She Likes Food

The students had finals before they left on summer break.

Mrs. Kolkman, the instructor for Personal Development 1, asked the first year students to do something a little different for their test. She assigned a Community Engagement Project and told them to interview and blog about…well, me.

Six groups of students visited my office and interviewed me over a period of two days. Each student in the group had a role assigned to them based on their DISC assessment results. Some students were group leaders, some were interviewers, some were writers, some were encouragers and some were typists at the end of assignment.

They all impressed me with their professional behavior and genuine interest in performing the task well. I found myself looking forward to every group’s visit and the opportunity it presented to learn more about each student on the team.

Below you’ll see all the groups’ final results.

But before you go on, I would like to say one thing. I tried really hard to come up with thoughtful answers to the questions. The interviewer would ask the questions and I would respond – in great length. I would talk and talk… and talk and talk – I think the word I’m looking for is babble – and the students would nod respectfully as they listened. I told them about my love for cooking and fine dining and reading - especially cookbooks -and inviting people over to dinner  parties and trying my hand at organic vegetable gardening and… and I waited expectantly for the pencil to start scribbling away.

It wasn’t happening. 

Inevitably, the writer would look at me, blink a few times, then turn to the interviewer or the group leader and ask, “What should I write?” 

 

As I took a deep breath and scrambled through my thoughts for a quick way to summarize my ramblings, another student would lean over and whisper, “She likes food… a lot.”

 

So there you have it.

Now on to the interviews:

Group #1 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about the six character traits, the four principles of A.I., and we learned about love while watching “Fireproof.”  For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.  

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Krista: DISC – (S,C) I do not like change, I like Routine, I am loyal
Philip: DISC –(D,I,) Outgoing, leader, Blunt            
Alex : DISC -  (D,I) Outgoing, Creative, Leader            

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was integrity.  The definition of this character trait is “Knowing and doing what is right all the time.” 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project-We did the right thing without arguing or complaining.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1

How do you use integrity?

She makes sure that what she writes is true.

Question 2

Why did you choose this job?

She was not looking for that job, God got it for her.

Question 3

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Gardening, cooking and reading cookbooks.

Question 4

Is this one of your most fun jobs?

Yes, she gets new responsibilities every day, she gets to meet new people every day, and she gets to post new ‘news’ every day.

*****

Group #2 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about S.M.A.R.T Goals, A.I, Strengths, and character traits. For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.  

Each student had a role in the interview process. 

Brandyn– I,S: Team player, Outgoing, talkative.
Megan – D,I: Leader, outgoing, funny.
Crystal– I,S: talkative, steady, outgoing.
Caroline – S,C:  Kind, organized, systematic. 

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was diligence.  The definition of this character trait is “investing my time and energy to complete each task assigned to me."

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project. We all talked about our plans to work on the interview, and gave people different jobs to do after the interview. 

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

How do you diligently work on the blog?

I first make a plan of how I am going to write it, then I plan a time to write the blog. 

How do you do your job diligently?

I keep a schedule of my job on a calendar near my desk. 

What are you diligent at?

I am diligent about working at the garden, cleaning my house and getting my job done every day.

How do you know what to write about people?

I ask questions, then listen when people are answering my questions and then I see the story in pictures.

*****

Group #3 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about relationships, love, strengths, and weaknesses. For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.  

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Kathryn: D, C  - Accurate, direct, and systematic
Sharon: D, I  - Direct, problem solver, and humorous
Audrey: S, C  - Loyal, careful, and perfectionist
Wade:, D, C  - Direct, correct, and blunt

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was respect.  The definition of this character trait is “Recognizing and showing  value to God, authority, others, property and myself.”  

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project: We worked together without arguing and bickering. We also had great communication with each other by asking and answering questions.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. Such as:

What do you like to do for fun?

A lot of stuff: cooking, gardening and other things. 

What is your favorite animal?

It has to be a Black Panther. 

  

How often do you write blog posts?

I try to write 3 times a week for Shepherds College and also for Shepherds Ministries.  What kinds of things does she write about? She writes about students and wishes them happy birthdays / takes pictures a lot.

How do you show respect at work?

I was on the team when they discussed the character traits. Taking time with my co-workers and God also.

*****

Group #4 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about: character traits, how to set a

smart goal, AI, and DISC strengths.  For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College. 

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Charles: – S,C – Loyal, kind, and trustworthy.
Maika: – S,C – Family- oriented, loyal, and kind.
Nikki: – I,D – Leader, people- oriented, and encouraging.

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was initiative.  The definition of this character trait is ”Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I’m asked to do it.” 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project:  We showed initiative by doing our tests right away before we were asked to do them.  Charles took the initiative by typing. Maika took the initiative to make sure we did everything right in the correct order. Nikki showed initiative by being a leader.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1: What are your interests?

Answer – Mrs. Griffis’ interests are cooking, reading books, keeping gardens, likes to dine, and likes to visit her son in Green Bay.

Question 2: What is your favorite thing to do in your job?

Answer – I love the people I serve, I like meeting new people, and I’m excited to see the other students come back.

Question 3: How do you show initiative in your job?

Answer – I ask people about their jobs to write stories. I like to help my boss out by helping him with his needs. I like to reach out to the emotions of people. 

Question 4: Where do you like to travel?

Answer – I like to travel out east. I like cooler weather and rainy weather is fine to travel in.

