In this section of our blog we will be providing you with our thoughts and reviews on our two and half day residential in the peak district and also how we can improve and develop ourselves for the future and also using some of the disciplines that we have learned in outdoor and adventurous activities and our team work and leadership unit.
I was really looking forward to our residential to the peak district and I felt that I would be a good end to a good year and a chance to implement all our outdoor and adventurous training.
Day One
The first day was my favourite day we arrived at Barn Farm camp site in high spirits. Climbing was my favourite activity over the two and a half days because it was something that I had not really done before and it tested you mentally and physically despite the changing weather conditions I managed to complete both routes.
In my second year at college I have chosen the Armed Forces route and am really looking forward to taking climbing as my outdoor pathway.
I really enjoyed the first day because we all had a buzz we had all been looking forward to it all year
Downtime was a good chance to socialize especially with a hard earned brew.
Day Two
Day two was a tester of our navigation and map work skills I felt confident in my map working skills but in some parts of the route I did feel that I was a bit out of depth and this was in wooded after we had passed the nine ladies. We over shot our second check point by 100 meters but soon recovered the distance.
The map reading and navigating tested all are capabilities and was a good way in which we could implement our map reading lessons we had to look at the contour lines distinguishing features to ensure that we stayed on correct route.
It was good also that all group members had a chance to navigate a leg of the route so we all had a chance to test their capabilities.
Raft building was good fun it was a good chance to compete against the other walking groups it
It was also where we implemented our leadership and teamwork skills for ensample
Tuckmans Team Development
Forming
We were split into different walking groups which consisted of different members of different groups. So we were working with new people that really we only saw on parades during the first walk to the climbing area we were quite and sticking to members of our original groups
Storming
By the end of the second day we began socialising really well. Every new team goes through this stage and so did we storming is where a team gets their differences and grievances out in the open in order for the ream to progress this happened during the raft building exercises because everyone wanted to implement their input but we soon calmed down and achieved our goal we built a awesome raft.
Forming
Norming is where the team stabilises it did not really take long at all you could say that this happed straight away we all got on really well.
Performing
Performing is where the team starts performing and achieving and my walking team made a really good raft we were ready to do battle on the lake.
It was also important to understand Belbins theory on team roles every member of a team has a particular team role and to understand these provides a structure for a good team.
The Different team roles
Plant
Monitor Evaluator
Resource Investigators
Implementers
Completer Finishers
Teamworkers
Specialist
My team role is that I am a team player it is a team players job to helped the team to gel, using their versatility to identify the work required and complete it on behalf of the team. And I can see this in the raft building task. I did what I was instructed to do and helped other members of the team by passing equipment and helping to tie knots. This worked effectively because leadership was left to the people who could think and imagine what structure would be stuable for this task.
Incorporation of Comms and Tech
Team building and map and compass played a very big part during our residential but we also had to incorporate our comms and tec lessons, before we set of on our main route to chat worth we had to complete a radio check with zero we had to stay in constant communication with 14Alpha which was James and Mats call sign we radio in all our checkpoints and gave progress reports, the residential was test of all our skills
On the whole
On the whole I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the two and a half day residential in the peak district the staff real made sure that we had fun and where tested at the same time it was a fantastic way to incorporate all our skills that we had developed over the last year. I really enjoyed the environment that we where situated in because everyone was getting on and working as an effective team which is an experience that we will be able to take with us into our chosen public service.
It gave me the chance to expand on skills out in the field such as cooking hot meals, they say an army marched and its stomach and that is defiantly the truth. It was a fantastic opportunity to look at my own personnel administration and see how I can improve in the future.
We were successful in the construction of the raft and we had fun on the warter even when we fell in it was still great fun.
We then navigated ourselves back to camp moral was high and we had become more confident in using our map skills.
Thursday night was awesome with some fantastic down time thank you to all the staff for putting on the evening barbecue.
The Two Disciplines
Over the course of the two and half day residential we given the opportunity to take part in to outdoor disciplines these where climbing, raft building
My strengths and weakness in climbing
Strengths
Climbing was my favourite activity out of the two that we participated in some of my strengths in this activity was that I had good physical endurance because climbing has any impact on a person’s body so having good fitness allowed me to climb up the routes.
