First status meeting, October 2009

Gary Peatling, September team 2009: To develop leadership skills I need to take more initiative in organising people, and to set a better example. This should come through being positive and persistent....

At CICD we use an inter-active education system called DmM, where the student is in the centre of planning the studies, and of reaching the target of 850 study points in studies, courses and experiences as well as the partnership goal. Read more here about this:

http://www.cicd-volunteerinafrica.org/TextPage.asp?MenuItemID=20&SubMenuItemID=276

To make it possible to keep on top of planning and following the results closely, the teams have a Status Meeting with the teacher every month. Before this meeting, they are asked to make a self assessment, and to present their progress, tell about high-lights, developments and problems etc

1. List your main highlights within this first period and give an overview how each can help you towards becoming a good Development Instructor.  Present the job you perform at the school and how it impacts upon you.  How can you use your experience at your project?

Highlights have included opportunities to take responsibility for tasks have to be done, such as cleaning tasks. Similarly, there have been opportunities to put myself forward in ways acting as a conciliator or which enable team activities to proceed, e.g., putting myself forward to make breakfast for those going on the Great North Run. This should help me in becoming a Development Instructor since it has helped me to realise that certain tasks have to be done for the good of all, but may not be done unless someone takes responsibility for them

I have also undertaken experiences that are new or unusual for me: e.g., painting a ceiling, cleaning large dining halls and kitchens, making apple juice, and fundraising.  This has helped me to be flexible and, in some cases, acquire new skills and a belief that I can achieve things.

My jobs at the school include responsibilities for accommodation and recycling, and organising cleaning in the Mozambique building, in addition to regular cleaning and cooking responsibilities.  These responsibilities affect me in terms of feeling anxiety lest things go wrong with my responsibilities, e.g., difficulties ensue with accommodation or with cleaning/recycling, or anxiety that others may not meet their responsibility.

An enhanced sense of responsibility will help me at the project, and I may also be able directly to apply some of the new skills I have been given the chance to use here

2. In what ways does the DmM system qualify you to take responsibility for your own education?  What knowledge have you gained during this first period at the school?

Under the DmM system I can choose when to work and choose which tasks to undertake.  This allows me to take responsibility for my own education by working on areas in which I think I need to improve my knowledge

So far I have acquired knowledge about the social structures and economic features of contemporary African societies, about the responsibilities of Development Instructors and the expectations made of them, and about Humana's projects and income-generating activities.  I have also begun to use the DmM system to improve my knowledge of Portuguese

3. Present the job you have chosen in Africa and why it suits you.

I am interested in working with the Humana HOPE project. This appeals to me on account of the importance of the work in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the possibility of working to assist  large communities of people.  The project encompasses a wide range of tasks, in outreach, training, research and other areas of activity, so I believe I would find a role in which I could contribute.  I am aware that the work would demand flexibility of me however

4. What do you consider the main demands on you as a Development Instructor?  To this aim and according to the self-assessment form, in which five areas will you focus on improving in the next period?  For each, give concrete examples of how you will do this.

The main demands which I feel as a Development Instructor include the need to be flexible, to be a leader and show the ability to organise people, and to show persistence to ensure that projects are undertaken and completed in difficult circumstances.  A Development Instructor needs to set a good example of being disciplined, hardworking and positive and in finding solutions to problems.

Five areas in which my self-assessment reveals I need to improve are:

●      Organising people

●      Running my responsibility areas

●      Holding, and inspiring others with, visions for the future

●      Planning and timetabling

●      Showing persistence

Examples of what I will do about this:

1. Organising people; I have a chance to improve and take initiative in regard to this in my  accommodation responsibilities, and also through organising the promised presentation about recycling and waste disposal at CICD
2. Responsibility areas; I could improve here by taking more time to learn about my role and find out what I need to know to do a good job
3. Holding and inspiring others with visions for the future; I need to show more conviction that the ultimate aim and purpose of being a Development Instructor will positively impact many people in the world.  The objective is worthy of inspiring myself and others, whether these be current team members or other residents at CICD, or potential donors or volunteers.
4. Planning and timetabling; I have a tendency to allow tasks which I know I have to do to drift, or to assume that I can come back to these later.  Where I know what needs to be done, tasks need to be tackled immediately.
5. Showing persistence: I need to prevent myself from becoming discouraged when tasks such as fundraising prove initially difficult.  Where I don't encounter initial success or when one approach does not initially work very well, I need to be flexible and adopt a different approach.

5. In which ways do you consider yourself to be a leader and how have you shown leadership skills during your time at the school?  How will you work with this issue in the coming period?

I have been a leader in the sense of assuming responsibilities and putting myself forward for tasks and roles which need to be completed.  But to develop leadership skills I need to take more initiative in organising people, and to set a better example.  This should come through being positive and persistent, and in showing conviction about my work here, and about the ultimate objective of making an impact as a Development Instructor.