PAL Training

I must say I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be in these two days. The first day probably more so than the second but that was understandable because I had the time to build up my confidence through the many tasks we completed on the first day. The only time I felt vulnerable was when they asked us to come up with a 10 minute pal session in pairs. During the preparation I felt a little unsure on what we were going to do, but then I realised everyone was in the same boat and it didn't matter if we messed up, it was still training after all. I just did my best and tried to show confidence and leadership in my tone of voice and how we lead the session. Wasn't as hard as I thought and it became more and more relaxed as the session went by. I felt it was better to not think too much into what I was going to say during the session; be prepared but also be spontaneous with random comments which may, in turn be the most memorable parts of the session the 1st years will take on board.

A lot of the training was common sense and dealing with problems on the spot using our general knowledge but it was extremely useful as it brought forward the most important aspects of being a PAL leader. One thing I will find very difficult is holding back with my opinions if a first year asks for advice on their work. I need to make sure that I let them discover their mistakes themselves and give them tips on where to find inspiration to help on the development of their work, rather than plainly saying what I like about their work because it is not my job to be their tutor.

It was useful to state what out worries about being PAL leader were at the beginning of the training and it was satisfying to be able to cross off a number of those worries at the end. I felt much more confident afterwards as we were given a number of different ways to fill out awkward silences which I was most worried about. The key to being a leader is to be prepared, even if it means to be over-prepared, this will help increase my confidence. I never thought I would become a PAL leader because I always felt I was too quiet and reserved, I thought this would be a good challenge for me, something that would help me develop into my future career and to boost my confidence.

At this moment in time I hope that I am teamed up with people who will bring out the best in me. I can be quite quiet at times and if I were teamed up with someone a little more chatty I feel I will easily learn from them and speak out more often. Fingers crossed.