Walnut Room this way

Walnut Room this way
Rio.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Reflecting on Reflective Social Work Practice

Several years ago, one of Rand's co-workers sketched a "super-hero" of him as Random Access.  It was a tribute to his accessibility and willingness to help with technology issues.  First of all, I think RA the person rocks, and second, RA the super hero does willingly make himself accessible--not just at work, but to his family and friends who are always calling on him for help with our computer issues.

Frankly, I am a little jealous.

As hard as I try (and I do, constantly reading about teaching and coaching and supervising and professional development and educating, and consulting and dialoging with my mentors and mentees about all those things, and researching and publishing about those concerns--3 so far in the last 6 months), I seem in a "slump" these last few weeks.  I am not only not a super-heroine, but not even a heroine.
  It reminds me of my tiger metaphor.  I am torn between wanting to jump up and attack a jugular, and the awareness of needing to lie down and wait for the prey to come to me.  Kind of reminds me of my first mentor when I started teaching social work.
Anyone who thinks teaching in a university is a plum job has never done it.

5 comments:

Beth said...

I've been trying to write the right comment here and can't get the words right. I know what you're saying - You're not the only one who thinks these thoughts. We're just in different situations and different lines of work. And...my first job was a clerk-typist at a local university. I typed and was educated in many ways....

Suzassippi said...

Thanks, Beth, for even trying--I know what you mean--sometimes I write and re-write a comment, and then just end up deleting it altogether.

I think it is even harder than it was 25 years ago when I first started and my colleague told me that. But then, many things are way harder than they were, huh?

shoreacres said...

I was directed to your blog by Lisa Brunetti, former Mississipian now in Ecuador. I've just posted about my tour though some Arkansas post offices to see the murals, and we started chatting about the Okolona post office. That brought me here for "the rest of the story." When I read that the mural had been painted over, I assumed the artist had done it at some point. I was amused to read the details.

I'm a Texan now, and once was a medical social worker at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. And, I once spent a vacation at the Presidio in Goliad. Did you know you can rent the place, and have the entire fort to yourself at night? It's quite an experience, one that I suspect you'd enjoy.

I think I'm going to enjoy your blog, too. I just signed up.

Suzassippi said...

Thank you, Shore Acres. I hope to get back to regular posting--just another whirlwind trip to Texas and back this past week, but I have a new story!

Lana Pugh said...

There's just not enough hours in the day. And I hate to neglect to my family to pursue all the things. Because that's what they are - things. The important stuff right now is watching My Little Ponies over and over, dressing barbies, and answering a million billion questions over and over. I feel like I'm in a slump and so behind on my blog but there's more important stuff out there to do too.