I found this week's class to be a lot of fun and a great learning experience. Although, I was battling a cold, I still learned a lot from the other peer mentors. Nick and Kelly's lesson about defining roles was very informational. They did a really great job of giving their own views and experiences with the topic which is very important when being a facilitator. When we broke up into small groups, Cory and I discussed the role of the connecting link. Being a connecting link is very important and can be a very large role of being a peer mentor. Students will come to you and ask questions about situations and being able to guide them to the right place or person will impact them greatly. I found last year in my experience that students truly rely on us to be their connecting link to many things at Iowa State. It is very important that we as peer mentors know as many resources to help the students have the best experience they can at Iowa State. I also enjoyed in this lesson how Nick and Kelly allowed for us all to share our perspective on the different roles so we could gain other ideas about what the roles means.
Deborah and Joey's lesson was also a very good lesson. I really enjoyed how they chose to do role plays. Even though sometimes we look down on the idea of role playing, it is actually a very beneficial activity. We can really sit back and gain a lot of insight about what a situation might actually entail and how different people would handle the situation. Although we cannot even imagine all the situations they may come up next semester, it is important to know what can be done in the situation. I think they did a great job of getting feedback after each role play and discussing what was good and bad. It is crucial that we analyze these things now so we know how to improve on them in the real life situation. I have found that the rule of commitment is very important. If you tell your students you are going to do something, you should follow through with what you have promised. In turn, when your students are supposed to hand in assignments they will be more committed to it because you have shown your level of commitment to them. It is also beneficial to follow up with students, even when you have not formally committed it to them. If they are having a problem, check back in with them in the near future and ask them how it is going and if they need any additional help. Make a commitment to yourself to follow with students and show them that you really do care about how things are going for them. I believe that honesty is definitely another very important rule. You can not expect your students to be honest with you if you are not honest with them. Even if you tell a small lie to your students, and they find out that you did not tell them the truth, they will not trust you with anything in the future. Trust can be lost very easily in new relationships and it is not something that can be easily gained back. It is also important to hold students accountable for what they say as well. If they tell you they will turn something in and they don't, let them know that they have a responsibility as a Hixson scholar to be accountable for their responsibilities as well.
I have already gained many good ideas from the student lessons already this semester. It is really incredible how much we can learn from others ideas and feedback. Next semester it will be very helpful that we can come to each other for feedback and advise when we come along situations of our own. Have a great week everyone!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Chapter Three!!!
While reading through chapter three, the first thing that really stuck out to me was the key term, connecting link. I think this is a very important rule as a peer mentor. As peer mentors, we are supposed to help the transition to college but also connect students with all the resources that are available to them at Iowa State. It is important as peer mentors to be constantly networking with other groups on campus to learn about opportunities for our students. To have the best college experience, it is important to get involved with on campus activities to help build resumes and build new relationships. I also thought back to the Learning Community Workshops and that they are an important step in building our connecting link with our students but with our mentors as well.
The next section that really caught my eye was the How will your habits affect your mentoring. This is something that I think about every day. The question I continue to ask myself as a peer mentor and a role model to my sister is, am I being the person that I am trying to help other people become? I constantly take time to reflect on my morals and keep myself in check with the image that I give to others around me. I try to improve on my faults as a student, and also my faults as a citizen. I want to be a great role model and put forth a good example for my students. I am continually working on my study habits, and by doing so I can help students improve on theirs because I can share some tips that have helped me to continue to become an even more successful student.
I also reflected on the section about what my role is within the Hixson program. I think it is important to stay aware of opportunities that are happening within your program. I love to catch up with Hixson updates through the newsletters and such. As a side note, I really enjoy looking at when people's birthdays are because I love to associate people and memories with certain dates. I have a very good memory for things like that. But anyways, I think that my role within the program has changed this year because now I also need to be a good role model for the new peer mentors, and help them become adapted to their role as a peer mentor. I also found it interesting that it talked about having a knowledge of our own personality. I then looked back again at my MBTI and I am very interested in learning more about my personality type as this semester continues. I am looking forward to having two teaching groups this week in class. It should be a lot of fun!
