Reflection 5 Sp4

Extra-Curricular activities The importance of extra- curricular activities has been seen to play a major role in a student’s life, not alone benefiting the students health but there physical wellbeing along with their mental wellbeing through participation and engagement. ‘‘Students participating in extracurricular activities leads to a more well-rounded person that has took the time to develop their social skills through engagement’’ (Jackson, 2017). I personally feel that students who participate in extra curricular activities are more developed and engaged, students who remain in their academic constantly lack a certain social skill that is practiced when students gather together outside of school hours. Reflecting back on the past number of weeks when on placement the importance of such activities did not strike my attention until I was asked by the vice principal to attend a Gaelic football match. This trip made me personally aware of all the social skills and personalities student develop attending these events outside school. I quickly began to notice on this trip the sense of unity that created between students along with a sense of pride they feel when representing their school, without a doubt I greatly believe that this is a feeling that all students should experience at some stage of their school time. ‘‘Being part of a group or team provides a sense of belonging, with extracurricular activities offering an opportunity for your child to interact with others with similar interests and potentially build friendships outside of their usual circle’’ (group, 2018). Although parents at times hesitate to allow students participate in such activities, they fail to see the benefits a such event has. On the negative side students do miss a certain percentage of class time but if a student is well focused and concentrates on their studies and achieving a good academic grade the extracurricular activities will have very little to none of an effect. Extra- curricular activities have been known to offer a student the chance to rest or often known as recharge the brain, these activities allow students some down time from their studies creating a refreshed mind for achieving a high standard of work (Wilson, 2017). Extra-curricular activities have been seen to benefit a student majorly with their personal social skills. Students become friendly with each other when sharing an interest or passion in something. Students becoming involved in sport means they are a part of a team which develops a sense of motivation (Austin, 1999). In my opinion student motivation is a major key element to a students have a successful and enjoyable time in education. Overall reflecting on the past weeks I have noticed that extra- curricular activities have a profound effect on a students social and academic life.

Bibliography Austin, A., 1999. Student involvement. [Online] Available at: https://www.asec.purdue.edu/lct/hbcu/documents/Student_Involvement_A_Developmental_Theor

y_for_HE_Astin.pdf [Accessed 11th January 2019]. group, E., 2018. The Good Schools Guide. [Online] Available at: https://www.goodschools.com.au/insights/student-experience/the-advantages-ofextracurricular-activities [Accessed 11th January 2019]. Jackson, N., 2017. The Educator. [Online] Available at: https://www.theeducator.com/blog/role-extracurricular-activities-studentsdevelopment/ [Accessed 11th January 2019]. Wilson, C., 2017. Mountain Heights Academy. [Online] Available at: https://www.mountainheightsacademy.org/counseling/ [Accessed 11th January 2019].