Nathan Dunavant

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

One of the very few things that brings relief to my unwanted stress is tending to my garden on a daily basis. Ten minutes of tending or a half hour of watering gives me time to unplug and relax, give it a shot. The harvest provides additional activities and enjoyment as well.

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

Healthy Stress

This section stated that there is no such thing as a healthy stress that helps with productivity; this is subjective. 1. Have you ever been shot at? 2. Have you ever played sports? Stress can cause a release of adrenaline and adrenaline definitely helps you focus and be more efficient at whatever task is at hand. I think that if we compare unwanted stress versus measured stress then we might come to a better understanding of the pros and cons of stress. Is it not beneficial to put yourself in a stressful situation or stretch your comfort zone to improve yourself?

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

Cutting the grass

It was mentioned in this section that the top two sources of feeling disorganized (stressed in my book) are a messy house or an unkempt yard. I believe this completely as I always feel a lot better after I finish cutting and trimming my yard, it's clean and organized and it makes me happy. I know that it's going to keep growing and I know that I'll have to cut it again but the feeling of accomplishment and calm after cutting the grass is a good one. This same sense of accomplishment is hard to achieve with other ongoing tasks… >>>

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

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Being too accommodating?

It's true that regardless of a disability a student's instructor needs to know when to ask for help,I'm not arguing that point. My point is that some people abuse their position and instructors don't know what they can say no to so they take the high road and give too much. Giving too much to a student is the problem that I see as it does not help them retain the material, it just helps them pass the class.

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

Being too accommodating?

I'm not saying giving them extra time to complete a task is a crutch, I'm saying that the time an instructor spends with that student and away from the other students is an issue. If a student needs help from the instructor then it should be offered regardless but, when overcompensating for fear of not meeting ADA accommodations, the other students in the class suffer. The issue that was my concern was the student who abuses the instructor at the cost of the other students. Having a disability doesn't give you the right to be selfish, I have seen this… >>>

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

Being too accommodating?

I think that it's a bit too easy to overcompensate time on task when working with a student with a disability for fear of not meeting their needs. I think in doing this that we short change our other students and end up letting the students we make accommodations for get away with sub par work and poor attitudes which, in the long run, is not beneficial to that student. While I'm on my soap box I'd like to add that I think it's ridiculous that I have to have documentation if a student needs specific accommodations. I have, in… >>>

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

Promoting Individuality

I've found that cliques form small pockets of groupthink where in the stronger individual takes the role of the leader and the weaker in the groups suffer the fallout of groupthink. What are some ways to break up small pockets of groupthink and promote individuality?

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

The pen is mightier than the smile

I tried the pen in the mouth smile, the pen won but, it was funny and I smiled. I will recreate this in class with my students. :)

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

Picking Teams

I usually place my classes in groups of four after observing them for one week, I go down my grade book selecting the strongest numbered 1-10 and then select the weaker students numbered 1-10 and then fill in the blanks with average students numbered 1-10, this way my groups are well rounded and I let the students know that this was a random selection.

Nathan Dunavant CHEP

Discussion Comment

An idea from the "hot line"

During my time in kitchens I learned that listening to my cooks for ideas was most often the best way to finding the solution for the problem, if you are in a position that can see the problem every day you're the most likely person to have the best solution. Following this same idea, I like to listen to what my instructors and our students have to say to find the solution to a problem that I might have just been exposed to.