Professional Development for FE1810

TiffanyBachmann_ProfDevelopment.md

Professional Development Reflections

1. Three behaviors that resonate from 29 Behaviors That Will Make You an Unstoppable Programmer
   Invest in yourself - It's easy to get caught up in a project especially when I feel like I'm right on the verge of figuring something out. Sometimes the best way to figure out the next piece is to walk away for a bit and have some fun or doing something to take care of yourself. Working endlessly isn't feasible or productive, self-care is really important.
   Treat mistakes as learnable moments - Focusing on perfection doesn't help you to learn and progress. I want to get things right the first time, but making mistakes and then working though why things didn't work can help lay a foundation to better understand in the future. Trying to remember that so I don't get frustrated when I make a mistake.
   Say I Don't Know - It's important not to waste time pretending or not acknowledging you don't know something. Say I don't know, look it up, ask a question. It's how to learn and get better.
2. Reflections on checklists and organization systems from Atul Gawande's 'Checklist' For Surgery Success
   I think checklists and organization systems are incredibly important, especially since we live in such a fast paced environment. I use checklists for a lot of things, for example when packing gear to go camping. No matter how many times I've packed up the gear I found that a checklist saves me from forgetting a couple items. I think having checklists and organizationl systems will help me as a student get into a routine, solidfy basics and help me not to miss things while I'm trying to take in an abundance of information. It will also help later as a full time developer so that I don't skip over important basics that may seem trivial later.
3. What is your impression of strengths-based development? What questions do you have about this kind of development?
   I like that strengths-based development is focused on the positive (an idividuals strength) and capitalizing on that instead of trying to fix a weakness. I think using it in teams to better undestand your colleagues can help you to better communicate with each other and the best ways you can work together by combining your strengths.
   • How often are managers using strengths-based development to help their teams grow?
   • What ways can I use this kind of development as a student? (team projects etc.)
4. What do you feel are your top strengths? How do you know?
   I have taken strengths finder tests for past jobs and positivity is one of my strengths. I usually look at things half full and try to share that with others. I feel like I'm happier and able to get more done when I look at things in a positive light and am entusiastic about it.
5. How do you hope to develop your strengths for your new career in software development?
   I hope to develop my positivity to be an encouragement on teams that I work in. I also hope to better understand my other strengths so I can use them to become a good developer and also to understand how to work well with colleagues and be a better communicator.