Let's walk a mile

Diversity is all around us in many ways, shapes, and forms.  It is in our apartments, our dorms, our classes and even on the street.  Diversity can be gender, race, religion, anything that sets us apart from someone else.  Because people are so different from one another stereotypes are very common. Stereotypes are something that can be fixed with conscious thought.  

"Walk a mile in someone else's shoes" is a very common saying that has so much meaning behind it.  When you see someone on the street or in class all you see are their physical qualities.  You don't know what they have been through and the life they have led to get to Iowa State.  No two people's stories are quite the same.  "Everywhere you go and everyone you see, remember that your eyes can be your enemies."  This is a lyric to one of my favorite songs and it is very true.  Just because you interpret a scene one way it doesn't mean that is it the right way.  

Our class with Denise was really eye opening. When we had to describe the pictures of the man and woman things came out that were shocking.  Most of us didn't consider how they looked at themselves but rather how we looked at them.  The best way to change the world is to change yourself.  Changing those first, judgmental thoughts can help keep stereotypes down.  Helping others see that there could be more to a simple situation can also stop stereotypes and diversity.  It's a big deal that with a little help from everyone can be fixed. 

Ethics

This past week Easton and Alex did a great class on Ethics!  I think ethics are very similar to morals in regards to the fact that they tend to differ from person to person.  I also think morals play a key roll in ethics.  When we were all asked to share what ethics meant to us, a range of responses came up.  None of them wrong just each from a different view.

When Alex and Easton split us up in to groups my group got an example of teaching a person who you have unresolved issues with.  We had to come up with a good way and a poor way to handle the situation.  A poor way of handing an issue like that is to avoid it or to continue acting angrily towards that person.  In the position we are in as peer mentors we must put our personal life aside and be there for our students when they need help.    A better way to handle something like that is to leave your feelings at the door and be there for the person regardless of the past.  

Ethics has to do with doing what is right not necessarily what is easiest.  Who are you when people aren't looking?  The answer to that says a lot about you and what you stand for; your morals or your ethics.  Each of us will encounter a time or multiple times in our lives where doing the right thing isn't our first choice but through our experiences in this class and our time at college, we can become better individuals and do what is ethical.

What's to Come?

After reading several other blogs I realize I just don't know what to say.  This week we are working on editing our peer mentor movie.  I am very excited to see the finished product!  We had amazing actors and I have a feeling it is going to be hilarious.  After getting the filming done I am impressed at how well work together as a group.  A lot of us couldn't be there for all of the filming times but there were quite a few people who stepped up and lead our team, it is awesome!  Nice work guys!  


Our video covers many important issues when it comes to being a first year college student.  I hope it helps the incoming freshman feel a little more comfortable about life on campus.  This class helped relieve the stress of being alone for me.  It was never boring and often quite funny.  I think every freshman should have to take a class like Hixson and have the opportunity to make a video just to bond with new people.  I am still finding new perks to having this opportunity!  Once the video is done we will all have something to look back on and remember what a great group of peer mentors we are! 

As Days Go By

Only 6 more weeks of school, I can't believe it.  This past week Kaylene and I taught our first class and it was pretty exciting.  There is so much you don't realize teaching involves when you're a student.  The little things people do you take for granted when you're the one teaching.  Getting positive feedback to comments is awesome as a student and that is a great thing for a teacher to be able to give.  It is something that didn't come naturally to me though.  It seems so simple but it is something I am going to have to put conscious thought into next year.  I am really glad we got to teach a class before next semester, it was eye opening.


Filming and the retreat today were both really fun.  The hunger games activity was a hilarious way to start the day off.   Lesson planning is harder work than I thought it would be so I am really glad we brainstormed as a group on several topics. Many good ideas were thrown out that I would have never come up with on my own.  While round robin-ing got old towards the end I am really thankful we did it.  I love our class and our teachers.  Spending time together is really never boring! 

No one likes a Difficult Dave.

In our book it discusses problem personalities.  I think being familiar with each of these personalities will be very beneficial for each of us.  Knowing how to counter each of these personalities will also be beneficial.  Personalities like monopolizers, harmonizers, distracters, aggressors, and manipulators. 