*****

Group #5 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about how to handle your anger, also

keep your personal information’s to yourself, and making better choices. For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College. 

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Sarah: – S, C –  Detailed, Loyal, Listener
 David: –D, I -  Talkative, Ego, Argumentative
 Israel: –I, S - Sensitive, steady, careful

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was Discernment.  The definition of this character trait is “perceiving the difference between right and wrong.“ 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project:  Making sure that we said the right question appropriately to Mrs. Griffis. Also, making sure I had the correct information after I wrote it down.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1: What do you do in your spare time outside of Shepherd’s?

Has a daughter at home to take care of, and go to baseball games with her husband.

Question 2: How long have you worked here at Shepherd’s?

6 years.

Question 3: Did you ever experience negative comments or views on your blogging?

No, she had spam, but she had to block it. 

Question 4: How do you use discernment when you are blogging?

Whether something is appropriate to post online, not harming the college.

*****

Group #6 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about S.M.A.R.T., Character Traits, and D.I.S.C. .  For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.

 

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Andrew: I & S – Talkative, Humor, and Creativity
 Anthony: D & I – Leader, Team Player, and Enthusiastic
 Ryan: S&C – Team Player, Sympathetic, and Positive
 Kati: I&S – Enthusiastic, Good Listener, and Talkative

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was Responsibility.  The definition of this character trait is “knowing and doing what is expected of me.“ 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project. We worked as a group to get this project done

.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1: How do you represent Responsibility?

Answer: Responsibility is her Number 1 Strength because she takes responsibility for everything even when she shouldn’t.

Question 2: What interest do you have outside of your job?

 

Answer: She loves doing everything with food.

Question 3: What interest do you have in your job of Social Media for the College?

Answer: The interest she has is telling the story of the students to draw people to the College.

Question 4: Do you like cats?

Answer: She likes cats but she doesn’t have pets.

Thank you, Mrs. Griffis for your dedication towards our education.  We appreciate all the work you do.

*****

And thank you students for writing this blog for me. Thank you for giving me another year of great memories at Shepherds College. I can’t wait to see every one of you back on campus in August!


Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: Taking the Time to Understand

Who likes being misunderstood? Go ahead and raise your hand. Don’t be shy. Any takers?

That’s what I thought. No one likes to be misunderstood, misinterpreted, or misjudged. It’s just not something we look forward to. Rather, we want to be understood, identified, and appreciated.

                         

These are things that Mrs. Konopasek takes the time to do.

During my week with the students at Shepherds College, I observed two of Mrs. Konopasek’s Personal Development classes for the first year students. The students were giving personal speeches for their final, and Mrs. Konopasek was grading them. All of the students did an excellent job on their speeches, but some of them had a little trouble behaving professionally either before or after their presentations.

Mrs. Konopasek, Tess, and their new reptile friend

As a teacher, what do you think Mrs. Konopasek did? Yell? Reprimand? Ignore? Send the students to the office? Fail the students? Leave the room?

Let me tell you something: being a teacher is hard stuff. On a much smaller scale, I teach children ages 3-5, one night a week for two hours at a time. It certainly feels like a lot longer than that, but it’s really just two hours.

Sometimes when I am teaching the lesson, my students start to act up. Most of the time I am so engrossed with the lesson that instead of getting to the root of the students’ behavior problems, I simply ignore them or send them to the back of the room to sit with another teacher. This tactic often proves to be detrimental.

If I would take the time to comprehend my students’ problems, I would learn that many times they’re not misbehaving on purpose. They actually have cuts on their fingers or runny noses or the need to use the restroom. A lot of the problems can be solved pretty easily and without me becoming angry or upset. I just need to take the time to listen and understand.

Mrs. Konopasek does that with her students. She listens, and she understands.

During those class periods that I observed, there were two students in particular who were dealing with some issues.

One student began to cry after she received the grade for her presentation. Instead of ignoring the student and letting her “cry it out,” Mrs. Konopasek took the time to step aside and talk to the student. She encouraged the student and reminded her that even though she had wanted a different grade, the grade she had earned was still a very good one. Mrs. Konopasek then allowed the student to get a drink of water and take a short walk to calm her down and stop the tears. The student came back into the classroom looking composed and happy again. Once the problem was understood, there was a simple solution.

Another student dealt with obedience issues throughout the entire class period. She refused to listen and follow instructions, and when she was asked to obey an additional time, she became weepy and nonresponsive. It would have been very easy to send this student to the office, but would it have solved the problem?

Mrs. Konopasek took the time to find out. She spoke to the student privately and then removed the items that had become part of the student’s problem. If the student insisted on putting her books in the wrong place, then it would be best to move them out of sight. Once these two things were done, the student behaved in a completely different way. She was engaged and involved for the rest of the class period.

My guess is that this student was dealing with nerves, tension, and the overwhelming emotions that accompany the stress of finals week. Mrs. Konopasek wasn’t looking at just the behavior problem. She considered the entire context of the situation. Without this perspective, another teacher may have simply sent the student to the office. But Mrs. Konopasek was able to dig to the heart of the problem and remove the distractions instead of removing the student.

Doesn’t it feel wonderful to be understood? At Shepherds College, you can be. All of our teachers have been blessed with the gifts of patience and understanding. And Mrs. Konopasek has an extra-special talent in these areas. If you want to be heard and understood, you’ve come to the right place, and I know that Mrs. Konopasek would be more than willing to take the time to offer care and encouragement to each student that comes her way.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.