Refractions in the end

In class this week, Megan and Corey discussed other groups on campus that use methods similar to ours and use peer mentors. Such groups were the Greek community, Big Brothers Big Sisters, tutors, and Honors. These groups are similar in that they promote education and leadership. However, these groups can be vastly different from the Hixson program as well. For example, Big Brothers Big Sisters promotes friendship between a “little” and a “big.” This cannot be the relationship between a peer mentor and a freshman Hixson scholar. In addition, Honors has a focus just on education. However, as Hixson peer mentors, we are responsible for things other than education such as adjusting to college, discussing roommates, and serving as a resource for information about campus.

            This week also came with the realization that we are almost finished with the course. There is still training to be done, but we are close to being assigned a recitation class for next semester. Realizing this, this makes me recall my mission statement, and how I plan to install the values of this course into the recitations next fall. I plan on encouraging diversity in the classroom while helping to eliminate or downplay stereotypes. In addition, I plan on bringing leadership to recitations in order to maintain control along with my co-leader. By displaying all the positive signs of a leader, we can fulfill the role of role model for the students. Also, I plan on helping my recitation session become a group with all the positive traits of a group such as cohesiveness, communication, and reward for finishing a project.

            Overall, I feel this course has helped me grasp a better understanding of what a leader is. I feel that this class will not only help me as a Hixson peer mentor, but it will help me in other aspects of my life. I can use it when I am working on a group project, or I can the information when I am studying for tests. Finally, I look forward to next fall, and I hope that my co-leader, and I can work together to insure that the entering freshmen get the best experience ever.

MOAR Diveristy in the 12th week

            This week in lecture, Denise Williams, diversity coordinator for the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University, guest lectured about diversity. Personally, I love hearing lectures about topics like these, and this one did not disappoint (also there was ice cream). One thing that Denise talked about was what made up diversity. She asked if our group, the group made up of the peer mentors, Hixsons, and the Hixson Student Board, could be classified as diverse. At first, I figured that our group was not very diverse. I was thinking in terms of race and ethnicity. The group in that room was mostly Caucasian with few other ethnicities in the room. However, Denise informed us that race and ethnicity weren’t the other factors that could make a group diverse. Other factors that could result in diversity are socioeconomic background, gender, skill sets, age, and what you are majoring in. This opened my eyes as I had a strict view of diversity until hearing that it was more than race.

            Another thing that Denise talked about was stereotypes. She showed racist memes on the board that were influenced by common stereotypes. She also showed a video clip from the play “N*gger, We*back, Ch*nk” that talked about common stereotypes of Asians, Blacks, and Latinos. Her whole point about this information was that stereotypes can hurt. It generalizes a group, and it causes some people to form opinions about a person before they actually get to know that person. While some stereotypes may be positive about a race or group, they can also be harmful at the same time. If one stereotype is positive about a group, and a person from that group does not have that trait, they may feel like they do not belong. I never thought about that issue before. Next fall, I have to make sure to avoid using any stereotypes as it may anger a student or may cause them to feel bad about themselves. This lecture helped me by taking me deeper into diversity and allowed me to see that generalizing a person before you get to know them is wrong and often results in you being wrong about that person. Every person is unique, just as every Hixson next fall will be unique. In order to be successful as a peer mentor and a role model, I must accept this an incorporate it into my work.

Students Helping Students in the 11th Week

This week in class, Easten and Alex taught a learning session on ethics. I feel that this lesson was EXTREMELY relevant to everyone in the class. There are many rules and guidelines that peer mentors must follow if they are to help younger students and succeed in being role models. My favorite part of the lesson was the part where we tried to solve problems in various scenarios. I liked the scenarios because they all seemed like issues that would come up next fall. This week’s lesson has greatly prepared me in understanding how to handle certain situations and has cleared up some misconceptions I had with the position as a peer mentor. In addition to the lesson, Allie and Silas had the whole group play a safe version of “Would you Rather.” I enjoyed this because it gave me a chance to see what was going on in my fellow peer mentor’s heads. This is definitely one of the icebreakers I will use when I teach a recitation next semester.

