In all of my years in the High Tech High system, junior year has given me by far the most hard skills. I was given a much larger workload than I had received in the past and had to learn myself how to manage it. I finally cemented skills that I had been introduced to years before like making to do lists, balancing different classwork, or managing my time appropriately. Soft skills however, have simply continued to grow. This year I learned the value of self advocacy in a very different way than before. In past years I might have been okay with asking for help on a math problem, but I still didn’t know how to be a student and be okay with failing. It’s still a challenge, but this year has pushed me in unique ways that forced me to have to say something. For the first time, I told a teacher I couldn’t, that it was too much for me. We came to a compromise and together figured out a way for me to complete the assignment without sacrificing my mental health. This taught me an important lesson in communication. It is far better to be honest and forward before things get to an extreme point. Typically, I consider myself a strong communicator and have no problem talking through conflict and speaking my mind in a constructive way. However, when it comes to admitting that I can’t or giving myself slack, it’s very difficult to say it to myself, much less to an adult that believes in me. I think by working with a trusted adult, my internship will be a good opportunity to get used to accepting or denying work while being mindful about what is fair to me AND my mentor.
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"To Sir with Love" - LuluAbove all, I hope my future holds contentment. I want to be a teacher, a mother, and I want to be happy. It took me a good amount of time to decide that I wanted to get into education. Being the daughter of an immigrant and the little sister of an ivy leaguer, I wanted to succeed, and badly. I cycled through lawyer, doctor, politician, etc., but I knew in my heart that I wouldn’t be able to do it. The long and grueling hours were something that I knew that wouldn’t fulfill my need for a changing environment and interpersonal relationships. I knew that I wanted to help people, but I couldn’t find where I could do that and still be sane. My love for children and my amazing teachers allowed me to see the light. I decided that regardless of the condescending laughs I get each time I say I want to be a teacher, this is the path that would bring me the most joy and allow me to connect with the world. My biggest obstacle in achieving my goals is stress management. As you can see by my other posts, my mental state takes a large toll on my life. I hope to learn from my mentor and other adults in my life how to prioritize my tasks while taking care of myself. I am very excited going into my internship as my mentor is my old advisor and we already have a strong relationship. Since I already have a relationship, I believe I will be able to learn much more and be trusted with much more during my time with her.
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AuthorFollow my path as I attempt to stick the landing on the most difficult academic year of my life so far. Archives
June 2019
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