My Reflection - Brandi Barranco

MDH Week has provided me with a lot of insight about the career path I have chosen. Days one and two were a little overwhelming because I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I spent those days just taking everything in. One great experience for me is having been able to meet some absolutely wonderful hygienists and educators. As a fairly new graduate with no experience in education, I feel honored to be among such great women. I hope to learn from the experience of others and hope they will assist in modeling me into the best dental hygiene educator I can become. In addition to feeling honored to be a part of this great cohort, I also feel slightly pressured to be able to hold my own in a group of more experienced clinicians.
I do like the way Dr. Ballard has us grouped together. I think every group has a good mix of experience. I am confident that everyone has something different to bring to the table. This will help facilitate learning and growth for everyone. So far, I have realized that I need to do some review. To many of the seasoned educators, the verbiage comes so naturally. I will need some practice expressing things into words. I am fortunate to have been offered a position as a clinical instructor to second year hygiene students at Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in Baton Rouge. While working here, I will also be in private practice. Having these jobs simultaneously will benefit me because I can practice what I am preaching to students. I will be more aware of my own technique. I hope this, along with brushing up on some textbook reading, will allow verbalization of my correction format as well as my ability to ask questions that will induce critical thinking to develop over time.