Focus, having good focus helps you when your climbing this was my first time that I had really done because you have to focus and think and possible routes to achieve the climb
Willingness, I am willing to try any activity and I think it is important that people are open to try everything. And I am really happy that I did and I will be choosing climbing as my outdoor option.
Weaknesses
At the start of the climb I was really nervous because this was up a real rock face the only other climbing that I had done was on a climbing wall where you could easily get a grip and pull yourself up where as here you had to look for possible points to pull yourself up.
I had poor orientation and instead of going for the simple root I made hard work of it and struggled in some parts.
Improvements
I really want to improve and get some practice in before next year and I am going to achieve this by talking to the current second year students who do climbing and also going to the indoor climbing centre at Sheffield and practising climbing and asking on how to improve I want to see some improvement by the time we start doing outdoor activities.
My Strengths and Weakness in raft building and the water bases activity
Strengths
My strengths during this activity where that I had and used good communication skills during the exercise which allowed me to effectively give my group my input and effectively share my ideas.
I had good listing which is a really good skill to have because on this occasion people who are natural thinkers in these types of scenarios and by me listing to instruction carefully we could quickly construct the raft.
Willingness, again this is important usually on team task I like to take the lead but on this occasion I knew that there were people who could do this task more successfully than me so I fell into my team role which is a team worker and this had a positive impact on the team because the natural thinkers quickly sussed out which was the best possible design.
Weaknesses
Time management, this was relay important in this task because we where only given 20 minutes and we ran over, now I had done activities like this before and had been the time keeper so I really should had watched the time and informed members of my group.
Improvements
I would like to improve my time management and I will achieve this by being responsible for time keeping in future timed team tasks and activities.
Have my skills improved during this expiation
I believe that my skills have improved and I enjoyed putting the map reading knowledge to the test even in some parts where it was difficult I feel more confident in leading legs now than before. And it was good to test our personal administration and I am happy to say that out tent admin was really good there was no rubbish in our tents all our kit stayed dry and the tent stay orderly.
The next time that we go on a residential I will think of new creative meals because I have tried and tested some meals I know that meals work and what meals don’t.
This next point is really important we all came together as one team and always helped each other we all shared food and drink and even lent out kit to one another.
This residential was a fantastic opportunity to further bond with our group and to test our skills
I was really looking forward to our residential to the peak district and I felt that I would be a good end to a good year and a chance to implement all our outdoor and adventurous training.
Day One
The first day was my favourite day we arrived at Barn Farm camp site in high spirits. Climbing was my favourite activity over the two and a half days because it was something that I had not really done before and it tested you mentally and physically despite the changing weather conditions I managed to complete both routes.
In my second year at college I have chosen the Armed Forces route and am really looking forward to taking climbing as my outdoor pathway.
I really enjoyed the first day because we all had a buzz we had all been looking forward to it all year
Downtime was a good chance to socialize especially with a hard earned brew.
Day Two
Day two was a tester of our navigation and map work skills I felt confident in my map working skills but in some parts of the route I did feel that I was a bit out of depth and this was in wooded after we had passed the nine ladies. We over shot our second check point by 100 meters but soon recovered the distance.
The map reading and navigating tested all are capabilities and was a good way in which we could implement our map reading lessons we had to look at the contour lines distinguishing features to ensure that we stayed on correct route.
It was good also that all group members had a chance to navigate a leg of the route so we all had a chance to test their capabilities.
Raft building was good fun it was a good chance to compete against the other walking groups it
It was also where we implemented our leadership and teamwork skills for ensample
Tuckmans Team Development
Forming
We were split into different walking groups which consisted of different members of different groups. So we were working with new people that really we only saw on parades during the first walk to the climbing area we were quite and sticking to members of our original groups
Storming
By the end of the second day we began socialising really well. Every new team goes through this stage and so did we storming is where a team gets their differences and grievances out in the open in order for the ream to progress this happened during the raft building exercises because everyone wanted to implement their input but we soon calmed down and achieved our goal we built a awesome raft.
Forming
Norming is where the team stabilises it did not really take long at all you could say that this happed straight away we all got on really well.
Performing
Performing is where the team starts performing and achieving and my walking team made a really good raft we were ready to do battle on the lake.
It was also important to understand Belbins theory on team roles every member of a team has a particular team role and to understand these provides a structure for a good team.
