Analysis of Sarah

Analysis and Assessment

I feel that I could go on and on about the elements of thinking involved in this project, but there were three main things that I believe I learned the most from. Going into this project I carried many assumptions. First off, I assumed that the impact that I would have on Sarah's life would be minimal, short lived, and very little for myself. I was immediately proved wrong. The assumption I came into the project with could have put a damper on the entire project hadn't I been willing to change and compromise my thoughts throughout my time with her. I also knew that I was going to have to be proactive with the plans that I made with Sarah. She is a type of person who has to have consistency, but at the same time her mood depends what she is capable of accomplishing that day. The outcome that I thought I would have was to have a positive impact on Sarah and her behavior, I was pleasantly surprised when in the end I saw that I had a greater impact on her than I had previously anticipated. I was able to make greater use of the time with Sarah than I realized I could, and in return had a more successful experience and outcome with the entire project. Another element of thinking that was involved was the ability to overcome judgments. I learned I would have to deal with my own judgments I might place on another person, and those of the people we interact with. It became a challenge in itself, every situation was different, and every place we went people reacted much differently. I was often times saddened and surprised in the reaction that many people had towards Sarah and her differences. I soon learned a great deal of how Sarah copes with these reactions, and the way that she taught me to not let it get to me every time, there are more important things to be concerned about.

It was obvious to me at the very start of my time with Sarah that much of my elements of thinking were going to change, and change very quickly. I assumed I would have to be fast and just as unexpected in planning events for Sarah, as she was with her behavior. I wasn't ready for the type of outside commitment Sarah would need outside of my three days a week with her. I found myself spending much of my time trying to create new ways and ideas for Sarah to express herself in a healthy manner, without harming herself or others, which she has often turned to. I also had to overcome the judgments and biases that are placed on a child with developmental disorders. I rapidly learned I have to overcome the judgments that were presented to us as we went out into public. This was a challenge because I was trying to not only understand my own judgments, but that of those around us as well. I did learn my greatest lesson in watching the way that Sarah dealt with these differences, and she taught me a lot about judging others. My biggest change of thinking had to have been going into this project hoping that I would have a positive outcome on Sarah. I was not at all prepared for the impact that six weeks with this child would make in her life, and in my own. The skills that she developed and improved on during our time together astonished me.

I learned that the assumptions that you have going into an experience will often times affect the type of outcome you receive. A good example of this would be I thought that since I went into this project with a positive assumption on making an impact on Sarah, I actually had a greater effect on the outcome of the project. I was prepared to make change of plans to fit Sarah's behavior and mood, and was able to quickly accommodate the changes that needed to be made, since I had mentally prepared myself for the chance it would occur. If I had went into this project with any other expectations, I think I would have not only failed Sarah, but myself as well.

The elements of thinking in terms of critical thinking standards were all met, I was able to reason out what I had planned to do, my intentions and expectations were planned, and I had to ability to allow those plans to change and to reason out the new plans I had to quickly create or accommodate Sarah with. I also was able to ask questions, not only about the project and its affect as a whole, but to myself to gain a greater understanding of my influence and my experience. The questions I needed to ask had to be tailored to the experience with Sarah, they couldn't just include what I thought would be best for Sarah, I had to be sure they followed her behavioral protocol, and that they were at a level that she could comprehend and appreciate. I needed to make sure that I always thought of her needs when addressing any problems or changes that occurred. I also had to believe the results of my critical thinking. I had to be sure that I was confident in the changes and impact I had made, and be sure that I understood the entire effect it was going to have. If I was unsure of the results, I feel that my entire project would have failed.

I feel that the most important aspect of civic engagement for me was the idea of identity. This affected my project tremendously. I had to have the understanding that I wasn't only finding out more about myself I was also learning about Sarah and watching her and she found out more of her own identity. I have always known that identity was important, but I don't think I completely appreciated it's true impact until reading about the identity of others, our nation, other nations, and then applying these understandings to my own identity. I was also able to help Sarah find some of her identity from different aspects, since I learned the true value of it through class. Another idea that was mentioned in class that I found to be important in my project was consumption. Many people feel different ways about consumption, and often times people judge others on what they