Max-ing out programming versus time given.

A couple of weeks ago I finished early with a group of students, and certain things seemed to take my group forever, limiting the amount of time I was providing programming. Since then I've stepped up my game and am proud of the fact that I've been working my students during the entire time I'm given to provide it. I wouldn't have realized I wasn't doing as well as I could if I hadn't received feedback, and its only through the mistakes I made that I've gotten better at maxing out programming per time.

from Motivational Quotes of the Day

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."

James Joyce

from Motivational Quotes of the Day

"It's always helpful to learn from your mistakes because then your mistakes seem worthwhile."

Garry Marshall

Backpacking trip #3

Success!

Creativity & Prompts

I really like being able to give students time to free-write and draw. As someone with a fine-art background, it's important to me that students get to express themselves creatively. Other people I work with have done more drama-based or music-based exercises in creativity. An adjunct I know once asked her kids to make a Full-Value Contract in the form of a rap.

It frustrates me a lot when I am unable to give students that solo reflection time, to relax, to process some of the intensely new experiences we ask them to open themselves up to.

Digression:
And for me, as a facilitator, when I use that time to reflect, too, I think I facilitate better; have a moment to get a better broader picture, as opposed to figuring out activities one at a time, spur of the moment. I find myself better and better able to snatch this time to think as I go along as a facilitator. "You were barely keeping your head above the water," some have reflected of my first few months here, and I think that's very true. I could hardly notice anything further than the nose on my face. Now I have it down to the things immediately around me, I still don't consider myself overwhelmingly aware.

I don't like to hedge my students in; I offer them a board to write on top of, lined or unlined paper, a whole box of writing utensils, a time limit, distance guideline, and suggest they not sit close enough to talk.

At the last free-writing I gave some students, a student "Zoe" wrote this poem after a rough first day on our campus.

When you hear the
Sound of a water fall
What do you really think?
Because I notice a fall
and a thought of
silence, eyes closing
and no blinks
but do you ever notice
the leaves how its just there
but look close
until you see your reflection
then listen back to
the water fall
Now tell me. Do you hear
the roar of a bear
now what I always notice
is a log
for me to sit and fantasize
for me to hear the water fall
reflect on the leaves
and the bear voice
in my head
to memorize
but be careful because
when the water falls down
you would realize...

DC Public Boarding High School 4/21-23/2009

In 140 characters or less, describe this program, population, and their goals in bringing their group to our facility.

High school, 9th-graders 4/21-23, first public boarding school located in Washington, D.C. Introduced myself as PG (after the county I'm from).

What did you like or enjoy about your group?

M (guy not in my group) has hiked all over Wyoming, going to Utah. Lots of cool kids, lots of energy. Did a good job sitting with my students instead of at a staff table.

What were the soft facilitation skills you feel you did well?

Learning names, providing a decent amount of down-time to respond to group needs. Good rapport built with students.

What activities did you do that were new to you during the program?

Since our night walk was scheduled early, I had my students write or draw near the creek by Baking Tin bridge until it was too dark for them to do so. I cut pages out of composition books and halved legal-size paper, and cut pieces of uncorrugated board from cake mix and granola boxes in the kitchen to keep with my facilitation backpack. These things worked really well for me.

What were challenges you encountered while facilitating this group?

Like herding cats--short attention span. Some gang associations. Not prepared as well, some were completely turned-off and hard to engage the entire time (Obama was scheduled to be at their school the day they came up). Gang signs and flagging were pretty prevalent.

What did you learn from the last program that you wanted to apply to this program? Were you successful?

I had a lot of trouble with names and did a whole lot better with names this go around. Success!

What feedback from participants, co-workers or chaperones did you receive that you would like to remember?

Students said: "More things to bring people together."
"I learned that I have to 'avoid the tyrranny of the status quo.'"
"Keep doing what you are doing."
"I liked everything about this place."

Travis suggested that since a gang covenant is often that you don't deny being in a gang, asking about it and asking that it be left at home since they are in a new environment. "I understand that is a reality where you're from. I accept that about you. I need to to be present to here and now, though."

