What do you value and how do you show it. What do you believe and how do you feel about other's beliefs. How does your knowledge, understanding, thoughts and feelings influence the way you behave?
This page will help more:
http://www.silkysteps.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11028
Quote: page 352 of the EYE handbook
The impact of personal experiences, values and beliefs on professional practice
How we respond to people and situations is a result of a range of factors, including our own personal experience, values and beliefs. In terms of working with children, these can affect our responses so it is important to be aware of them and then, if necessary, to change our practice. The ability to analyse and reflect on our personal experiences and consider how they are affecting practice is what makes adults who work with children professionals.
Personal experiences
By the time we work with children, we have clocked up millions of different experiences which will of shaped us in ways that sometimes we may not even realise. If for example you moved home several times during your childhood, you might be more empathetic towards a child and their family who have just moved into the area.
On the other hand, if you had been bullied at school, you may overact to a two year old who has snatched a toy from another's hand, when actually this is pretty typical age-related behaviour. While we cannot undo our personal experiences, it is important to recognise their potential impact on out bahaviour thought processes. While personal experiences can make us more empathetic, it is important not to make assumptions that a child in similar circumstances will feel and deal with it in the same way.
Values and beliefs
As well as our direct personal expeiences, the way that we were raisied and the community and society that we grew up in will also shape us. This is because we gain our values and beliefs from our parents, school and wider society. While the impact of personal experiences can be easy to pinpoint, it can be harder to recognise the impact of our values and beliefs. This is because many of us continue to live and work in the community and society in which we were raised. Our beliefs and values may seem 'normal' and so we may not even question the impact of them on our practice.
A good example of this is the way that, many years ago, most children had married parents, while today the statistics show that many children will be born to cohabiting parents. For adults who grew up in the previous era, this change in family structure might have challenged their values about family life.
How values and beliefs can impact on practice
There are many ways in which our values and beliefs can impact on our professional practice. We may, for example, assume that a family has the same values and beliefs as us and so not have important conversations about issues that affect children's care and education. We may also be judgemental about families who do not share the same lifestyle, beliefs or values as us.
Consider how you live your life, the values you hold close, your beliefs and how you feel about
:
Anti-discrimination - the Equality Act 2010
Inclusion - do you feel this applies only to those who share your experiences, values and beliefs or everyone regardless of your personal experiences, values and beliefs?
Disability
LGBT
Lifestyle choices - animal rights, vegan, vegetarian
Xenophobia
God/s/faith/religion
Best wishes xx