I am Sunita Ghir-Gomes, a secondary school teacher of Union Island St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
I am a native of Guyana; I pursue a career in meteorology and have worked as a meteorologist for several years. After moving to St. Vincent and the Grenadines I decided to take up a new career for the benefit of my family. My son is six years old, so when he have his ‘off days’ I want to be there and share those special moments with him, so as him being a student; I choose to be a teacher. Now, we share all the days off together which full fills my desire. I am a teacher at the Union Island Secondary School; Union Island is located in the southern Grenadines of St. Vincent. Here there is only one secondary school; and this serves for most of the Grenadines Islands, and it’s where I’m stationed. Since this is so; the level of learning is very different among students by far, this requires a lot of critical thinking in preparing lesson plans and exams. I am teaching integrated science and agricultural science at forms 2, 4 and 5 levels, and the challenge in doing so is through out all classes. I consider myself as a person who takes in information seriously, make decisions and relate to people without judging them. As a teacher and an adult learner, I understand the need to incorporate different teaching strategies in my classroom based on the ability of my students and method I prefer in my learning environment. Some of these methods are cooperative or collaborative practices, I prefer this learning method because it gives me the ability to share and express my views and listen to others while using a variety of materials. It allows different style of testing, individual and group work as well as social interaction. I prefer a learning environment which includes the use of lots of technology and discussions, and of course, with the increased knowledge of science and technology, this type of learning is possible across the region as the same time. As an adult learner practitioner, I also like to incorporate experiential learning style which I also think is self motivated and self directed. I considered my self to be a very nice person and an achiever in life; I am hard working, caring and loving and always want to see success flows through me and everyone else around me. I see journalizing as an aim to promote rigorous thinking on educational matters and to identify and criticize the ideological forces shaping education. Ethical, political, aesthetic and epistemological dimensions of educational theory are amongst those covered. As a reflective practitioner I am guided by humanism; this is what I see myself as when I look at a mirror image. I appreciate the fact that I guided by humanism because I am a strong supporter of equality and diversity. I am a stronger supporter of ethical standards and diversity; I believe that respect is earned as it is given. Some core values I take very seriously in life and I passed onto others are values, attitudes, self awareness and beliefs; this creates opportunities for professional growth and development. It's a way in which I see elevation for progress in my life.
I started the EDLM1002 Foundations of Reflective Practice course in August of 2012 not knowing what it’s all about or the effects it would have on my life as a whole. Today I can clearly state that Reflective Practice not only helped me academically but personally and professionally. As an adult learner and very new to the whole online learning experience, it was quite a challenge at first, but reflective practice helps me to fight that challenge by applying the philosophies of constructivism and humanism. There were times when I had no idea how to approach a problem; but this course taught me who to problem solve and work collaboratively with others. We shared our knowledge and experiences, we respect each others views and observed ethical practices, and this kept me moving forward. Some important aspects of my life have changed completely due to the process of reflection, analyzing and evaluating. This I learnt from being part of reflective practice online course. Reflective practice is one of the courses I chooses this semester that not only helps me with my theoretical knowledge; but also helps me to develop my personal skills and feelings towards my work as well as others. This course helps me in so many different ways, that sometimes I do not realize it until I have already dealt with a situation
I started the EDLM1002 Foundations of Reflective Practice course in August of 2012 not knowing what it’s all about or the effects it would have on my life as a whole. Today I can clearly state that Reflective Practice not only helped me academically but personally and professionally. As an adult learner and very new to the whole online learning experience, it was quite a challenge at first, but reflective practice helps me to fight that challenge by applying the philosophies of constructivism and humanism. There were times when I had no idea how to approach a problem; but this course taught me who to problem solve and work collaboratively with others. We shared our knowledge and experiences, we respect each others views and observed ethical practices, and this kept me moving forward. Some important aspects of my life have changed completely due to the process of reflection, analyzing and evaluating. This I learnt from being part of reflective practice online course. Reflective practice is one of the courses I chooses this semester that not only helps me with my theoretical knowledge; but also helps me to develop my personal skills and feelings towards my work as well as others. This course helps me in so many different ways, that sometimes I do not realize it until I have already dealt with a situation