Learning Through Experience: Interning Abroad

This semester I had the opportunity to intern at the Royal Free Children’s Hospital School. This is a special school that provides for students whose needs are not met at public schools and is a secure space for children on the ward of the hospital to be engaged during their stay. The goal of the school is to offer a safe, caring space that inspires students to learn in a normalized setting, building skills that will allow for their eventual reintegration back into the public school system. As a teaching and office intern I had a wide range of responsibilities including assistant teaching as needed in the classroom setting, online database coding, and secretarial work.
One of the key learning points that I will take away from this internship is successful communication with staff members. Through this position I have realized that I must be the one to advocate for myself and communicate what I do and do not feel comfortable with in a work environment. During my time at the hospital school I was put in situations where I did not always feel comfortable, and realized that I had to speak up for myself and my needs in order to get what I wanted out of my internship. I now feel stronger and more confident in my ability to understand what I can handle and when to ask for help, which is extremely important in the fields of education and psychology. There were days and moments especially at my internship site that were very difficult. Being exposed to students with mental challenges and a variety of disabilities was overwhelming at times, but I realized that I learned something very important from each and every student that I met and worked with. I have made lasting positive relationships with staff and students at my internship site at the Royal Free, and feel this to be a true accomplishment of my time there.