I heard this and my heart sunk completely I was so frightened. I tried to change the subject , but it wouldn’t work. They figured out a month before the trimester ended, from that day on, for the rest of the year. I was forced

At this point in my schooling, it is becoming harder and harder to get to the end. It seems like there is no end in sight. Even though I know this is not the case, it is still a struggle to get there. When I first started school I was excited and full of life. There were so many new things to learn and much knowledge to be applied to various situations. Now, I feel as if it is too much. I am slowly starting to hate to come to class. The stress of so many different papers, projects, group assignments and keep in mind I have a family and life, have taken their toll on me mentally. I feel as if I am not learning anything. We test, test and test some more. I feel like a professional test taker. When I ask what does all of this have to do with social

The guilt made me hate going to class and desperate for summer vacation to start because I thought it would help me to rid myself of the guilt and give me a fresh start when the following year began. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as I anticipated and before the year ended, my friend who gave me the marker tattled on me. Once everyone found out, no one believed it was me because I was the quietest in the class and it was so out of character for me. I admitted it to everyone, and surprisingly, I wasn't punished or even scolded, but I believe the punishment I put upon myself because of the guilt was harsher than any of a teacher or principal.

I observed many things from the interview with Ms. Pressley, such as body language, eye contact, organization, and the general love for her job and role as a supervisor. I was observing her facial expressions throughout the interview. I have never seen so much excitement from a person in a supervisory role. She truly enjoys being the person others can come to and learn from. One of the specifics that stood out to me was when she said, “Really get to know your people.” (C. Pressley, personal communication. October 23, 2017). I believe this is something all supervisors should do. Along with observing her expressions, I noticed her demeanor. She made me feel welcomed and comfortable by meeting me upon arrival and being present during our

Social class placement has intrigued me for roughly a decade. My intrest in how social class is established began when my middle class family lost our only source of income, and dropped to identify as struggling in the lower class. Class placement can be tough for a social worker to deal with, especially when the client aspires to achieve a higher class, say middle class, but does not have the means to do so. As a social worker, the job would have to be finding a way to achieve that goal, or helping the individual or family to establish new goals without emotional degredation from letting go of achieving a different class. This social construction not only affects how people view each other, but also how they view themselves, which means it can be an issue on several fronts, mainly social and psychological. Since multiple ways of viewing, and ultimately fixing, the problem of social class placement can be used, I decided to focus on the theory of structural functionalism for this assignment.

Setting boundaries is an important core value in the field of social work. According to the Social Work Code of Ethics, “Social workers should provide and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience” (Code of Ethics of the NASW). Professional social workers are generally compassionate people, but they also need to recognize the value of setting limits. This was the case when I worked as an adjunct instructor, which included providing individual tutoring. My relationship with Sara Towns (name changed), a student and distant cousin, evoked the possible clouding of boundaries. For new social workers, this kind of reflection may be helpful as they define their roles. Through a series of professional and personal experiences with Sara, I learned that boundaries must be maintained to foster a positive relationship and prevent potential conflicts.