So first of all I want to apologize to everyone for Tuesday night. I wasn't feeling the best but I still should have done better at being excited about Nick's and my presentation of our topic. It's a lesson that I need to take to heart. Our students' attitudes towards the lessons we lead and the class in general most often greatly reflect how we go about the class that day ourselves. It goes back to the FISH philosophy; we need to check ourselves at the door and not bring in our problems or worries. It's about the students for that 50 minutes of the day (at least) and it really does make a difference. Just one of many things I need to work on still.
Deb and Joey did a great job presenting chapter 4. The skits were a great idea and worked really well. I personally don't enjoy doing them, but I really enjoy watching and learning from them, and adding input at the end if wanted as it was. It's a great way to learn, but it's not quite my type preference. ;) Well, the topics they chose to address with the skits I think are really important ones. We need to hold ourselves and each other accountable to what we say and do for our students and the program. Trust and relationships can't be built without a foundation, and that starts with making good by your word. People can really tell the difference if you really care or not, so it's important to constantly reevaluate your motives and how you present yourself.
As for the party scenario, well I still have never been to a party so I don't see that as being a problem, (I know, I'm boring) but I think if it did happen it would be best to acknowledge the student but then remove myself completely from the situation. I'm of age, but our students won't be so it would probably be a good thing to remind them of the possible consequences of their actions. And I think Joey did a good job of putting Greg off in that last skit as well. It's a good thing to keep in mind that all 100 will be our students and it should remain just a student-mentor relationship, at the very least until the end of that first semester. I don't even want to imagine some of the problems that could potentially cause. But it really made for a humorous skit to watch. ;)
The beginning go-around question was good to make me think. By asking how we remembered our leaders our freshman year made me wonder how I'm now remembered by my students from last fall and how I want to be remembered by my incoming students next fall. It makes me think more about what I'm doing now and what I can do to better prepare; how I can work to make a difference in their experience here at ISU. Then later we were questioned as to why we're here. Why did I want to become a peer mentor? It was a great question and an important one. There were a lot of great answers and it's something that I try to think about myself often. Our motives will be reflected by how we present ourselves and the students will really pick up on them.
Once again, great job Deb and Joey and I can't wait for Tuesday for Anthony and Beth to present! :)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tying it all Together
Since we didn't have class this week everyone should be experts on chapter 3: Defining Roles. Nick and I are still going to present it on Tuesday but I can't wait to hear more about what you all got out of it! To keep from going too much into what I got out of it I'll just do a brief overview of the material and one of the things that stuck out to me the most.
There are five main defining roles on what it means to be a peer mentor. These include, but aren't limited to, being a trusted friend, connecting link, learning coach, student advocate, and a peer leader. All of these roles are extremely important in building relationships with your students. I think that trust is one of the most important assets to build on though. It doesn't only go one way though; it's a two way street. To be trusted you first need to trust. Hold yourself accountable and don't go back on your word. At the same time you need to keep in mind to maintain boundaries. We aren't there to act as a parent or older sibling, but we are there to help them out if and when it's needed.
As a learning coach we can teach some basic skills for success, which can be crucial. We all know that college is much harder and a whole different ballgame than high school was, so by being there with our own experiences and learning strategies we've found have been useful to us, we can pave a little bit smoother road for their success as well.
At the Learning Community Mini Institute I attended the Underprepared vs. Underperforming Students seminar. I think that it ties in really well with our role as a learning coach. We need to take the time to get to know our students and be able to identify when they could possibly be running into trouble. It's much easier to correct potential problems when they are still small and not overwhelming. But with recognizing that, we need to be able to identify if it is a matter of being underprepared or if the student is underpreforming. Either can be costly to their education, but I think it's easier to help with the unpreparedness. That's where we can come in by relating our experiences and letting them know what works for us. Underperforming students we can talk to but ultimately it's their decision as to what they want to do and their own motivation to succeed.
