Narrative Reflection Paper

During the first day of Human Development 3341 class, my initial impression was that the teacher was a sweet and nice person. The class seemed different from a lot of courses I’ve taken in that it did not use a traditional approach to learning. The teacher’s incorporation of gaming and elements of game design was quite interesting to me. I am looking forward to going on this adventure through Willeaux’s World and learning about myself, the people around me, and the world I live in. I could tell that I would enjoy this new style of teaching/learning because I love going on adventures, and always like to discover new things (treasures) and harness ways of implementing a concept

The first Assignment that stood out to me in this class was the “Who Are You” introductory activity in (Master) Quest Log 1. During the following week, I appreciated being able to discuss and write about the difference between self-centered and self-focus in (Apprentice) Quest Log 2. This activity required a lot of introspection, which I love, and through completing this activity, I was able to identity myself as a self-focused individual. In Apprentice Quest Log 3, I learned so much from writing about the different types of educational endeavors available to emerging adults after high school; another activity that I found interesting in quest Log 3 (Master) was writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper (about DARS, a program that is important to my education as an individual with a disability). The assignment that required the most creativity was creating an acrostic poem titled “Default or Developmental” (Apprentice) Quest Log 4 and a crossword puzzle about identity formation and ethnic identity (Master) Quest Log 4. These activities were both fun and it also helped to foster learning. In quest Log 6, I learned about sexuality during emerging adulthood (and created a list of) looked at reasons people don’t practice safe sex and why they should. Friendships and relationships are vital to living a healthy and satisfactory life, which was why I enjoyed Quest log 7 so much. Coming up with a list of characteristics of authentic friendships helped me to see what a healthy friendship should look like. Through completing this introspective activity, I was also able to adopt some of these items in selecting my own friends. Quest Log 8 as also helped me to identify the factors that influence the quality of parent-child relation-ships and the types of parent-child relationships in emerging adulthood.

The activity that I enjoyed the most was completing Quest Log 5 activities on employment. I was able to come up with a professional slogan for myself and read articles about professionals who are already in the field I want to enter (Novice). I also wrote a professional mission statement for myself (Apprentice). In addition, I interviewed professionals in the field I want to go into and learned about the educational and experiential requirements needed for LCSW and LMFT positions. (These activities will prove useful to my developing career and future and has set me up for my future success. Helped me to develop my ideas about my professional goals and to start thinking about how I want to portray myself to my audience (potential clients and employers).

The activity I enjoyed the least was listing the different types of educational endeavors available to emerging adults after high school in Apprentice Quest Log 3. The reason for this is because I have already completed some college, and intend to further my education some more (master’s program). Also, I already know what I want to do with my career, so finding out this information was not as helpful to me. They will be more suited for high school senior students or those who have recently just graduated from high school.

One thing that I am taking away from this course is that Emerging Adulthood is an important stage of development marked by instability and exploration. I’ve also learned that it is okay to make mistakes and to have a change of heart or to change my plans. I also learned that asking questions is a normal part of being an emerging adult. I have a better sense of self-knowledge and self-awareness. This class has encouraged me to be more accepting of myself and my quirks.

Fast-forwarding into the end of the semester, I can say that I’ve learned so much from being a part of this class. I am now more aware of the resources that are available and this will create more opportunities for me (to attain my goals and become successful).The lessons from this course will make me better connected and prepared for my future (as a LCSW and LMFT).