Hi everyone, and happy week of Thanksgiving! We took a few weeks off from Mentor Monday, but we are back today with Kostas. He's a new mentor that has a lot of great advice. Enjoy!
My favorite quote as of late would be “Be the change that you
wish to see in the world”.
Favorite ice-cream flavor: Anything with chocolate really, I
am not that picky when it comes to
chocolate.
Favorite winter activity: Just enjoying the beauty and fun
of winter without being exposed to immense cold (no, I have not gotten used to
the Madison winter yet)
I became involved with CAE when I received an email from the
center this past summer. I wasn’t explicitly looking for a mentoring position,
but I felt that the goals of the program and its approach really coincided with
mine, so I figured it would be a great match, and I was right.
What’s your favorite study spot on campus?
My favorite study spot is definitely the cages in Memorial
Library. Interestingly, when I first went there on my first few days on campus
I thought it was the most unwelcoming and unhospitable study spot one could possibly
find. I quickly changed my mind, however, as I came to realize their wild
beauty and their unparalleled efficiency.
Do you have any advice for new academic mentors?
If you think tutoring for a course you only took a semester
or two ago is hard, you are right. This is exactly why you should do it. We
often challenge our students to adopt the growth mindset, but in the process we
may forget that we have everything to win if we focus on that direction for our
own personal benefit as well.
How do you stay organized?
As it has been mentioned previously on a Mentor Monday, a
smartphone organizer app is a must. I keep track of my short-, medium- and
long-term To-Do lists, I write down every thought of mine that is related to
each course I am taking so I can discuss it with professors or TA’s, and of
course I keep an agenda of some sort, just because it is easier than collecting
little cards with appointment times on them.
What is your favorite strategy card/activity/game to play to
help solidify information in sessions?
A way I often use in my section to engage my student is not
really an activity or a game. When we start our session, I’ll just ask the
student to “fill me in” about what has happened conceptually in the course over
the week. This way, we both revisit the material briefly, we identify any rough
spots we need to polish and of course, we build on our conceptual map of the
material. It is also quite encouraging for the student, as it offers a nice
opportunity to realize what he/she is comfortable with explaining and expanding
on, without the pressure of a graded examination or a formal instructor of the
course, such as a professor or a TA.
Thanks so much, Kostas!
Hope everyone has a great week!