            For this week, we had to read Chapter 11 in Students Helping Students which was about various peer education programs in college, and the responsibilities of peer leaders in these programs. One type of peer education program is a community service program. This program can be local like America Reads/America Counts and Alternative Breaks or international with students traveling to countries like Kenya or Turkey. The peer mentor role in this program is usually filled by the coordinators. Another peer education program is a health and wellness program. These are groups such as SHAPE, SNAC, AND Healthy Decisions. Peer leaders in these groups promote wellness as well as help students stay healthy and eat right. Overall, I feel that these organizations are an essential part of any college campus. I also think that it is a wise idea for each one to use peer leaders for these various programs because students can relate to other students. This is what the book is all about, and I feel that if I employ the methods learned from the WHOLE course next fall, I will succeed as a peer mentor.

Change in the 10th Week

Last Monday, I went to a diversity event lectured by Anne Clifford. The event was about Wangari Maathai and her role in the Green Belt Movement. Wangari was a Kenyan woman who was an environmentalist and won the Nobel Prize for her work in sustainable development and promoting democracy and peace. I didn’t stay for the whole event, but I did learn quite a bit about Wangari. I learned that she was one of the first scientists to identify the problem of climate change. I also learned that she sought to eliminate discrimination not just in Kenya but in Sub-Saharan Africa as well. She did this by having women help with her projects to show that they were important as well.

Overall, I thought that this event had too much of an emphasis on religion. However, considering that Wangari was a Catholic, and because the event was sponsored by the St. Thomas Aquinas Church, this was probably unavoidable. In addition, I thought that Wangari’s actions are something that we can all learn from. Finally, I felt that Wangari is an example of one person having a great impact on the world. She is proof that you do not need to be powerful to make changes.

One of the things I learned about and that I can apply to being a peer mentor is Wangari’s idea of the African Stool. She argued that the African Stool can be applied to life in that it has three important components: A need for democracy, sustainable management of resources, and formation of “cultures of peace.” I can apply democracy to being a peer mentor by allowing recitations and planning with co-leaders to be a place where everyone can have a voice. Sustainable management of resources is something that Chapter 10 in Students Helping Students mentioned as well. It is important because it promotes a better future. Finally, with the formation of “cultures of peace,” I, as a peer mentor, can make recitations be filled with compassion, tolerance, and justice.

One final thing I can apply as peer mentor is the idea of Catholic Social Thought (or common sense to the non-relgious). As a peer mentor, I can promote respect for the dignity of every person in my classes. In addition, my co-leader and I can work for solidarity and the common good in order to see development in the classroom. Finally, it is important to promote peacemaking not only to be a good role model but also to solve conflicts as well.

Going Digital in the 10th week

This week in class, Christina and Kaylene taught a session on resources. One activity that they did was having us talk to partners about resources that we have used on campus. I frequently talk to the Office of Financial Aid. I also use Debra, Allison, and Silas as resources, and I have them help me locate resources. Another resource I use is the library. Knowing about these resources and what they do will help next fall when I have students come to me with problems that I cannot solve on my own. In addition, Kaylene and Christina had us identify the various buildings and resources on campus and explain their functions. This will also help next fall.

In addition to the lesson, Allison and Silas took our group around the campus to see the various buildings and identify the resources within them. I learned a great deal including the English center in Carver, some knowledge about the Sloss House, and I learned about the biofeedback center in the Counseling service center which I plan to use now. Understanding the exact location of these resources will come in handy when I refer students to them next semester.

For this week, we are working on our digital storytelling project. Currently, we have two scenes out of the three total completed. I have enjoyed working with the rest of the group, and I believe that it has helped us bond. It has also introduced teamwork which will be an important trait for co-leaders to have. Another important thing that this experience has taught me is that your plans may need to be adjusted. I learned this from having to change around actors in scenes and by having to adjust the script. 

