Transferable Skills of Being a Resident Assistant at College
Transferable Skills of Being a Resident Assistant at College
Being a Resident Assistant means being ready for anything. Being a Resident Assistant means being a leader, a role model, and a caregiver. Being a Resident Assistant means being prepared for the future. In my case, being a Resident Assistant is of the greatest benefit, especially relating to my future career choice of being a teacher. Being a teacher presents many obstacles from the beginning, many of which being a Resident Assistant already covers, and prepares for. The skills I develop now as a Resident Assistant are key to my future as a teacher.
Many of the skills a Resident Assistant gains are those of administration. These skills include filling out forms, keeping up with paperwork, and making sure the proper pathway is sought in the department to solve a problem. These same skills will be very vital to me when I begin my career as a teacher. Keeping up with student papers, grades, filling out related material needed for the class, all of this I already know, thanks to my work as a Resident Assistant. I have also gained very important skills at working with the chain of administration inside the Resident Life Department. This skill will be valuable when I work the school’s administration at solving problems and other aspects.
As a Resident Assistant I am faced with deadlines almost everyday. These deadlines are usually very important and deal with the safety of the students and the building, and need to be handled quickly. As a teacher I will be faced with the same type of problems. Pressure to get grades in, keep my curriculum on track, and get my students ready for facing their own deadlines. Needs assessment is also ties into this area. By looking at deadlines and setting goals, both the teacher and the Resident Assistant can gain a better understanding of what the student needs to be successful in learning and life. This skill ties into all the other skills as well.
The ability to set goals and expectations is key to being a Resident Assistant and a teacher. Setting goals for my hall will be very similar to setting goals for my classroom. Mrs. Pittman, retired High School teacher, says that setting goals are key in...