Critical Self Reflection

Starting the Critical Communications module, I was sure about one thing: I was good at giving talks. I could hold an audience, remember my lines, and make sure everyone heard me loud and clear. But this class showed me that there is more to it. It's not just about knowing the words by heart, but how you deliver them. I learned about this technique called 'assertion,' which really opened my eyes to how you can talk with confidence and not just recite from memory.

My writing got a boost, too. I picked up things like the Paul-Elder framework and CRAAP method and I started to get the hang of putting my thoughts down in a logical and clear way. 

At first, I had the chance to be the group leader, but I passed it up to focus on being the speaker. Yet as we moved along, I kind of saw that maybe I had what it takes to be a leader after all. Maybe things would have been different if I had stepped up.

Writing has always been a bit of a struggle for me, and this class made me work on that a lot. But I was not alone as my classmates were there, and we helped each other out. We would check out each other's work, and seeing how they did things gave me new ideas.

I have always been confident about my speaking skills. I mean, I have done it in front of a big crowd before, so I thought this would be easy, but I was wrong. During our presentations, I had a moment where my mind just went blank. It showed me that being too sure of yourself can trip you up. So now, I am ready to try this 'assertion method' suggested by Professor Blackstone and see how it goes for my future presentation opportunities.

The feedback from everyone has been great. They liked my presentation, and Professor Blackstone had some valuable feedbacks for how I could do even better. I also learned that working with others is a big deal. It is about give and take, which is something I will remember.

As I forge ahead in my career as a mathematics tutor with aspirations of teaching full time, the critical communication skills acquired here stand as a beacon guiding my pedagogical approach. This module has taught me that learning is not a one-off event but a continuous cycle of learning, unlearning, and relearning.

I went into this class thinking it'd be a breeze, but it ended up teaching me way more than I expected. It is not just about getting top marks. It is about what you take away from the experience, the knowledge you learn along the way that really counts. It made me think about how much I have grown, not just in my skills, but as a person who can work well with others and share what I know.