Resources: The 9th Wonder of the Worldet

Last week, Laura Wentworth and I taught a learning session on strategies for academic success. Overall, I feel the lesson went well. We were able to get our points across, and Laura and I worked well together. One of the issues that people felt we should work on was that our instructions needed to be clearer. This makes sense as I now realize that we might have been vague in what we were looking for. I hope to work on this so that when I teach a recitation next semester, I can help all the students understand what I am trying to say. I feel that this lesson has prepared me for next semester, but I also understand that I have a lot to learn before then.

For this week, we had to read Chapter 9 in Students Helping Students. This chapter was about resources and referring to resources which is what I think a big part of the peer mentor role is about. One important point from the chapter was that today’s world is changing, and our idea of age has to change as well. Instead of using years, we should use days. The book recommended the website http://www.peterrussell.com/odds/worldclock.php. There I found that I could expect to live to about the age of 78, and that I am 7171 days old. One other thing I learned from this chapter is that there are important factors that go into understanding when and how to refer to resources. For example, if you need to know when to refer to someone to a resource, you must first listen to them. You must also understand your own abilities, so that you can understand if you have the ability to help a student. You must also consider that you may not know the student’s needs and that they may need to seek a counselor. I like this point as it helps avoid mistakes. You wouldn’t want to recommend a resource if you cannot clearly define a student’s issue.

I consider providing resources the easiest and best part of being a peer mentor. It will require some work as I still am unacquainted with some parts of this college. A great example of how to fulfill this part of being a peer mentor was provided to me while I was a first year Hixson. My peer mentors did a great job of helping me find the right resources for some of my problems on campus. I hope I can do just as great a job of them when I get the opportunity to do this next fall.

Social Media and ISCORE in the 8th week

This week was the start of social media week. In class, we brought our computers and tweeted for little bit. Social media is something that I am quite familiar with. I have been on Facebook since freshman year of high school, and I started Twitter about two years ago. I wasn’t an avid Twitterer until last year when it was required for social media week. Now I am quite familiar with it. I understand the value of social media as well. Many employers look at it when evaluating potential employees. It is also a great method of getting your name out there, and I think I am doing a terrific job at that. When teaching the recitation sessions next semester, we will have to do a social media week with them as well, and I believe that my experience will help in convincing them as to how helpful it is.

In addition, the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) was this week. I could only attend one session, and I found that the session I wanted to attend was cancelled. Instead, I went to a much more interesting sounding session called “But, That Isn’t What Was Shown to Me! Inaccurate Portrayals of Indigenous Peoples in Media and Literature.” This was a particularly interesting session as they showed clips from two movies that I watched when I was younger, and they pointed out how they misrepresented Native American groups. When I watched these movies at a younger age, I don’t remember noticing the portrayal of the groups, but I now realize how easy it was to misrepresent a group to children. One question that the group who was presenting asked was “Is it better to be underrepresented or misrepresented.” Everyone seemed to agree that being underrepresented was better as your group is not being seen in stereotypes. In addition, there were several people who said both types were bad. However, I feel it is better to be misrepresented because underrepresentation leads to people not being aware that your group exists. This can lead to conflict in the future. In addition, if your group is misrepresented, then that gives your group a chance to wow others by showing that you are nothing like the media portrays you. By the end of the session, I realized that there was a great deal of stereotypes and misrepresentation about indigenous peoples in the media. However, there are times when I feel that the presenters overanalyzed such as when they talked about the movie “The Indian and the Cupboard.” Still, I feel like I learned a great deal from this session, and I will utilize this information next semester and in life as well. 

Leading the Charge in to the 7th Week

This week in class, Thao and Darcy taught a spectacular lesson on groups. As a demonstration, they had all of us stand on a blanket and try to flip it over while still standing on it. I thought it was going to be difficult, but luckily, this was a group experiment, and we managed to pull it off due to Rachel and Amy’s experience and the directions of several group members. While this week’s lesson was about groups, I couldn’t help but notice that we peer mentors are working well as a group. I think this will lead to some great experiences in the future. In addition, Silas and Allie prepared two really great activities this week. One of them was an obstacle course that we had to perform blindfolded while a partner guided us. I was partnered with Megan, and I found it was rather difficult. Megan had an advantage because she saw the course layout before she was blindfolded. Still, it was a challenge for her as well. I think this is a handy lesson for next semester. Even with experience, if we do not know what our fellow peer mentor is doing, we will be confused. The other activity that Allie and Silas prepared was a fun game of (sort of) Pictionary. It was a fun icebreaker, and I hope to use it next semester if possible.