I think one of the other most important roles is being a peer leader. In chapter 3 an analogy was given about how our own habits can affect our students. We are constantly being watched and our knowledge and experience are like the rail ties for the train of their success. David Coleman had an amazing presentation on this at ISLE too. A lot of it was about how we portray ourselves vs. who we really are. I think it's an excellent idea take a step back every once in a while to reevaluate ourselves and our weaknesses. What we do really can influence our students. We are their role models so we need to be that much more aware of how we want people to see us, but more, who we really want to be. Who we are is picked up on by others sometimes before we're even aware of it ourselves so it's important that we take that extra step to reassess what kind of impact we want to make and have our students, and everyone else we meet and come into contact with, know and remember us by.
I can't wait to see you all Tuesday to go over this more and hear your thoughts on it all! Have a great weekend and enjoy Superbowl Sunday, or at least the commercials. ;)
There are five main defining roles on what it means to be a peer mentor. These include, but aren't limited to, being a trusted friend, connecting link, learning coach, student advocate, and a peer leader. All of these roles are extremely important in building relationships with your students. I think that trust is one of the most important assets to build on though. It doesn't only go one way though; it's a two way street. To be trusted you first need to trust. Hold yourself accountable and don't go back on your word. At the same time you need to keep in mind to maintain boundaries. We aren't there to act as a parent or older sibling, but we are there to help them out if and when it's needed.
As a learning coach we can teach some basic skills for success, which can be crucial. We all know that college is much harder and a whole different ballgame than high school was, so by being there with our own experiences and learning strategies we've found have been useful to us, we can pave a little bit smoother road for their success as well.
At the Learning Community Mini Institute I attended the Underprepared vs. Underperforming Students seminar. I think that it ties in really well with our role as a learning coach. We need to take the time to get to know our students and be able to identify when they could possibly be running into trouble. It's much easier to correct potential problems when they are still small and not overwhelming. But with recognizing that, we need to be able to identify if it is a matter of being underprepared or if the student is underpreforming. Either can be costly to their education, but I think it's easier to help with the unpreparedness. That's where we can come in by relating our experiences and letting them know what works for us. Underperforming students we can talk to but ultimately it's their decision as to what they want to do and their own motivation to succeed.
I think one of the other most important roles is being a peer leader. In chapter 3 an analogy was given about how our own habits can affect our students. We are constantly being watched and our knowledge and experience are like the rail ties for the train of their success. David Coleman had an amazing presentation on this at ISLE too. A lot of it was about how we portray ourselves vs. who we really are. I think it's an excellent idea take a step back every once in a while to reevaluate ourselves and our weaknesses. What we do really can influence our students. We are their role models so we need to be that much more aware of how we want people to see us, but more, who we really want to be. Who we are is picked up on by others sometimes before we're even aware of it ourselves so it's important that we take that extra step to reassess what kind of impact we want to make and have our students, and everyone else we meet and come into contact with, know and remember us by.
I can't wait to see you all Tuesday to go over this more and hear your thoughts on it all! Have a great weekend and enjoy Superbowl Sunday, or at least the commercials. ;)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Personality Preferences
This week we got the results of our MBTI back. It's honestly not something I particularly look forward to doing since it's rather tedious to go through, but not gonna lie, the results packet we got back was really awesome! Sixteen pages of my personality type preferences and a bunch of further detail explaining it all. I can't get over just how accurate it is.
My personality type preference came out to be ISFJ which was the same as it was last year too. The clarity of my preferences were pretty similar to last year too. I'm just a slight introvert, moderate in both sensing and judging, and feeling is clear. But the overall clarity page isn't what I was interested in. Pages 5-8 were so neat to look at and read over because the broke the preferences down even further with explanations for them.
I: I had a three out of the five facets in the midzone and one pretty far out-of -preference. Reading the explanations for them though, they made a lot of sense and described me really well. My personality changes from situation to situation depending on what's needed or how comfortable I am with it. I would much rather be in a quieter setting with fewer people but I can handle larger, louder settings as well. And it's just how I am to be open and expressive with people; how else can they get to know me quickly?
S: I had a couple of midzone facets in the sensing result too. I like to find new ways of doing things and like to understand things before I move on, but I do stick to common sense and what's familiar. I like to know what's going to happen, or at least a general idea.