When confronting a person with one of these personalities being straight forward, honest, and considerate is key.  Appreciating someone for their good qualities makes it a little easier when you are trying to tell them you don't like how they are acting at the moment.  When a monopolizer, a person who dominates conversation, is asked to quiet down and give others a chance to speak, a more shy person in the back may be more apt to speak up. 


It is important to include everyone in conversation and make each and every person feel like they are part of the team.  Rachel and Dane gave great examples last night of what to do and what not to do when trying to make a group situation work.  I really liked how they had us all write down our ideas on a piece of paper so we all could participate.  For a shy person this could be really nerve racking, but with the right amount of support from group members they should soon start to fit right in.  Keeping together, focused, and positive will help a group be successful.  


When going over this chapter I could see first hand how the principles apply to our class.  The tips given in the book seem to be ones I can see being used.  It makes me even more excited for the year to come!

Group Work

This past week was a good one! We started off class with an obstacle course which was really hard! Kaylene was my partner, the blindfolded one, and I was the one who could see.  Even with the advantage of sight the course was hard.  It took us the whole time just to get through once.  It was a great example of how important communication is for a group.  When reflecting on the activity we saw that it took all the skills that were key to a successful group to make it work.  Connecting the dots between the lesson and activities is a really good way to learn.


Once Thao and Darcy took the floor we did another good group activity (I think we may have cheated).  We all had to stand on a blanket and without moving our feet we had to flip it over.  Had we not been able to sit down and lean against the tables and marker board I don't think we could have accomplished it, but we had some good leadership to help us figure it out.  


We finished the night with a game of pictionary.  I started out with spring break and ended up with an alien.  It was a great game to play in such a big group.  Looking at the pictures and seeing what went wrong and when was the best part about it.  The game was another great way of showing how important communication and clear understanding is for a group to be successful.  Over all this was my favorite class for icebreakers; it was very interactive and the lessons were brought close to home. 

It Takes Two

This week in class Rachel and I had to play Mario.  The trick was we each could only have one hand on the controller.  I started off with the hand than ran the front to back movements of Mario, it seemed really easy.  Then Rachel and I switched and I had the controls that made him jump, spin, and control Yoshi.  That part was much harder.  It just went to show that you never realize what the other person is going through until you take a walk in their shoes.  The same game can come across a whole different way depending on what hand you have on the controller and I am sure the same goes for life.  


In chapter 6 of our book, groups were the topic.  It listed 10 factors that were important to being in a group.  While reading this chapter all I could think of was the group of peer mentors I am a part of.  I feel like we are a really good group.  The book said a few advantages of a group are support and assistance.  I really feel that on Wednesday nights.  Most of us are trying something new and it is great that we can go through it together.  


It is key to communicate while part of a group.  It is also important to know what your role is in the group.  Know when to talk, when to be somewhere, and when you are overstepping your place.  Keeping a high energy level can be a good way to make learning and growing more fun.  Throughout the semester it will be exciting to see us all grow individually and as a group. 

Chapter 5.

It seems that the reoccurring point of the past few weeks is open-ended questions.  They have come up in many different problem solving techniques.  Asking open-ended questions is one of the main things I have to work on, especially with how important they seem to be.  


In this chapter, open ended questions are important from the very beginning when trying to figure out goals.  In order to understand where a person wants to be in life asking them close ended questions will not get a good answer.  Asking 'yes or no' questions could get them to agree to goals that aren't really theirs.  Staying positive throughout problem solving is key to helping a student, or anyone, obtain their goals. 


This chapter can be very helpful when a student comes to one of us asking about what to do with their future and what major is right for them.  Helping someone keep their goals to an obtainable level is key also.  Hopefully I will remember all of these tips if a problem like this presents itself to me. 

Where do the Weeks Go?

For class this week Amy had us reflect on cultural diversity.  I really enjoyed her lesson plan because it had me thinking about things I wouldn't normally.  Her tying it together with blogging prompts was great!  Cultural diversity is everywhere. 


Growing up in a small down cultural diversity really wasn't something I ever had to worry about.  After coming to a state university I really wish it would have been.  I have never had the opportunity to become friends with someone of a different culture until moving to Ames.  When you grow up in a small town like I did, you tend to think a little more close minded.  Even now I am still uncomfortable around people who aren't like me and I would really like to change that.  


