After learning about collaborating and engaging in a variety of collaboration through my practicum site, I have found that there are things that I identify as strengths and others as weaknesses or growth areas. One strength that I believe that I possess in regards to collaboration is my ability to build rapport with others. I have noticed this through my time at practicum this semester, because I was able to build strong, trusting relationships with staff at my site while being there for such a short amount of time. I was able to put myself out there and be myself, while creating relationships that helped me collaborate and make the most of my experience. I think that this is a very important skill to have as a counselor due to how important …show more content…
First, I have noticed that I have a hard time being assertive in both my personal life and my professional life. In practicum, there were some things that I would have liked to do differently or more independently, but I lacked the assertiveness that I needed in order to speak up about it. For example, I would have loved to go into classrooms independently while my supervisor did other work, but we were always together. On one hand I think that this was good for my to be able to follow her a lot and gain comfort, but I also think having more independence would have been beneficial as well. When I think of assertiveness, this is something that I will need to work on to become a better collaborator. As a school counselor, there are times when I am going to need to be assertive with stakeholders to make any necessary changes needed in order for benefit a student. Furthermore, another area that I have identified as a weakness is my self-confidence. I feel that this goes along with my lack of assertiveness. With that said, as I gain confidence I think that I will be able to be more assertive. Overall, there are different areas that I feel I am stronger in than others, but I feel that with more practice and exposure, I will be able to turn some of my weaknesses into strengths one