For this week, we had to read Chapter 7 in Students Helping Students. This chapter was all about leading groups. One thing I found interesting about the chapter was the term “Zeitgeist” which pointed out that leadership was dependent on circumstances. I believe this is true as I may become a leader at the right time in one situation, but I may refrain from taking on the leadership role in another situation. While this is a good idea, there are others, but the book reminds us that peer mentors must examine the characteristics of leadership in order to take on the leadership role.  Such characteristics are model behavior, getting members involved, and recognition and rewarding. In terms of model behavior, a leader tends to take on principles and values that they want the group to follow. In terms of getting members involved, a leader must make sure everyone is involved, but must also make sure the group can say that they were independent. A leader must also remember that some members may not want to be involved due to personality reasons or a lack of interest, and they must take steps to fix this. Whenever I am in a group, I make sure to encourage everyone to become involved, so they can do their fair share while making sure that they can feel like they accomplished something with the project. Finally, in terms of recognition and rewarding, leaders practice reinforcement and celebrate when the group has accomplished a goal. Next semester, I hope to take on a co-leader role with the other peer mentor that I am partnered with as we lead the recitation. I have acted as a leader before, but now that I know of these traits and steps I can take to reinforcing effectiveness as a leader, I feel that I will become an even better leader and help the new Hixson who enter in the fall.

Six Makes a Group

This week in class Carly and Michael went over problem solving. I found their lesson to be particularly interesting as I found out my conflict management style. My style is competing. I can see how this would as when I get into arguments or talk about solving a problem, I tend to only see my side of things and often refuse to compromise. I believe this shows that I am always dedicated to my solutions, but I can understand how it would be a problem as well. I tend to be too stubborn, and I often ignore important issues because of this. I hope I can keep this style while fixing my minor problems, so that I can employ it when I handle a class next semester. In addition to Carly and Michael’s lesson, Silas had us pair up and gave us different situations to go over together. I was paired up with Darcy Bohner, and we played twenty questions. It was pretty challenging figuring out what she was thinking of, but it gave me great insight into what goes on in her head. Also, it helped me figure out that in order to solve problems with another person, it would help if they came out and told you what they wanted you to know. However, this rarely happens, and you sometimes have to guess at what problem needs solving and hope you get close.

For this week, we also had to read Chapter 6 in Students Helping Students. This chapter was about groups and how they work. I was fairly familiar with some of the information in the chapter such communication being very important in groups and positive attitude improving group atmosphere, but I was happy to learn some of the ways that group communication and group atmosphere could be improved. For example, it is important to be clear on instructions and messages in a group, and it is important to ask questions and talk about feelings in the group. In addition, group atmosphere can be improved by giving recognition when cooperation and support is shown and by addressing negative energy before it can harm the group. I believe that understanding how to improve the overall function of groups can help me greatly. It can help the UST 311 class as we are group. Also, it can help me when I am working in project groups and when I teach the recitation class next semester. 

Sebastian Niles: Problem Solver

This week in class, Lauren and Dylan led a discussion on interpersonal communication skills. During the discussion, we were asked to identify our communication strengths and weaknesses. In addition, we had to do a role play about a situation in which we used interpersonal communication and advice giving. Overall, it seemed that advice giving is useful in some situations, but most of the time, us peer mentors should use interpersonal communication. As a whole, I think Dylan and Lauren did a great job teaching, and I believe they will do a great job next fall as well.

