Diversity

As a child my mother always told me it’s what is on the inside of people that counts, and that you should never judge someone because of how they look on the outside.  However, from what Denise Williams said last Wednesday, we cannot help but to categorize or profile people.  It is the way our brain works, and the very essence of the way we begin to learn at a very young age. 

Diversity is all around us.  It is all of our differences:  race, gender, height, weight, hair color, age, major, hobbies, and many more.  However not all of our differences play a large role in the scheme of it all.  Things like what we major in, or what we like to do for fun, or even what city we are from in Iowa do not necessarily affect our life chances or the way we are treated in certain situations.  Last Wednesday, we were asked to focus on the more important aspects of diversity—things such as gender, sexual orientation, race, physical abilities, or socio-economic status.  Depending on what we identify as, we may experience some unfair treatment, profiling, or stereotyping. 

As a peer mentor next year, I think it important that we take what we learned about diversity and apply it to any necessary situation.  Although with the Hixson program, we might not see a ton of obvious diversity, it is still there.  The topic of diversity makes me think of a lot about the need for respect and acceptance.  When working with our peers and new students next year, we must remember that we are all unique individuals.  We have all experienced different things prior to coming to Iowa State, and many of our student’s life situations will be very different from our own.  It vital that we attempt to explore these differences and gain more prospective on other environments.  Next year, we face situations involving some type of diversity that we may not be used to.   Understanding diversity is a must—we have to look past the differences and get to the root of the problem.  

Ethics

To me, ethics means sacrifice.  So many times I have found myself in a situation where the right thing or moral choice to make was neither what I wanted to do nor the easiest to do.  In class last week, we had the chance to share with each other what ethics means to us.  Some talked about rights and wrongs, others mentioned conscience decisions, and we even had a metaphor of the miniature devils and angels sitting atop our shoulders.  I must say, I was in agreement with every mentor’s outlook.  Ethics is a complex topic—we were all raised in different environments and taught different values.  We all might have different opinions about what is the right decision to make in certain situations, why it is right or wrong, and the possible consequences and outcomes of the decisions we make.

When one is faced with a decision that requires reliance on ethics, it is important that they consider every possible direction to go and each the potential results.  The activity that Alex and Easton lead demonstrated this well.  We were put into groups and asked to analyze a specific problem, all of the options, and their consequences. 

As a peer mentor or any type of educator, ethics will play a large role in many of the decisions we make.  During this activity, the scenario that my group had brought up a very important point in regards to ethics and peer education—knowing where to draw the line when determining what is appropriate for the mentor-mentee relationship.  The scenario was that the student wanted their mentor to become their workout partner.  We decided that it was not ethical for the mentor to take on this position, because as an educator we have a responsibility to make sure there is no confusion about the type of relationship there is between the two.  Although some of the mentors did not think there was anything wrong with meeting a student to work out, others felt that a one on one activity like that would not be appropriate.  The different opinions on the topic that was clear to me, was a fine example of the difference in viewpoints and ethical behavior.   

Peer Mentor Retreat

Last week we had a peer mentor retreat.  We started the retreat by playing Silas’ version of “the Hunger Games.”  This was an interactive game that focused on the importance of clear communication.  After grass-staining our jeans and taking some competitive dives for that can of pop, we returned indoors for a workshop about lesson plans.  During this activity we had a chance to talk to every other peer mentor about suggestions for better lesson planning.  Next year we will have to make several lesson plans for our recitation sections.  Some of the lesson topics we will be planning will be about finances, diversity and leadership, time and stress management, student wellness and goal setting, and Iowa State resources and history.  It was nice to be able to get everyone’s perspective on what a good lesson plan entails.  Some things that we talked about were interactive games and icebreakers that will help the students get to know each other better.  Also, we talked about including the objectives for our lesson plans and keeping track of time.  The organization and layout of the lesson plans were a hot topic as well.  It is important that they are easy to read/ understand so that another peer mentor could give your lesson if need be.  We also came up with lots of good points to include in our lesson plans for each topic.  Brainstorming with the entire class was very helpful, and our lesson plans are sure to be much better after the discussion.  

Iowa State Resources

This past Wednesday we discussed campus resources.  At Iowa State we have access to many different programs and individuals that are here to help us succeed.  In this blog I will highlight some of the resources that I believe are the most useful and that everyone should check out.  First and foremost the Iowa State advisors are very helpful.  My advisor has helped me with many things including my schedule, a four-year plan, dropping a course, and even with some financial advice.  The advisors are here to help and give advice, and we all should take advantage of their advice and direction.  Another resource that I find very valuable is the Academic Success center.  I have used the center to find a tutor for a class that I was struggling in, and the website also has the list for all of the supplemental instruction session.  The Academic Success Center can help with an abundance of other issues as well.  I also found the financial aid office in Beardsheare to be quite helpful as well.  I utilized this resource a lot my freshman year; I was very unsure of the process for financial aid, and the advisors their helped my with everything!  One last resource that I suggest everyone take advantage of is Iowa State’s Study Abroad Center.  This program is awesome if you are thinking about going abroad any time during your academic career.  They walk you through the entire process from applying to coming home.  They have numerous programs to choose from, and they will help you find a time, place, and budget perfect for you. 

College and the many adventures that come with it can seem like a scary and difficult thing.  However, with as many resources and people we have at our feet here on campus, there is nothing Iowa State students cannot conquer.  Weather it be trouble with a course or professor, questions about financial, or even needing a place to feel safe, there is always someplace to turn.  

Strategies for Academic Success

Laura and Sebastian’s lesson was about academic success.  I think that this topic was an important subject to focus on as peer mentors.  Not only is our own academic success important as leaders here at Iowa State, but it vital that we know some strategies for success and about the obstacles students face academically for the students we will be working with next fall.  In class we did some good activities and group discussion about the three different categories that influence our academic success.  The first is a circumstance factor.  This includes things like socio-economic status, family situations, and geographic location.  In regards to the circumstance factor and my academic success, I think of my Hixson scholarship.  Without my scholarship, I might not be here getting an education here at Iowa State.  The second factor is personal:  attitudes, self-perceptions, behaviors, and values.  My personal factors have a major influence on my academic success.  While I tend to be a procrastinator and am easily distracted, I am highly motivated and value and education.  The last factor we discussed was our Abilities.  These were things like high school records, ACT scores, and other placement tests.  I am not the best at standardized tests, but my GPA and previous academic success landed me a spot here at Iowa State.  Every student should think about these different factors and their variables and weather they help or hinder their academic success.  Also, as mentors we will be a better resource for our students; we will be better able to diagnose academic issues and help to find a fitting solution.