"Perfectly Polished" Meeting #1

Last Friday morning (August 16th), all of the Honors Mentorship students attended a "Perfectly Polished" lesson taught by Debra Lassiter. She taught us the importance of first impressions. The things that she taught us are important for when we begin our mentorships and when we begin working in the future.
Over the entire lesson, the subject that stood out to me the most was appropriate conversation skills. We learned how to properly begin a conversation with introductions. When we were practicing introductions, I was able to have good posture, have good eye contact, smile, and shake another person's hand correctly. However, I was not able say the words we were taught to use without stumbling or making "sounds" (words like"um"). I found out that speaking is something that I have trouble with and really need to work on.
A very helpful and interesting tip that we were taught was what to do when you cannot find something to talk about with someone else. She told us that we should learn how to talk about a topic for each letter of the alphabet. For example, a conversation starter with the letter F could be football. A few topics could be something you know little about, and you can learn about them throughout a conversation. I have not created my topic list, but I do plan on creating this useful tool sometime soon.
The most important aspect of a conversation that I learned was what to do with your hands while you are talking. I have always wondered what to do with my hands while I talk and that it was okay to hold your hands in front of your body. It turns out I was wrong. The correct thing to do with your hands during a conversation is to keep them by your side. It is okay to use your hands while you talk but not most of the time. Not being able to use my hands a lot may conflict with what I learn during my mentorship. I have been taught by very good teachers who teach with their hands, and I would agree that it is one of the best ways to engage students and help them learn. The teachers that taught like that always seemed like the best teachers. I will have to learn to be able to be good at using my hands when teaching while also being good at not using my hands during conversations.
The "Perfectly Polished" lesson taught me a lot about great communication skills. It showed me that I have a lot of work to do when it comes to professional conversations. The meeting was very helpful, and I am interested to see what the next one will be like.

My Mission Statement and My Goals for This Year

My Mission Statement: To become a success by being the best that I can be in everything I do each and every day, and to expand the knowledge of others around me.

The dream job that I wish to have in the future is one as a mathematics professor. This year I will be mentoring with my seventh grade math teacher. Through this experience I hope to find out if I would really enjoy and love what I want to do when I get older. I will find out if I am a natural at teaching, if it is something I need to work on, or if it is something I am not cut out to do. By being involved in the Honors Mentorship Program, I hope to gain useful career experience at an early age, and it should make me stand out as an applicant when I apply to colleges and internships.
I have to get very actively involved right away if I want to get the most out of this program. I need to treat this opportunity as an actual job as if I am a student teacher. My mentor has told me that she trusts me with her class, and I just have to listen to her and observe her if I want to learn how to be a successful and effective teacher. If I do all these things, then I should receive the type of experience that I am hoping for.

First Impressions

First impressions are a key to starting off a job or internship successfully. Both the "Getting to Know Your Mentor" worksheet and the "Making Positive First Impressions" podcast stress the importance of appearance, attitude, willingness to learn, and determination. Dressing professionally tells your mentor that you are taking your opportunity seriously and that you are treating it as an actual job. However, your professional attire should not draw attention to yourself, be distracting, or be inappropriate. Having a positive and friendly attitude reflects a good character. A positive attitude should be shown by looking your mentor in the eyes and saying hello to him/her with a smile every day and by being very respectful to them and their coworkers. The most important way to make a great first impression is to show how much you want to learn from your mentor. You should prove to your mentor as early as possible that they are someone that you look up to and that you share a similar passion with them.
By this point, my mentor has already been confirmed. Luckily, I have known my mentor for a few years now, and we are far past first impressions. She already knows how hard working and passionate I am about what she does. Although we are done with her impressions, it does not mean that I should stop acting like I did when we first met. I continue to show a positive attitude, and I show that I am always willing to learn something new from her. Continuing the way you act towards your mentor goes a long way and should make a greater mentoring experience.