Sara Selwanes

There is a process to bonding and building rapport. Don't skip out on the small talk but also don't focus on it, build to mutual interests. "See the end before you begin", is also a great tip when working towards any goal but it's great to have in mind when working with students and prospective students. 

I believe presenting prospective students with the information that they no longer need to receive face-to-face is valuable especially with time and rather presenting something more personable to a prospective student during the face-to-face interactions will help the process. 

I truly enjoyed learning the importance of each department and their effect on student retention. From admissions, orientations, student services and career services, we each have a role in creating a positive and successful student experience. 

I learned that timely intervention, academic integration and even graduation ceremonies can affect retention. I think it's important to have teachers/instructors be trained and know how to work with all types of students. 

I have always found the value in mentorship. I learned how important it can be to retention and the organization of setting up even an informal mentorship program. 

The concept of Te Whare Tapa Wha is such an important one to understand and truly practice. The four areas, physical, psychological, spiritual and family all need to be balanced to positively affect your attitude and energy. Your attitude and energy in turn affects those around you, including your students and coworkers. 

It's incredible how much a positive attitude can affect your students prospective on their educational career and their lives, but also how it affects your own mental and physical health. I will aim to have a positive attitude at every interaction. My question that I hope this course will cover, is how to increase positive attitude when you're feeling unmotivated or on low energy days. 

Advanced listening skills vary so much but each help us to be effective listeners. A few thing I took away from this module is to be relatable, respond first to feelings then content and that messages can be spoken or unspoken. All of these will help student connect more. The great part about all of this is that these skills can be learned and developed!

One thing I learned from this module that I found interesting and would like to work on is affirm and acknowledge. I believe I do my best with my students and repeat what they tell me to clarify but I should do more to affirm them and "hear what they're saying"  - a powerful tool when building a relationship. 

Through the Belbin model, I learned that each member of a team plays a role. It's also important to assess your time prior to the start of a project to identify any missing areas that can be of concern.