In addition, we had to read chapter four in Students Helping Students which was about problem solving. I especially liked how this flowed smoothly from the previous chapter. One of the first steps in solving a problem is to assess the situation to find out how to handle the problem. One of the ways to do this is to ask questions. The questions need to be open-ended and be structured in that they make the student elaborate. You also need to ask follow up questions and summarize what the student has said in order to let them know that you are following them. Finally, you have to formulate a hypothesis on what can be done about the problem. Another technique that can be used to figure out how to solve a problem is to use resources on a campus or in a professional setting to find a solution. For example, there is a test on campus that students can take that will allow them to better understand what majors they will like. Yet another technique is self-reporting. This technique requires students to take notes and analyze their progress with the help of a peer leader. I like this technique the most because it requires the individual to evaluate their behavior and come up with solutions that will be fitting for them.

In order to solve problems, you must come up with goals. Goals must be clear and define what the outcome must be, they must be within the realm of possibility, and they should be measurable. In addition to thinking about goals, one must also understand factors that allow for success and factors that prevent success and overcome them. I believe this information will be helpful next semester if and when students in my recitation section come to me for help. This will also be helpful in that I can employ this with myself as well in order to accomplish major goals in my life.

Finally, a person must take on a positive attitude when coming up with goals and putting them into action. They must understand that opposition is likely, but that they should continue with their goals. It is also important to show recognition when someone completes their goal. Looking back, I realize that I have received a lot of recognition for completing important activities in my life, and I realize that the awareness I received influenced me to do more.

A 4th helping of learning and communication

During lecture, Amy Horras taught cultural diversity. I think she did an excellent job as a student teacher, but then again she did have previous experience here. One of the questions she asked us to think about is how I can improve my awareness of cultural diversity. I believe I can do so by getting to know those with a different cultural background better. I feel that if I ask questions and start discussions with those who are not of the same background as me, I can become more aware of diversity, and I would be less likely to make judgments based on a person’s background. Another question she asked us was how cultural diversity affects me. It affects me in a variety of ways. One way is that it introduces me to a great number of people from various backgrounds at college, work, and at events. Another way that it affects me is that it forces me to alter my plans at times. This is because I may be working with someone from another culture or I may be working with someone who doesn’t have the same strategy as me, so I must change how I approach a task.

In addition to Amy’s lesson, I attended a learning session on learning communities. The session I attended was on Healthy Relationships and Communication Styles. I learned a great deal including that characteristics of a healthy relationship include respect, equality, and trust and support. Understanding these characteristics will help me next semester when I have to interact and communicate with my recitation class. Overall, I feel this learning session helped me a great deal not just in UST 311, but also in life as I can use all of the communication information to better communicate with my friends and family. Also, during the day, there was a lunch with most of the peer mentors. I enjoyed this as well as it helped me learn more about my Hixson family.

Finally, the required reading touched on many of the things that I learned in the learning community session. What I particularly liked was that part that explained the difference between giving advice and a helping relationship. Before, I did not know that there was such a difference, but now that I do, I feel that knowing the difference will help if any students come to me seeking knowledge next semester. 

Leading into the 3rd Week

Today, I attended the Iowa State Leadership Experience event at the Memorial Union.  At first, I thought it was going to be a bit boring, but I soon found that it was interesting and that it provided me with information I can use in the future. One of the speakers I listened to was Delatorro McNeal, II. A former businessman and current leadership event speaker, I found this man to be a little too enthusiastic, but I guess that is what his job entails. What I liked about his speech was that he used media relevant to us to convey his message. He used clips from films like Drumline and Hitch to explain the importance of leadership and how you can be a leader. I especially liked how he displayed six different leadership styles in the Hitch clip. When I teach a class next semester, I will make sure to incorporate what he said to make my leadership style a more mentor-coach style

Another event I attended was the Art of Interviewing with Mike Gaul. I attended this event because I have an interview for the Community Adviser position next Saturday, and I figured that this would help me. During this session, I learned that before an interview, I not only have to research the company, but I also have to research myself to find my strengths and weaknesses and be prepared for the interview. I also learned there are a variety of factors that go into a first impression. In addition, I found that it was important to keep the dialogue going so there are no lulls. Next Saturday, I will ensure that my interview is successful. Next fall, I can use this knowledge to help those I am mentoring with their interviews if they have any.  I can also use this knowledge for other interviews in the future.