F: My preference for feeling was by far my strongest. I tend to think about how actions will affect others and I end up playing peacemaker a lot of the time to find common ground and avoid conflicts. I try to see the good in things and not focus on the bad because it can bring down my mood and be noticed by others too.
J: Finally we get to the last preference, judging. I had one midzone facet (casual) and a slight in-preference but the other three were all very in-preference. I like to have a schedule and plan things out. Routine is good and I tend to be most comfortable when I have one of some sort. But even though I like to have a plan and things scheduled out, I always like to have wiggle room for a change of plans, or going to a movie, or whatever it is. I like to know what needs to be done and a general plan of what I'm going to do, but I don't like the feeling of being tied down with it all either.
It's really amazing how this test can tell me so much about myself. Most of it I don't really think about, it's just how it is. But it can really open your eyes to how much difference there can be between people with preferences, even within our class. It's something to keep in mind as we lead our recitations and even go about our daily lives. Everyone has his/her way of doing things and learning, and even though it can sometimes be challenging to find a way to accommodate everyone, it's fun to find it and see the results. Be open to suggestions and keep in mind that one way isn't always the only way or the best way.
My personality type preference came out to be ISFJ which was the same as it was last year too. The clarity of my preferences were pretty similar to last year too. I'm just a slight introvert, moderate in both sensing and judging, and feeling is clear. But the overall clarity page isn't what I was interested in. Pages 5-8 were so neat to look at and read over because the broke the preferences down even further with explanations for them.
I: I had a three out of the five facets in the midzone and one pretty far out-of -preference. Reading the explanations for them though, they made a lot of sense and described me really well. My personality changes from situation to situation depending on what's needed or how comfortable I am with it. I would much rather be in a quieter setting with fewer people but I can handle larger, louder settings as well. And it's just how I am to be open and expressive with people; how else can they get to know me quickly?
S: I had a couple of midzone facets in the sensing result too. I like to find new ways of doing things and like to understand things before I move on, but I do stick to common sense and what's familiar. I like to know what's going to happen, or at least a general idea.
F: My preference for feeling was by far my strongest. I tend to think about how actions will affect others and I end up playing peacemaker a lot of the time to find common ground and avoid conflicts. I try to see the good in things and not focus on the bad because it can bring down my mood and be noticed by others too.
J: Finally we get to the last preference, judging. I had one midzone facet (casual) and a slight in-preference but the other three were all very in-preference. I like to have a schedule and plan things out. Routine is good and I tend to be most comfortable when I have one of some sort. But even though I like to have a plan and things scheduled out, I always like to have wiggle room for a change of plans, or going to a movie, or whatever it is. I like to know what needs to be done and a general plan of what I'm going to do, but I don't like the feeling of being tied down with it all either.
It's really amazing how this test can tell me so much about myself. Most of it I don't really think about, it's just how it is. But it can really open your eyes to how much difference there can be between people with preferences, even within our class. It's something to keep in mind as we lead our recitations and even go about our daily lives. Everyone has his/her way of doing things and learning, and even though it can sometimes be challenging to find a way to accommodate everyone, it's fun to find it and see the results. Be open to suggestions and keep in mind that one way isn't always the only way or the best way.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Fears with Transition
In class Tuesday we went over chapter 2 in the Peer Mentor Companion. It was all about helping students make the transition to college. Josh and Greg led the class and I thought they did an excellent job of it. One of my favorite activities was actually the opening go-around. I thought the question they had for us to answer was perfect. We were all supposed to say two of our greatest fears about college and then if they had changed or not from when we were freshmen. It put us all on the same level and was a good way to realize that we’re not alone in our fears. Many of us share the same fears and sometimes it may have been the case as to where it could have once been our fear but we overcame it. I think it’s a great question, especially for incoming freshman because then they know that they’re not alone and it’s alright to question things and not be certain about everything right away. Knowledge comes with experience and your fears change as you grow.