One main tip that stood out to me was acceptance.  I think this is what I struggle with at a deep level.  I always hold in my head that where I grew up and what I experienced was the best and everyone else should have grown up like I did.  When I hear people say they are from the big cities and they love it there I automatically don't feel like connecting with them.   Now when I hear people say they grew up on a farm I think very highly of them without knowing anything more about them.


I need to change the way I see people just by where they are from.  I am sure if I had been raised in a big city I would never imagine riding on a tractor could be a good time. And at the same time maybe I would have still loved that.  People have great experiences every where and just because I had a wonderful childhood where I grew up doesn't mean everyone else would.  I need to open my mind to backgrounds and realize that where you're from doesn't say exactly who you are.  

Ice, Ice Baby!

Saturday's I.S.L.E. conference was pretty fun.  I couldn't make it to the main speaker but it sounded like he was really interesting.  The first session I went to was the one held by Dave, "hi Dave", about icebreakers.  Time went by so quickly and it was great!  


We went through and played the notecard game again.  He used a bunch of different famous people and cartoons which was much harder than the one we played in class.  He also taught us 3 new ones that will be great to use in class next year.  On the SAC website there is a link with a whole bunch of icebreakers that will also be helpful next year.  I am really glad I went to this one.  


The next one I went to was not so fun.  Identifying your strengths was the title of it and it was surprisingly boring.  I regret going to this one and would have rather spent my time at another one but at least I picked up a few good tips.  I learned enough at this conference that I will most likely go again next year!

It's Class Time!

This week's class was pretty insightful.  We had to look  back on our freshman year and think of things we were grateful we had some help with.  Doing that made me realize again how thankful I am for this scholarship and this class.  I would have been pretty lost without my peer mentors.  


Making friends, finding a job, and dealing with the new way of life were major points brought up in discussion.  I remember talking to my friends already up here my first week of college about not making any friends yet and I was really bummed about it.  Going to the zoo was a good way to just forget about that and have fun with the people in my Hixson group.  My peer mentors played a key role in that too.  


My peer mentors were both really good about keeping us all together and making sure each of us got to see what we wanted to.  They were really patient with the big group of us and made the time there really enjoyable.  Being patient is a good quality to have as a leader.  Dedication for what you do is also a big thing.  


They volunteered their time to help us, which made me want to do the same for the upcoming freshman.  Another key thing to leadership is being open-minded.  In a fairly decent sized group you have to be willing to take in everyone's opinion.  All of these things are qualities I am going to have to work on, but I am really excited to grow as a person and as a group to take on this responsibility.  It is going to be a fun year! 

The Next Dot on the Adventure

The idea of being a peer mentor is one I really like, but I don't think I fully know what being a peer mentor truly means.  I will probably look back on this post in a couple months and realize I still currently have no clue.  From our first class and the first two chapters of the book I have already learned so much!  


A peer mentor is someone who has been selected to help other students attain their goals, whether academically or as a person.  Peer mentors are there to guide, help, assist and point peers in the right direction.  One important job they have is to know where to draw the line between their knowledge and someone else's.  They must be aware of the fact that to give adequate assistance to a student might mean to point them in the direction of a professional helper.  This is something I hadn't even thought of before reading the book.  


In chapter two I found myself relating a lot to the challenges they had listed.  There weren't very many that I hadn't experienced.  While going through these lists I remembered my class last year and how much my peer mentors support helped me through them.  I see now that they had to be prepared for their roles as peer mentors and they had more responsibilities than I would have ever imagined.  I hope we all can have as big of an impact on our students as my peer mentors, and I'm sure many others, had on me and others.   


I have tips for helping and tips for being a good peer educator marked in my book to go back to, which I'm sure I will many times before this semester is up.  The book says a little bit of knowledge in a lot of places is a key factor to a foundation but the knowledge means nothing if you cannot communicate it well to others.  There are a lot of skills needed to be an effective peer educator and while that's an intimidating idea, it is also a very exciting one.  I am very excited for this semester and all the chances to grow as a class and individually!