The next section that really caught my eye was the How will your habits affect your mentoring. This is something that I think about every day. The question I continue to ask myself as a peer mentor and a role model to my sister is, am I being the person that I am trying to help other people become? I constantly take time to reflect on my morals and keep myself in check with the image that I give to others around me. I try to improve on my faults as a student, and also my faults as a citizen. I want to be a great role model and put forth a good example for my students. I am continually working on my study habits, and by doing so I can help students improve on theirs because I can share some tips that have helped me to continue to become an even more successful student.
I also reflected on the section about what my role is within the Hixson program. I think it is important to stay aware of opportunities that are happening within your program. I love to catch up with Hixson updates through the newsletters and such. As a side note, I really enjoy looking at when people's birthdays are because I love to associate people and memories with certain dates. I have a very good memory for things like that. But anyways, I think that my role within the program has changed this year because now I also need to be a good role model for the new peer mentors, and help them become adapted to their role as a peer mentor. I also found it interesting that it talked about having a knowledge of our own personality. I then looked back again at my MBTI and I am very interested in learning more about my personality type as this semester continues. I am looking forward to having two teaching groups this week in class. It should be a lot of fun!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Busy Week!
The past week was full of many events and it really to me into the "mentoring" mood. The MBTI step two was interesting and it was a lot of fun to read. While looking at the detailed explanations about my type some things really stood out to me. I am still an ISFP which I have been since I was a freshman. I feel comfortable for the most part with my type. While looking deeper into the sensing preference I noticed a few things that I thought really described me well. The first being that I take pride in my common sense and the ability to realistically appraise situations which I truly do. I find great strength in having common sense and "street smarts." I also relate this to how well I remember random facts about life and I use them to apply to new situations. This also reminds me of another preference of mine which is the fact that I can get stuck on details. This is very true because I can remember the most detailed things about my past and I get caught up in the details of a big project quite often. It also talks about how I am seen more as a matter of a fact person which I definitely agree with because I like to tell it how it is. I agree with the perceiving type more than any of the others because I am very pressure prompted, casual, and spontaneous. I definitely work best under pressure and I love to procrastinate. I prefer to be casual and I am very laid back. I think to be spontaneous and I truly do enjoy freedom. The type traits that I did not necessarily agree with were that of the introversion type. I am very comfortable being a introvert but I do not agree with the receiving aspect of it. It states that I consider social obligations unimportant and leave them to others. This is definitely not true. I do act quiet around new people but with my friends and family I talk all the time and I love to be social. It also says that I do not enjoy phone calls, but I actually really love them! But then just below the receiving preference is that I am expressive and that states that I talk a lot and I am seen as social rather than reserved. This is very true with people that I know and feel comfortable with. I thought the step two was very helpful and it really made me dig deep into my type.
The leadership institute on Friday was a nice refresher course. I went to the session about Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory. This was a great reminder of what my learning style was and how knowing my learning style can help me work better with others. My learning style was a pragmatist. This means that I am good at problem solving and decision making. My weakness is solving the wrong problem or having hasty decision making. I agree with this for the most part. We did a fun little activity with building a paper tower. Mine failed miserably but I gave it a good attempt.
ISLE: I got the opportunity to go the guest speaker session. I thought that David Coleman was a great speaker and really kept the audience engaged. I liked how he had a fun outlook on everything, and how he really stands by the theory of picking your attitude. I like how he brought in our leadership focus with his presentation and put a nice spin on how leaders can be positive. The second session I went to was the Financial Aid session which was taught by Allie and Tara. I thought this was a great session and I learned how I could find out how much loans I do have now and how I can better manage my money. I manage my money fairly well but there is definitely room for improvement. I realized during the session that I should waste less money on little things, because that is what really adds up for me. i spend money on things that I do not necessarily need but just want. it is not a lot of money usually just a few dollars, but that really can add up in the long run. I need to make sure I am keeping my future in perspective when buying things that I do not need.
Hope everyone got a great start to their week! See you Tuesday!
