The End is Nigh

So we have reached the end of our training as peer mentors. Well, not technically the end of our training because we can consider next fall training as well. Yes, despite everything we have learned this semester, we can always improve upon our skills. We have learned enough to handle ourselves next semester, but our recitation will find us learning new skills and reacting to situations that we did not think we would encounter. It will be a learning experience for both us and for the freshmen and freshwomen.

In class this week, Brooke and I went over our co-leader agreement. After doing this last semester, I see the importance in agreeing to meet at certain times and establishing the goals that the co-leaders want to accomplish. Picking a time to meet and discuss lesson plans is important. Email can work for discussing lesson plans, but I have found that meeting in person allows for a better exchange of ideas. Also, making a co-leader mission statement is very important. Having two people teach a recitation means that two different minds are coming together. This means that they are bringing different ideas as well as different goals. It is important for these two people to talk about what they want to do with the recitation. As has been noted in this class before, leaders can come from a variety of different backgrounds and have different mindsets. This would usually indicate that peer mentors might come into conflict with other mentors regarding their ideas for the recitation. However, Debra, Allie, and Chelsee overcome this problem by having us paired with someone who matches our mindset to some degree. There will still be a bit of a difference, but we should not come into conflict regarding how we want to run things.

Other than this, not much else has happened. We are preparing for the retreat next fall and getting the freshmen and freshwomen ready for next fall. Dead week has come and gone and now finals have arrived. It’s been a fantastic and crazy semester. The crazy thing is that I only have two more semesters before I graduate. The end of my (undergraduate) college experience is arriving, and I’m glad I get to spend part of it with you peoples.