The Skittles activity Josh and Greg did was really good too. It was a really good discussion tool for the entire class with the different questions for each color. It was a great time of reflection for us and as past mentors in some of our cases. We could reflect and relate what we went through with our students and how we should react to that when the time comes again.
With Silas and Allie we did some role playing with potential questions/ statements that students may have. Some were more difficult than others to handle and answer. The time of reflection at the end of it was good though too. We all had a chance give our input and relate our past experiences with our students. It’s really neat all the different perspectives that come up from all of us. As the year goes by it will be a great tool to utilize.
The Skittles activity Josh and Greg did was really good too. It was a really good discussion tool for the entire class with the different questions for each color. It was a great time of reflection for us and as past mentors in some of our cases. We could reflect and relate what we went through with our students and how we should react to that when the time comes again.
With Silas and Allie we did some role playing with potential questions/ statements that students may have. Some were more difficult than others to handle and answer. The time of reflection at the end of it was good though too. We all had a chance give our input and relate our past experiences with our students. It’s really neat all the different perspectives that come up from all of us. As the year goes by it will be a great tool to utilize.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A time for relearning (wk 1)
Going through chapter one of the Peer Mentor Companion was interesting. It’s all about what a peer mentor is which is slightly humoring since we went through it last year too. It’s amazing the things I learned without realizing it and looking back on it all, how much I still don’t know or forgot.
Activity 1.2, the Mentoring Confidence Inventory, was really good to go through I think as well. I looked back at the answers I had put last year, beginning and end of the semester and it’s amazing what’s changed. My confidence levels in nearly every category went up. Between what I learned in class and actually going through the peer mentor experience I feel like I’m fairly confident with my role of being a peer mentor and I hope that I can have that show not only to my students in the fall, but also to all of my classmates, especially if this is their first time in the role.
Going back through the chapter a few things stuck out to me. There are some tips for being a more effective formal peer mentor. I really found all of them to be useful throughout the last year. By asking for help and sharing ideas we were able to create lesson plans that our students really enjoyed and it never failed that if someone was drawing a blank for an activity, someone else would have an idea that we could modify and build on. Having that network is really useful and I really encourage everyone to make the most of it; it’s what we’re all here for. The two on building a relationship with the students but also giving them space I think are very important too. The entire semester class it based on the relationships you form not only with your students, but also with your co-leader and other peer mentors. The students will pick up on it and the more comfortable you are with each other, the more comfortable they will be with you. But at the same time we need to remember to give them their space, even though it can be really hard sometimes. During the video project it was hard not to set up work times and what-not for the class, but by encouraging them to do it on their own, their creativity was able to be maximized without our specific influence. It was really fun to watch them all grow through doing that together.
I’m so excited to get to know everyone and I’m really looking forward to the next couple of semesters with you all! Hope you’re ready for some fun times! :)
Activity 1.2, the Mentoring Confidence Inventory, was really good to go through I think as well. I looked back at the answers I had put last year, beginning and end of the semester and it’s amazing what’s changed. My confidence levels in nearly every category went up. Between what I learned in class and actually going through the peer mentor experience I feel like I’m fairly confident with my role of being a peer mentor and I hope that I can have that show not only to my students in the fall, but also to all of my classmates, especially if this is their first time in the role.
Going back through the chapter a few things stuck out to me. There are some tips for being a more effective formal peer mentor. I really found all of them to be useful throughout the last year. By asking for help and sharing ideas we were able to create lesson plans that our students really enjoyed and it never failed that if someone was drawing a blank for an activity, someone else would have an idea that we could modify and build on. Having that network is really useful and I really encourage everyone to make the most of it; it’s what we’re all here for. The two on building a relationship with the students but also giving them space I think are very important too. The entire semester class it based on the relationships you form not only with your students, but also with your co-leader and other peer mentors. The students will pick up on it and the more comfortable you are with each other, the more comfortable they will be with you. But at the same time we need to remember to give them their space, even though it can be really hard sometimes. During the video project it was hard not to set up work times and what-not for the class, but by encouraging them to do it on their own, their creativity was able to be maximized without our specific influence. It was really fun to watch them all grow through doing that together.