The final event I went to was the Planning Campus Events event with Lauren Sandstrom and MaryBeth Konkowski. During this event, I learned the important steps that go into planning events such as logistics, publicity, and the evaluation after the event. The Event Management Office’s importance was explained as well, but I was aware of this entity because I had to deal with them for quiz bowl tournaments. The EMO will come in handy next semester when the 2012 Hixson scholars go on their retreat. This session will also help out in the future if I want to plan any events besides the retreat with my co-peer mentor. Overall, I feel today was a learning experience. I acquired useful knowledge that will help me not only as a peer mentor, but in my college and professional career as well.

Finding Strengths in the Second Week

In class, we had to talk about three strengths that we have that will be useful when we are peer mentors next fall and one or two weaknesses that we will need to work on for next fall. We were given a fair amount of time to think about and come up with answers for ourselves. The weaknesses were easy to come up with because I know what skills I need to work on, and I am constantly improving up them. One of these skills was patience. I can be a bit impatient at times when working with others. In order for me to be a great peer mentor, I need to realize that not everyone is as fast as I am. Another skill I need to work on is working on taking advantage of situations. I need to work on this because sometimes I miss important opportunities because I do not act when I have a chance to do so. Working on this skill will help me become a better role model for others and thus a better peer mentor.  The three strengths I came up with were my ability to understand where many of the incoming freshmen are at, my knowledge of the college, and my determination. I believe determination is my greatest strength because whenever I start a task or whenever I want something badly enough, I do not stop until I have obtained or completed it. In addition, I believe this strength makes me a great role model for the incoming freshmen.

In addition to this, we discussed several issues incoming freshmen face when coming to college. One of the problems freshmen face is financial aid. I am very familiar with this issue as I had trouble with financial aid in the months leading into my freshmen year. Another issue is the issue of homesickness and feeling lonely at college. During my freshmen year, I experienced a bit of homesickness before classes started, but I soon got over it. However, many freshmen do not get over it quickly and want to go home. One other issue freshmen face is adjusting to hard classes. This issue is familiar to me because I was not use to studying every single night in high school, and when I started classes, I found that this had to happen or I was going to fail. I adjusted however not every freshmen does. It is because I have had experience with these issues that I will be able to help and offer suggestions next semester if anyone comes asking for help.

In addition to all of this, we started talking about the digital storytelling project. While we didn’t make any important decisions, we still came up with some possible themes for the project. I offered to be a script writer for the project, and I hope I get it as I love to write stories. I look forward to completing this project, so the freshmen next fall can have a great example for their projects.

Week 1 of Niftyness

In Students Helping Students, the authors explain what it means to be a peer educator and how a peer mentor should interact with their fellow students. I especially like how the authors state that a peer educator is a more than a helper; it is a provider.  This will be valuable information next semester when I am helping lead a class. It will allow me to understand that my job is not just to assist the students in the class, but that I have to guide the students and offer support to the when needed. Another thing from the reading that was interesting was the fact that the writers point out that peer mentors should be role models.  The authors note that the peer mentors were chosen because they are responsible, and Allison, Debra, and Silas feel we will be excellent leaders. They know that the incoming students will look up to us for answers and for cues on how to act. I have always understood this, but I haven’t understood the great impact my behavior could have. Using this realization, I now know that I must work to eliminate any bad habits I have this semester, so I can embody a better role model next semester. In addition, this will help me as well with school work and other aspects of my life.

                In class, I found out that I am to be paired with Laura Wentworth in order to teach a learning session for the class. We will be teaching strategies for academic success. I look forward to working with her as well as teaching a class for the first time ever. It will be a challenge, but it will be great practice for when I have to teach a recitation every week next fall.  In addition to this, we found out other activities we will be doing this semester such as creating a portfolio, attending diversity events, and making another digital storytelling project. All of these activities will be a bit challenging, but I look forward to a fun and interesting semester in this course.