CACHE Endorsed - Self Evaluation

Evaluating yourself isn’t always an easy thing to do. Many of us choose to gloss over our shortcomings rather than being openly critical of them – or it can work the other way around. However, accurate and fair self-evaluation is a concept that can help us make improvements to better our approach to our professional role. Reflecting on our practice is essential if we want to ensure effectiveness, and this is especially important for those within the childcare profession. The Importance of Reflective Practice Being able to reflect on the practice you provide is crucial, as experienced early years practitioners will undoubtedly agree. By evaluating ourselves, and listening to the feedback of others, we can learn and develop our skills, understanding, empathy and best practice. Listening to opinions and feedback from other staff members (as well as parents and children who use the service) will help you to implement new strategies and approaches, which can have a positive impact on your learning environment. Nobody is Perfect We will all be able to agree with the above – nobody is perfect, no matter how much we may wish to be. Being willing to accept that we’re not perfect, and having the flexibility to try new approaches and take on constructive criticism, can help you to recognise your shortfalls and improve upon them effectively. Upon completion of this course, students will understand more about the self-evaluation model and the concept of reflective practice, and will be able to use this knowledge to their advantage in their current and future job roles.