I’m so excited to get to know everyone and I’m really looking forward to the next couple of semesters with you all! Hope you’re ready for some fun times! :)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A Little About Me...
So to start with the basics, I'm the oldest of four. My sister Kasey is a freshman at Southeastern Community College in Burlington, IA majoring in criminal justice. My brother Marty is a junior in high school and my youngest brother Kollin is a freshman in high school. I'm majoring in animal science pre-vet and now picking up classes to fulfill the livestock management option as well. My mom works at the University of Iowa hospital as a clerk and my dad is a farmer/ fur buyer. We've always had a variety of animals ranging from the normal farm animals to deer, elk and a squirrel. I grew up with farming and livestock and I can't imagine a life without it.
In high school I was involved in sports (but by my senior year that was limited to just volleyball and track.) I was a part of student council and I tutored as well. In 4-H my siblings and I took sheep, market goats, chickens, gardening and home ec projects, and cattle to the county fair. We also took poultry and cattle to the state fair a few years. I was on county council and I also was the president of my church youth group. When I wasn't doing something for school or and organization, I was helping out on the farm and doing other projects like raising money to do the Hy-Vee triathlon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In college I am still managing to keep fairly busy. I play intramural volleyball (usually twice a year on women's and co-ed), played intramural ultimate frisbee once, and am in the pre-vet club. I help with stadium clean-up with the Salt Co. and have volunteered a few times at the Reiman Gardens for their Halloween and Easter activities. I was a co-leader for the Freshman Honors Program and am now a peer mentor for the Hixson program too. I also have a part-time job in a molecular genetics lab in Kildee Hall on campus.
When I graduate, I'm not sure what I want to do. I will always be involved with livestock but I'm just not sure how as of yet; I am still planning on applying for vet school. I've recently been applying for internships on ranches out west and went to visit one over Thanksgiving break.
So that's a little about me in a nutshell. I love to read, hunt, be involved on the farm, and basically just be outdoors. I love to just sit and shoot the breeze with my friends and listen to all the tall tales told after a day of deer huntin'. I go muddin' and swim in a farm pond but enjoy getting dressed up every once in a while too. I try to live my life by the Bible and always do my best to live my life to the fullest with no regrets. Live, laugh and love are three words that I keep in mind; together they sum up how I believe life should be. I do my best to be open and honest and if anyone has any questions ever I'll be more than happy to answer them. :)
In high school I was involved in sports (but by my senior year that was limited to just volleyball and track.) I was a part of student council and I tutored as well. In 4-H my siblings and I took sheep, market goats, chickens, gardening and home ec projects, and cattle to the county fair. We also took poultry and cattle to the state fair a few years. I was on county council and I also was the president of my church youth group. When I wasn't doing something for school or and organization, I was helping out on the farm and doing other projects like raising money to do the Hy-Vee triathlon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In college I am still managing to keep fairly busy. I play intramural volleyball (usually twice a year on women's and co-ed), played intramural ultimate frisbee once, and am in the pre-vet club. I help with stadium clean-up with the Salt Co. and have volunteered a few times at the Reiman Gardens for their Halloween and Easter activities. I was a co-leader for the Freshman Honors Program and am now a peer mentor for the Hixson program too. I also have a part-time job in a molecular genetics lab in Kildee Hall on campus.
When I graduate, I'm not sure what I want to do. I will always be involved with livestock but I'm just not sure how as of yet; I am still planning on applying for vet school. I've recently been applying for internships on ranches out west and went to visit one over Thanksgiving break.
So that's a little about me in a nutshell. I love to read, hunt, be involved on the farm, and basically just be outdoors. I love to just sit and shoot the breeze with my friends and listen to all the tall tales told after a day of deer huntin'. I go muddin' and swim in a farm pond but enjoy getting dressed up every once in a while too. I try to live my life by the Bible and always do my best to live my life to the fullest with no regrets. Live, laugh and love are three words that I keep in mind; together they sum up how I believe life should be. I do my best to be open and honest and if anyone has any questions ever I'll be more than happy to answer them. :)
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