EDFX 267 Community Engagement

Assessment Task 3: Reflecting on the Experience

Name of Pre-Service Teacher:
Student ID:
S00143925

Stephanie Todd

Community Engagement Placement: Challenges Abroad Australia, Live. Give. Learn, Cambodia
Overseas Program
Due Date: 20/02/2015
Submission: To be submitted via the LEO Assignment link. Please make sure that this is typed
not handwritten.
This task requires you to reflect on your Community Engagement Placement (CEP) and its impact on:
1. Your understanding of engaging with community
2. Your development as a teacher.
In completing your Reflecting on the Experience you should draw on your approved proposal for
Community Engagement Placement both Parts A and B together with your discussion postings.
1. Your understanding of engaging with community
Complete the chart below by rating each statement taken from the unit outlines description and learning
outcomes. The rating is from 1 5 with 1 representing strong agreement and 5 representing strong
disagreement. You must add an explanatory comment (this is not optional). You may wish to give an
example here too.
To what extent has your
1
2
3
4
5
Explanatory comment
placement (s)

Assisted you to understand and value

diversity in its many forms therefore
enabling you to cater for diversity
more effectively

My placement was located in rural

Battambang, Cambodia where I
experienced the culture and way of life
of the students, teachers and locals. I
taught in both a public and a CAD
school where I encountered language
barriers, a variety of different teaching
styles, ages and abilities of not only
students but teachers also. I began to
recognise a range of student abilities
and understand the differences and
areas that needed support. Through
working in such a remote area I learnt
to value and appreciate the diversity of
the people and community, which I
made long lasting relationships with.

Enhanced the development of your

understanding of the contextual
factors that impact on the way in
which people live their lives

I experienced firsthand the life and

culture of local Cambodians which
allowed me to fully understand how
different their background can impact
their lives. The life of these children is
not easy, it is based on working from a
young age with little focus on schooling
as they will pursue typical village jobs.
The Cambodian villagers use little
transport, live off basic food and sleep
in small huts they built themselves.

Enhanced your critical examination,

promoted reflective practices and
challenged established beliefs

Before my experience I believed that

these children lived and worked in their
village as they had limited schooling,
now I know that they have similar
dreams and goals to the rest of us and
with proper education they can achieve
them.

Encouraged open and flexible

thinking, and responsiveness to
change

Each day was planned ahead of time

and often I found that the students
struggled to understand the content of
what was being taught and so I had to
be flexible and think on the spot to
create a new strategy to keep the
students engaged and focused on the
topic.

Enabled you to listen to the voices of

marginalised people and, through
reflection, allow such experiences to
impact on your personal and
professional lives as engaged citizens

I got to know these children as

individuals and understood their traits
and personalities and their ability to
learn, this allowed the students to gain
the most of my teaching as I could
really listen to them and get to know
them on a more personal level which
they were highly grateful for and made
me feel like a highly respected member
of the community.

Provided opportunities for you to

contribute to the life of the
community through the sharing of
personal expertise and time.

I took part in teacher training sessions

where I helped the teachers develop
better methods for teaching English as
it has recently become a requirement
for English to be taught in schools. The
teachers had limited English so I
passed on my expertise to further
assist them long after I had left, and
demonstrated to them a more effective
approach to student centered teaching.

2. Your development as a teacher

In the following chart identify two changes in your views about learning or your intentions for teaching
because of your participation in your Community Engagement Placement(s).
My views
about
(identify the
issue or
aspect of
teaching and
learning)

Before my
involvement in
this Community
Engagement
Placement I
thought

After my
involvement I
think

1. The
students
language/

Before I thought
that these
students had no

The students
In my reflective
were far better at journal I wrote about
speaking English a boy that was at a

Give evidence and

indicate from which
source (e.g. wiki
posting, reflective
journal entry)

Significance of
outcome/achievem
ent for you

I learnt not to
assume that the
content of what I

learning
skills.

English skills so I
prepared for basic
teaching. I
thought it would
take a while for
them to
understand.

than I thought,
even better than
their teachers.
They were
extremely fast
learners.

higher level of
learning than what
was being taught, he
read to me a book
about Australian
animals with no
problems and
corrected other
students.

will teach is the

level that each
student will be at in
their learning. Each
student is at
different levels and
I learnt to cater for
them.

2. Working in
partnership
with
colleagues

I thought that
working with your
colleagues is not
overly important
as long as you
know what you
have to teach and
teach the required
content.

I now think that it

is extremely
important to
work closely with
your colleagues,
not only for
support and to
discuss
problems, but to
come up with the
most effective
ways to teach.

In my reflective
journal I first wrote
how I struggled
working with my
colleagues and their
different teaching
styles and
techniques, later I
wrote about the
importance of
learning to work with
others and how their
ideas can be
valuable to me.

I have learnt that I

am not alone and I
can count on the
support and
resources of my
colleagues to assist
my teaching ability.

Summing up the experience:

Looking back on your Community Engagement Placement experience, how would you describe
your experience overall? What were the highlights and challenges? What advice would you
offer others undertaking Community Engagement Placement(s) in the future?
My placement was life changing and something I will never forget. It has allowed me to grow and develop
into a more confident and motivated teacher. I learnt so much about the type of teacher and person I am. I
found the overall experience the most challenging thing I have ever done, as I was faced with language
barriers, different cultures and ages. The language barrier was by far the hardest part of the placement, I
had to work closely with my translator to ensure the students and teachers understood me. Although I
found it challenging, it was the most rewarding experience of my life, once I made the connections with
the teachers and students I felt like I was able to really make a difference and felt so respected and loved.
Not only did the students appreciate the help I was giving them but I respected the time they were giving
me in allowing me to teach them. I most enjoyed getting to know each individual child, and seeing the
children that struggled the most with their English really growing and coming out of their shells and not
being afraid to give activities a go.
At the end of my 2 week, having the children writing us all cards and notes in English with our names on
them, making us presents, giving us big hugs, telling us they didnt want us to leave and how thankful they
were, was the biggest highlight of the trip, I felt like I really had made a difference in these childrens lives.
I found it at times really challenging working with my colleagues in the same classroom as we all seemed
to have different ideas how we wanted to run the room. I faced this challenge by confronting one of the
girls I was working with and discussing my ideas and well as hers, while both coming to a compromise to
what we were wanting to achieve overall, this made the classroom an easier place for the both of us,
allowing the students get the most out of our time.
I had to conduct teacher training classes where I would teach the teacher more effective ways to teach in
the classroom, I found this very confronting and difficult as I wasnt that confident on the topic I was
teaching the teachers. I found the teacher training sessions very tiring and full on as the teachers spoke no
English, I had to voice my ideas then wait for it to be translated before I could reply, it took a number of
sessions before the teachers began to feel comfortable with the ideas we were suggesting, I had to gain

the respect and trust of the teachers which was by far the most challenging. Once I gained the trust of the
teachers and they understood my goals I was trying to achieve in the classroom, I felt a sense of
accomplishment as I knew the teachers would carry on my ideas and hard work.
For others undertaking community engagement, I would tell them to really make the most of every
moment, every little thing you do makes a difference and it is important to go on a placement that you feel
really passionate about. It is most important to be flexible and go into the placement with an open mind.
My initial thought was that I could teach the children a lot of my knowledge, but by the end of my
placement I felt like they ended up teaching me more.