So far in Community Builders, it has really been a fun journey. However, it has forced me to get a little bit out of my comfort zone. To be more specific, I am really a shy person; especially when first getting to know someone. I don't really feel comfortable starting conversations because I always draw blanks with what to say. I get intimidated by the fact that I don't know much about someone else because I don't know if there is anything that we have in common or anything that we will have in common. I usually hope to find a connection with someone if I really want to talk to them. When I am with the six graders, instead of withdrawing and sitting and waiting for someone else to start the conversation, I have had to be the one to bring something up. Rather than trying to find something that the students and I have in common, I ask them a lot of questions about themselves so that they will talk more. I feel more comfortable then because as long as they are talking, I have to ask less questions! However, they do like having someone listen to their stories and be interested in them. I am starting to be more conscious of when I start trying to relate everything back and try to stop myself. I believe that if I talk too much about myself, it might shut down other people who want to be heard. I am hoping that in future conversations, I can try to learn more about the person and only talk about myself when asked or if there is a big connection between us.
In terms of working with Matt, I feel like I was really lucky to get him as a partner. It's really easy working with him and I feel like we both generally work in a similar way. He's definitely more extroverted than I am, but his ability to be organized and punctual is something that we have in common (and it's something that is important to me and keeps me calm). I have started to realize that I rely on schedules and getting everything done on time and when that doesn't happen, I get a lot of anxiety. Therefore, when everything gets done in a timely fashion, I feel so much better. Although Matt and I are a great team, I'm afraid that I haven't really grown as much as I would had been with someone who was more different than I was. It is possible that we are more different than I realize though since we complement one another very well. Who knows? In terms of how this experience has helped me for the future, I have to realize that not everybody is going to be as awesome as Matt. Working with others is going to be a little more difficult.
For instance, working with someone of an older generation such as our AV, Pat. Pat is an enthusiastic volunteer. She always has feedback on what we do and is eager to implement her ideas into our lesson plan. Sometimes she can be a little too pushy though. After her first email with her commentary, we didn't really respond to her constructive criticism. I am not saying that we should have been defensive or anything, but rather recognized her expertise in working in Community Builders and how she's there to help. Some of her ideas are a little "old," and rather than just ignoring them, we should politely acknowledge her ideas, take them into account, and say that we might have decided to take a different approach. We are technically leading the lessons so we have to power to use or not use what we want, but we have to remember that she, too, is part of the group and can have some say. Additionally, her expertise can be helpful as I mentioned. I think that the lessons that I have learned from Pat would be being open to ideas, acknowledging someone's feedback and advice, but having the guts to use the advice or not. Plus, the older generations can feel like they are no longer useful. Pat can help us! We just need to make sure that we get her more involved in our group. Sometimes I want to please everyone, but that's not possible! I have to have faith that I have some good ideas too!
In terms of this week's lesson, I am excited to make a game of communities (similar to the game of life). Matt and I think that everyone can get involved and bring their own style to the game. Details will be shared later!
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