Improve chaperone talk.

Better transference.

How can you apply what you learned during this program next time? (What groups might it be applicable to?)
Next time I have a primary-service population group definitely address gang membership. I also typed up my chaperone talk topics to tape to the back of my miniature clipboard for the next time.

SMARTer goals, FY 2009 Edition

So, here were my dumb goals, which I established in the fall and were effective through spring 2009. My supervisor and I worked together to establish a bunch of goals for the next year, and I am very excited about them. As someone who's played video games, I think of goals in the analogy of "you need to complete level 1 to get to level 2 to beat the game" (where "beat the game" is "being the most awesome me I can be at work.")

My 2009 Goals as an Experiential Education Facilitator

The SMART Goal	Where am I at on that goal right now? Where did the goal come from?	What is the tag that will be associated with posts on this goal's progress?
For every program group facilitated identify one thing you would like to improve on and write down one way you can implement that change for you next group. Track this in an online blog.Create a program binder that contains a copy of all your programs worked during the upcoming fiscal year including programs when you are on support.	Started my binder, created a personal debreif on the 'blog that I have yet to fill out for each program, but want to (they are filled out on paper for 3/4 past programs.)	improving-facilitation, nexttime, campus or urban
Offer each of your fellow REEFS two pieces of delta feedback between now and the end of March next year. Send me an email describing that process including the issue and your approach. (This will require becoming familiar with how others like to receive feedback)For each piece of above Delta Feedback given offer that same person one and preferably two pieces of plus feedback. Document it by sending me an email describing what they did well. Use the same approach that you did giving the Delta feedback.	Since we live in an intentional community, and I work with 5 people who also live on-property, just like I do, it's easy to not want to rock the boat. In order for folks to keep on developing, they often need delta feedback. Did you know delta feedback originated from the Boeing corporation, apparently? + is positive feedback, keep doing it, delta (Δ) is the symbol for change, a place to improve.	giving-feedback
Pass the Prerequisites’ for the Lifeguarding course during summer staff training in June of 2009 and successfully pass all other necessary requirement to receive your ARC Lifeguarding certifications.	I have taken to swimming laps at the Y (even though I hate it.) I can now swim the 550 qualifying swim, though I should put my head in the water and work on my breaststroke leg movements. I do the 550 without touching the sides of the pool, next step is practicing in a lake before the qualifying day in June.	life-guarding
On area days attain a 2/3 level of accuracy predicting time needed to complete a project. Create an appointment in your outlook calendar for every area day noting whether or not you were successful in this. Achieve a 75% success rate for the year.	I am the suck at time management. It's probably one of my greatest weaknesses, I am bad at figuring out how long things will take me (underestimating) and thus overestimate the amount of work I can get done.	area-day-time-management
Receive only one delta feedback from your peers and supervisors between now and the end of next March that has it’s origins in a poorly-communicated email. When/if this happens keep those emails in a separate folder and discuss them with me during our regular check-ins.	I am getting better at having others read e-mails before I send them, especially to other supervisors, and that seems to be working well, they give great pointers.	electronic-communication
Not be addressed about poorly maintained work gear more than four times by the Resource Coordinator between now and the end of next March.	My supervisor is the Resource Coordinator. As much as he enjoys bustin' my hump, he's got better things to do with his time, and so do I. Also, if I don't model good gear care, what can I expect to see from adjunct and summer staff?	caring-for-gear
Participate in at least one University Training/professional development class in the fall winter or spring that does not interfere with programming schedule.	I keep my eyes peeled on the University HR site for opportunities to take part in continuing education classes and training sessions, I just have to keep doing it and asking so we can find one that it's worth it to drive 2 hours to and from for.	pro-dev-classes
By the beginning of summer staff training 2009, become familiar with and be able to lead a group on all trails on property.	Trails to Power Rock and on the back 40 are my weaknesses.	better-know-a-trail
By the beginning of summer staff training 2009, have experience facilitating participants on every operational fixed Adventure Course element on property.	Still to go: trust falls platform, do a better job at porthole, learn seagull swing.	low-ropes
Seek out continued development in the area of high ropes course skills. By the end of summer staff training 2009 become proficient in set-up, facilitation, break-down, rescue bag setup and rescue protocols of all high ropes course elements on property.	Nag my co-worker in charge of the ropes course, ask questions, volunteer to do things that are challenging and ask for feedback.	high-ropes
Not be addressed by supervisors about inappropriate professional attire more than two times between now and the end of next March. Initiate feedback from supervisors about attire when I’m uncertain in order to better understand supervisor expectations.	Business casual is very challenging for me, and coming from art school, fancy clothes are ones that have no paint on them. Something I'm getting better at.	professional-attire
To help maintain a healthy work life balance I will attempt to arrive and depart work at the regularly scheduled hours at least half the time. If there are days when I come in early or stay late I will make an effort to do one of these but not both; that is staying late or coming in early.	Really struggled with writing this one. Also, forgot to add that I intend not to come in on my days off. Residential positions, I know from being an RA in college, can lead to burn-out if you're not careful, and I want to deliver great programming consistently.	work-life-balance

