DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

Dear Journal,

 

"Next time you're stressed: Take a step back, inhale, and laugh. Remember who you are and why you're here. You're never given anything in this world that you can't handle. Be strong. Be flexible. Love yourself. And love others. Always remember, just keep moving forward."

 

These last two weeks have been extremely stressful. I've had moments of doubt, sadness, anger. The stress itself stemmed from a variety of reasons, but I found the quote above helpful throughout it all. I encourage anyone who is currently going through a tough time to read that quote and think about all they have accomplished - and think deeper than just the words printed: If you're still trying to succeed at something, that means you haven't failed; in fact, it's the exact opposite. Failure only comes to those who quit in the midst of an obstacle; success sees an obstacle as just another stepping stone that needs to be overcome.

 

Memorable Moments

 

(1) I began to recall tips that Kelsey provided to our cohort regarding how to establish relationships with nearly everyone in our FYS classes. As she spoke, I realized she used those same techniques when I was her student. One stood out to me among the rest. Kelsey has repeatedly encouraged us to switch up our seats in the classes we support, meaning we shouldn't look to sit in the same area throughout the entire semester. Solidifying one space (which I've come to refer to as a "safety space") doesn't allow us to connect with the others students spread out in the classroom. Within the last two weeks, I decided to put this technique to the test; it worked for Kelsey with my class, so I wanted to see if I would experience the same results (keeping in mind it's still early on in the semester). The outcome in the Philosophy course I support seemed relatively similar to what was expected to happen. A few new interactions ranged from minor questions to well wishes for the remainder of the week. Since my first use of this approach worked fairly well, I'm going to continue this method of interaction.

 

(2) I had my first coaching session on the 15th! During the session, I did make reference to the coaching sheet; however, the conversation flowed more without me "following" the paper. Realizing this early on in our meeting, I put the sheet aside and concentrated solely on my student. We discussed academics and grade goals, as well as on-campus jobs - of course mentioning SASP!

 

Challenges I Thought I Would Have and Those I Foresee

 

(1) A challenge I foresaw last week was encouraging students to attend the First Year Kickoff. I experienced the same difficulty last semester, but the cause for this particular challenge didn't resemble the first. I've realized that second semester freshmen are more interested in academics, specifically information on changing or deciding a major/minor and how to increase their success within their major. The First Year Kickoff, in my opinion, is tailored more toward first semester freshmen who need to familiarize themselves with the resources on campus. Second semester freshmen would benefit (and attend) more so if certain faculty advisors were present to discuss questions and opportunities pertaining to various majors. Additionally, my students expressed interest in on-campus jobs, which first semester freshmen may look into briefly but can't apply due to lack of credits within the college; second semester freshmen already have enough credits under their belt to begin applying for some positions on campus, such as SASP or Peer Ambassadors. With all of this information in mind, I didn't really expect my students to attend the event - though one did! Taking these factors into consideration, I plan to verify the accuracy with my students in order to build a stronger kickoff for next spring, if one takes place.

 

(2) A challenge I didn't foresee was the lack of sign-ups for coaching sessions, especially considering coaching was mandated for one of my classes. When the semester began, I passed around an interest sheet that included days and times when students preferred to meet with me. About 97% of my students expressed that they would be interested in attending coaching sessions. Perhaps this delay in sign-ups is because I haven't been in the classes to promote the opening of the link; and I do know some students don't typically check their John Jay email regularly. Since I'll be seeing some of my students this week, I will mention that sessions have started; unfortunately, I won't be visiting one of my classes due to the day off (Monday), so I plan to ask the professor to encourage the students to sign-up - especially since that's the class mandated to come meet with me at least once.

 

Helping Skills I Applied 

 

(1) During my first coaching session this semester, I used verbal and non-verbal encouragers, which indicated my interest in what my mentee was sharing with me. One area of conversation revolved around her dislike of her current job. Instead of moving forward or immediately introducing alternate opportunities, I asked her to "tell me more." She further explained that she doesn't do much: maybe greets customers and attends to some paperwork, but her shift is incredibly long and is usually filled with boredom. When asked what could do to fill the void, she mentioned catching up or getting ahead in schoolwork, which was the answer I was looking for! It led to peer tips on how to utilize all the time you have.

 

(2) This next situation actually occurred at home. I was able to use paraphrasing and reflection of feeling during a conversation I was having with my sister. It was, of course, a more personal dialogue, but I noticed she revealed a lot more than what I was initially expecting when I used these helping techniques. Using these skills allowed me to help her calm down much more effectively.

 

Personal Growth (Motivational Quote)

 

 

 

Talk to you again in two weeks...

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Samantha

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.