Fieldwork Educator Tips

We have all been there before - your student asks you a question and your mind goes blank. You think, "I should probably know the answer to this!" But the reality is you don't - nor can you know it all!  So why is it so important to be transparent with your student when you do not know the answer?  Consider how impactful this authenticity is as you...  Create a safe learning environment for the student.   Sharing that you don’t know something with someone who is ultimately evaluating you can be very stressful.   Yes, there are basic expectations of what the student should know, but it is unrealistic for them to know everything.   Knowing that their educator is human, makes mistakes, and doesn’t know everything can create a safe place for them to share what they don’t know.             Role model your thinking process. For students, being able to identify what you don’t know is important in developing their knowl...

When you, as an experienced therapist, get a referral or review a chart you instantly make predictions about what you anticipate you will see and do. Despite having only a minimal amount of information, you already have a basic template in your mind of what you will likely need to address with the client.   You probably even have what you need packed in your bag (or trunk of your car).   In fact, you likely have a back-up plan (or more!) ready to go. All of these predictions are based on the experiences you’ve had before with similar clients. So how can you support this development? Because the truth: is there is much, much more nuance and thought behind this skill than simply experiencing something twice. Prediction Tip: Part 1 When you ask your student to read a chart or a referral, have him/her create two lists.   One list can be called, “ Things I know about the client ” and the other list can be called “ Things I anticipate ”.   When the student i...