Welcome to a new and exciting endeavor…your official supervised fieldwork experience! This course is structured to be the bridge between the courses you have already taken and the “real world” of working with children and families.
It is a time of great anticipation and adventure!
As we developed this course, we found ourselves using terms related to construction; “solid foundation”, “building skills”, “mastering tools of the trade”, “revising plans”, and most importantly “successful building seems to be under on-going construction”. Thus, we adopted the theme of construction and the motto “the road to success is always under construction”, attributed to Lily Tomlin, known for trying new things and making people smile.
In this course, it is time for you to take charge of your own learning and construct your own road to success! Each of your journeys will be slightly different because you are all unique. This is not a “one size fits all” course. You will all have the same basic tasks and tools, but the things that each of you want to master to be the best teacher that YOU CAN BE moving forward are yours and yours alone.
Constructing a road to success is not always easy. A basic plan is a good place to start as long as it is approached with flexibility and an openness to change. Mistakes are inevitable and can be celebrated as opportunities to learn new things! A sense of adventure awaits! Be inspired!
Throughout the semester your construction project will take on many twists and turns, so enjoy the journey! You will work in a variety of ways with a supportive construction crew, and are encouraged to take on as many tasks as you can, pushing yourself a little further out of your comfort zone each time! This handbook will introduce you to the foundations of the course. Each portion will be discussed further as the course progresses, so do not be alarmed if you look at something not yet covered and are puzzled. Construction takes time and is built upon prior foundations! By the end it will all make sense! So take a deep breath, gather your construction tools, and let’s get started!