The leadership institute on Friday was a nice refresher course. I went to the session about Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory. This was a great reminder of what my learning style was and how knowing my learning style can help me work better with others. My learning style was a pragmatist. This means that I am good at problem solving and decision making. My weakness is solving the wrong problem or having hasty decision making. I agree with this for the most part. We did a fun little activity with building a paper tower. Mine failed miserably but I gave it a good attempt.
ISLE: I got the opportunity to go the guest speaker session. I thought that David Coleman was a great speaker and really kept the audience engaged. I liked how he had a fun outlook on everything, and how he really stands by the theory of picking your attitude. I like how he brought in our leadership focus with his presentation and put a nice spin on how leaders can be positive. The second session I went to was the Financial Aid session which was taught by Allie and Tara. I thought this was a great session and I learned how I could find out how much loans I do have now and how I can better manage my money. I manage my money fairly well but there is definitely room for improvement. I realized during the session that I should waste less money on little things, because that is what really adds up for me. i spend money on things that I do not necessarily need but just want. it is not a lot of money usually just a few dollars, but that really can add up in the long run. I need to make sure I am keeping my future in perspective when buying things that I do not need.
Hope everyone got a great start to their week! See you Tuesday!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
...from high school to college...
The transition from high school to college is not easy for anyone. Everyone has their own story and faces their own changes that come along with the transition to college. I look back at some of the issues that I faced and I know that my problems were small compared to what some students will face. It is important to keep in mind that we all are going through different things, and sometimes just being able to relate to the fact that it is hard gives students comfort. As I reflected on the questions that they asked us for the go around, I came to the conclusion that I worry about many different things now than I did when I was a freshman. I think that we also are constantly transitioning to adapt to our college life now.
Schlossberg's Transition Theory is a great thing to keep in mind when dealing with transitioning students. As I took a look at the four different Ss, I was surprised at how true they really seem to be. With my transition to college, support was the main factor that helped my transition possible. I had a great experience with getting a random roommate. We became almost instant friends and we are still roommates today. I also had a lot of support from my family and my boyfriend. Even though they were not at college with me, they would encourage me and be there when I just needed to talk. As a mentor, I would like to have the relationship with my students, in a way that I could be a small part in their support system while they are transitioning. This chapter made me remeber how important it is to treat every students situation differently and how important it is to be supportive to them.
I enjoyed the activity that we did in class. I thought it was a great activity to get everyone involved and to hear what other people have struggled with. I think our class has a good diversity of ideas and I think it will help us to be strong peer mentors next fall.
Schlossberg's Transition Theory is a great thing to keep in mind when dealing with transitioning students. As I took a look at the four different Ss, I was surprised at how true they really seem to be. With my transition to college, support was the main factor that helped my transition possible. I had a great experience with getting a random roommate. We became almost instant friends and we are still roommates today. I also had a lot of support from my family and my boyfriend. Even though they were not at college with me, they would encourage me and be there when I just needed to talk. As a mentor, I would like to have the relationship with my students, in a way that I could be a small part in their support system while they are transitioning. This chapter made me remeber how important it is to treat every students situation differently and how important it is to be supportive to them.
I enjoyed the activity that we did in class. I thought it was a great activity to get everyone involved and to hear what other people have struggled with. I think our class has a good diversity of ideas and I think it will help us to be strong peer mentors next fall.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
BLOGGING!
It is now time to get back into the routine of blogging again. I am very excited to get to know all the new peer mentors. I am looking forward to having a new experience with mentoring and having different people around me will help me gain different perspectives.
The first chapter discusses becoming a peer mentor. It highlights the differences between being a formal and informal mentor and outlines a few roles of being a mentor. I think it is important for me to take a step back and look at these roles. It will help me to gain a new understanding and help me become a better mentor. The topic on focus on building a relationship really grab my attention. Last semester, I built relationships with my students, but some where better than others. In this coming year, I want to focus more on building relationships with my peers and students. I want be more open and hopefully that will result in an even better experience for me as a mentor. Another role that stuck out to me was to make the most of the time you have. This really hit home for me when reflecting on my past experience as a mentor. The fall semester went by so fast and it felt like we were already wrapping the semester up two weeks after we had started it. I wish our group could have spent more outside of class time together, to help build better relationships than we already have.