Backpacking trip #2

Mission successful!

I did the route of our 3-day backpacking expedition coming up by myself yesterday after work and today before driving down to Baltimore. It was my second backpacking trip (I know, just an overnight, big deal), and my first time camping by myself.

A lot of my gear was borrowed, what was mine was used for the first time outdoors, and I'm happy to say my planning was solid, the practice with trekking poles added a lot to my stamina.

The first day, 2.4 miles with 400 ft gain at the intro was not bad, a lot of ridgeline. 4:20 PM to 5:55 PM to do that mileage. 2.4 miles in less than an hour and 45 minutes. The weather held out and it was beautiful, shorts and tank-top hiking (I longed to have brought my hiking skirt!).
I hit Catfish Tower before I even realized it.

Bear-bagged in a decent number of throws, found a good tree, ate a solid dinner, and woke up a couple times just from getting chilly despite my Lafuma Yellowstone 30F/-1C. Did some crunches and wiggled around to generate heat, then went back to sleep.

This morning I shoved off at a leisurely pace, 9:10 AM (break-down took me about 2 hours at a leisurely pace), stopped at the bottom of the hill before crossing Millbrook Road to get water and treat it with iodine (very boggy down there, lots of mosquitos even early in the season.) I carried 4 liters yesterday, killed 3 between 4PM and 10:15 AM this morning. Once again, happened upon my end-point before I knew it, rocking out 4.6 miles in 4 hours and finding my way safely to the Matrix, where my supervisor left me a short congratulatory note in a plastic bag.

I compared this trip to my last one when I drove down to Baltimore. The last trip I went on, a training trip, I wanted to end the trip at a closer mile-marker. We were winter hiking, packs were heavy, weather sucked, and it was a lot of new-ness. I wanted to be on that trip, and I knew it was important for me to train for expedition. But at the end of that trip, I wasn't proud that we made it a mileage I felt was impossible.

I felt like probably a lot of the city kids I work with feel like when we bring them out into the woods. I felt overwhelmed, didn't have trekking poles, felt in over my head. And for a facilitator, that's not a common place to be. Usually I know where I am going, what I'm doing, or have some inkling. Or at least am pretty sure it will come to me.

On that winter trip, I was out of my comfort zone.

This trip was outside of my comfort zone, but I was also in control. And now I know that I'm going to be able to handle the physical aspects of the trip in 12 days. Now to study up on my expedition soft skills and protocol.

NEXT TIME:Put on all the layers, especially long underwear and flannel before hitting the hay, and ditch the leggings for zip-off pants before heading off, even if it's cold. Also would have liked my fingerless gloves in the morning and could have rocked a hat and turtle-neck all night, even though it was not that cold. I packed the right amount of clothing, I just need to do a better job thermoregulating.