The Different team roles
Plant
Monitor Evaluator
Resource Investigators
Implementers
Completer Finishers
Teamworkers
Specialist
My team role is that I am a team player it is a team players job to helped the team to gel, using their versatility to identify the work required and complete it on behalf of the team. And I can see this in the raft building task. I did what I was instructed to do and helped other members of the team by passing equipment and helping to tie knots. This worked effectively because leadership was left to the people who could think and imagine what structure would be stuable for this task.
Incorporation of Comms and Tech
Team building and map and compass played a very big part during our residential but we also had to incorporate our comms and tec lessons, before we set of on our main route to chat worth we had to complete a radio check with zero we had to stay in constant communication with 14Alpha which was James and Mats call sign we radio in all our checkpoints and gave progress reports, the residential was test of all our skills
On the whole
On the whole I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the two and a half day residential in the peak district the staff real made sure that we had fun and where tested at the same time it was a fantastic way to incorporate all our skills that we had developed over the last year. I really enjoyed the environment that we where situated in because everyone was getting on and working as an effective team which is an experience that we will be able to take with us into our chosen public service.
It gave me the chance to expand on skills out in the field such as cooking hot meals, they say an army marched and its stomach and that is defiantly the truth. It was a fantastic opportunity to look at my own personnel administration and see how I can improve in the future.
We were successful in the construction of the raft and we had fun on the warter even when we fell in it was still great fun.
We then navigated ourselves back to camp moral was high and we had become more confident in using our map skills.
Thursday night was awesome with some fantastic down time thank you to all the staff for putting on the evening barbecue.
The Two Disciplines
Over the course of the two and half day residential we given the opportunity to take part in to outdoor disciplines these where climbing, raft building
My strengths and weakness in climbing
Strengths
Climbing was my favourite activity out of the two that we participated in some of my strengths in this activity was that I had good physical endurance because climbing has any impact on a person’s body so having good fitness allowed me to climb up the routes.
Focus, having good focus helps you when your climbing this was my first time that I had really done because you have to focus and think and possible routes to achieve the climb
Willingness, I am willing to try any activity and I think it is important that people are open to try everything. And I am really happy that I did and I will be choosing climbing as my outdoor option.
Weaknesses
At the start of the climb I was really nervous because this was up a real rock face the only other climbing that I had done was on a climbing wall where you could easily get a grip and pull yourself up where as here you had to look for possible points to pull yourself up.
I had poor orientation and instead of going for the simple root I made hard work of it and struggled in some parts.
Improvements
I really want to improve and get some practice in before next year and I am going to achieve this by talking to the current second year students who do climbing and also going to the indoor climbing centre at Sheffield and practising climbing and asking on how to improve I want to see some improvement by the time we start doing outdoor activities.
My Strengths and Weakness in raft building and the water bases activity
Strengths
My strengths during this activity where that I had and used good communication skills during the exercise which allowed me to effectively give my group my input and effectively share my ideas.
I had good listing which is a really good skill to have because on this occasion people who are natural thinkers in these types of scenarios and by me listing to instruction carefully we could quickly construct the raft.
Willingness, again this is important usually on team task I like to take the lead but on this occasion I knew that there were people who could do this task more successfully than me so I fell into my team role which is a team worker and this had a positive impact on the team because the natural thinkers quickly sussed out which was the best possible design.
Weaknesses
Time management, this was relay important in this task because we where only given 20 minutes and we ran over, now I had done activities like this before and had been the time keeper so I really should had watched the time and informed members of my group.
Improvements
I would like to improve my time management and I will achieve this by being responsible for time keeping in future timed team tasks and activities.
Have my skills improved during this expiation
I believe that my skills have improved and I enjoyed putting the map reading knowledge to the test even in some parts where it was difficult I feel more confident in leading legs now than before. And it was good to test our personal administration and I am happy to say that out tent admin was really good there was no rubbish in our tents all our kit stayed dry and the tent stay orderly.
The next time that we go on a residential I will think of new creative meals because I have tried and tested some meals I know that meals work and what meals don’t.
This next point is really important we all came together as one team and always helped each other we all shared food and drink and even lent out kit to one another.
This residential was a fantastic opportunity to further bond with our group and to test our skills