Last week in class, we played the ice breaker two truths and a lie. I really like this ice breaker and I think it would be fun to do it again later in the semester when we all know each other better to see how much we have learned about each other. That is an ice breaker that I will keep in mind to incorporate into my future lesson plans. We went of the syllabus and discussed different assignment for the semester. It was nice to get a look at what will be expected of us for the semester. I am looking forward to going to the diversity events because those are always one of my favorite things to do! I am very excited to get this semester underway and get to know my peers!
Have a great week!
The first chapter discusses becoming a peer mentor. It highlights the differences between being a formal and informal mentor and outlines a few roles of being a mentor. I think it is important for me to take a step back and look at these roles. It will help me to gain a new understanding and help me become a better mentor. The topic on focus on building a relationship really grab my attention. Last semester, I built relationships with my students, but some where better than others. In this coming year, I want to focus more on building relationships with my peers and students. I want be more open and hopefully that will result in an even better experience for me as a mentor. Another role that stuck out to me was to make the most of the time you have. This really hit home for me when reflecting on my past experience as a mentor. The fall semester went by so fast and it felt like we were already wrapping the semester up two weeks after we had started it. I wish our group could have spent more outside of class time together, to help build better relationships than we already have.
Last week in class, we played the ice breaker two truths and a lie. I really like this ice breaker and I think it would be fun to do it again later in the semester when we all know each other better to see how much we have learned about each other. That is an ice breaker that I will keep in mind to incorporate into my future lesson plans. We went of the syllabus and discussed different assignment for the semester. It was nice to get a look at what will be expected of us for the semester. I am looking forward to going to the diversity events because those are always one of my favorite things to do! I am very excited to get this semester underway and get to know my peers!
Have a great week!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Hello Finals
I had my last test today!!!!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!! Too bad I have a fifteen page paper to write by Friday. I only wish writing a paper was as easy as blogging or chatting on facebook. I cannot believe the semester is already over. I have been so busy that I have not even realized how fast things have been flying by. This has been my favorite semester so far at Iowa State. Being a Hixson peer mentor is one of the best experiences that I have had. It also made me realize that teaching is something that I care a lot about. This semester I officially declared a second major in AgEd and I am very excited to see what new opportunities I am going to encounter with that. I am very excited for winter break, but I will spend sometime studying because I will be taking the Praxis on January 15th. I want to wish everyone a very Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
First post in a really long time!!!!
I just thought I would let everyone know what was going on with my life lately. I think October has been a very stressful month and I am quite excited for it to be over. This year is flying by and I cannot believe mid-terms have already pasted. This year has been full of very wonderful things. The opportunity to be a Hixson mentor has been one of the best things I have been involved with since I have been at Iowa State. The experience is something I would not trade for anything and it has really helped me make some really important decisions about my future. I have recently added a double major. I will be majoring in Horticulture AND Agriculture Education now and I am very excited about it. I have been thinking about adding this major for some time now and I have decided it is definately something I want to do! Teaching has always been an interest to me and I am just adding another opportunity to my future. I would have been graduating next December with a Horticulture major and I am not ready to be out in the real world yet!
This semester I have also been taking some classes that are really getting into the details of my major. This making class a lot more interesting to me and making it a little easier to get motivated to study. I have been very busy this semester with Hixson mentoring, school and work but being so busy has made me be more focused and get things done quickly. This fall, some of my friends and I played intramural flag football and we are now playing volleyball. This has been a lot of fun and has helped me realise some of my everyday stress. I am having a great semester and am looking forward the other opportunities that will come my way.
This semester I have also been taking some classes that are really getting into the details of my major. This making class a lot more interesting to me and making it a little easier to get motivated to study. I have been very busy this semester with Hixson mentoring, school and work but being so busy has made me be more focused and get things done quickly. This fall, some of my friends and I played intramural flag football and we are now playing volleyball. This has been a lot of fun and has helped me realise some of my everyday stress. I am having a great semester and am looking forward the other opportunities that will come my way.
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