Need to de-stress? Come to Yoga!

Hello everyone,

We would like to remind you to sign-up for FREE CAE Yoga, taking place this Friday, December 11^th, from 12-1 PM in B47 Bascom. Take a break from your studies and do yoga in an informal setting with CAE students, mentors, and staff.

 If you’re interested, please sign up using the Qualtrics survey (https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_083RXtni2cAeHEV), and indicate whether you will need to borrow a mat (mats are not guaranteed, at this point we only have a few mats left available). Space is limited to the first 35 people!

No prior skills or yoga experience necessary. We hope you have a great week!

~CAE Academic Mentoring

Mentor Monday: Kostas!

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!

I am Kostas and it’s my first semester with CAE, tutoring for Econ 101.

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! 

Growth Mindset - Revisited

Carol Dweck did a thing. The author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success recently posted on edweek.org some clarification on the Growth Mindset. Go there right now and read it!

Have you read it yet?

Good!

Here is the basic idea: the Growth Mindset is more than just effort. Suppose I'm trying to dig a hole and use a plastic spoon, and I'm competing against someone with a shovel. Surely you wouldn't blindly praise my effort, especially when I'm not making any progress.

That being said, it's important to appreciate effort & praise learning. Show students how effort relates to learning. Encourage students to reflect on if they are fixed or growth mindset in different areas, but don't label them as "fixed".

My favorite quote from the article is "but the path to a growth mindset is a journey, not a proclamation."

She later continues with an amazing section for how to impart the growth mindset...

"How can we help educators adopt a deeper, true growth mindset, one that will show in their classroom practices? You may be surprised by my answer: Let’s legitimize the fixed mindset. Let’s acknowledge that (1) we’re all a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets, (2) we will probably always be, and (3) if we want to move closer to a growth mindset in our thoughts and practices, we need to stay in touch with our fixed-mindset thoughts and deeds."

Additionally, she looks at a more advanced "say this / not that" for continuing growth mindset.




What are your favorite parts of the article? Comment with what you learned!

Mentor Monday: Kelsey Bright!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's featured mentor is Kelsey Bright. 

Q: Hi Kelsey! How did you become involved in Academic Mentoring, and in what capacity are you involved now? 

A: I became an Academic Mentor fall semester of 2014 after wanting to work for a place that encouraged different styles of learning as well as an advanced level of tutoring beyond simply telling students how to answer questions. Fortunately, I found the CAE.

I am currently a Lead Academic Mentor for Math 112. This is my second semester as a LAM, and I love the atmosphere of group tutoring and seeing each and every one of my students grow in their learning.

Q: What is your favorite quote, favorite flavor of ice cream, and favorite fall activity? 

Favorite Quote:  “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” –Albert Einstein

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: Chocolate Peanut Butter

Favorite Fall Activity: Eating all the delicious seasonal foods!

Q: How do you stay organized?

A: I would be lost without my planners! I have a weekly planner so I can identify what I have to do each day of the week. I also have a monthly planner that I use to keep track of major assignments, exams and meetings/appointments. This way I cannot forget anything in my busy schedule.

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: I like to switch it up based on what I’m doing. I find quiet environments like Wendt Library are great for reading or solid studying. For problem sets or writing assignments I prefer a place with a little background noise like Union South or College Library.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about UW-Madison? About CAE?

A: When it comes to the university, I love the fact that it’s in a good-sized city (not too big or too small). Madison is probably one of my favorite places on earth, I love how much there is to do and how inviting the people are. My favorite thing about the CAE is the sense of community. 

The CAE is welcoming to all sorts of people and backgrounds, making it a wonderful, safe space.

Q: Do you have any advice for new Academic Mentors?

A: Always be flexible and ready to adapt to different learning styles. People learn in many different ways, so the best way you can help your student become an independent learner is to adapt to their style and continue to challenge them in ways that work best for them.

Thanks, Kelsey! Hope everyone has a great week! Don't forget to stop by for Thoughtful Thursday! 

Thoughtful Thursday: Highlighting Franchesca Ramsey

Today I want to highlight someone who make a whole lot of sense when she talks about identity and, specifically, race. A new role model for me, I present to you Franchesca Ramsey: actor, comedian, vlogger, graphic designer, consultant, and natural hair geek. We have shared some of her content before (the "what if microaggressions happened to white people" video), and all of her work is of the same level of quality, insight, and humor.

I had a much larger post written up, but honestly, her web site did a whole lot better than I can.

So, I charge you to check out her website here! http://www.franchesca.net/ 
Make sure you check out her MTV Decoded web series!


Also, follow her on twitter! https://twitter.com/chescaleigh



Leave a comment with your thoughts or favorite videos! Perhaps let us know how you've shared her content with others!

Mentor Monday: Alex Ash!

Today we're featuring Alex Ash, an awesome Lead Academic Mentor for Biology 151, who also works with students in a paired setting. Check out his great advice! 

Hey, I’m Alex and I am a senior here at UW-Madison. I am majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology and plan on going to Medical School after a gap year.

Favorite quote: Shelby Metcalf, a basketball coach at Texas A&M recounting what he told a player who received four F’s and one D: “Son, looks to me like you’re spending too much time on one subject.”

Flavor of Ice Cream: Superman

Fall Activity: Football

Q: How did you become involved in Academic Mentoring, and in what capacity are you involved now? 

A: I was looking for mentoring positions my sophomore year because I had enjoyed a lot of the science classes I had taken and wanted to help out other students in those classes. I found CAE, applied, and became an academic mentor. Currently, I am a Lead Academic Mentor for Biology 151.

Q: What's your favorite way to relax outside of school and extracurriculars? What do you really enjoy doing? 

A: Outside of school I really enjoy staying active. I like to play pretty much any sport, and find running around the best way to destress after sitting down all day in classes and/or work.

Q: How do you stay organized?

A: I have notebooks and folders for each of my classes. I also still buy the UW student planner every year that we got for free from SOAR when we were freshman. I put everything in my planner and enjoy crossing off what I need to get done when I get it done.

Q: What is your best study tip/trick/strategy?

A: For me, I have found consistent, spaced studying to work best. I try to stay on top of the lectures during the week by going to the lectures and then reviewing the notes later that day. Although I do not manage to do this every time, I try to then catch up later when I have some time. 

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: I enjoy the 3^rd floor of the SAC when it’s nice weather out and you can sit outside on the balcony they have there.

Thanks, Alex! Hope everyone has a great week, and we'll see you for Thoughtful Thursday. 

Thoughtful Thursday: Proactive? or Reactive?

Good Morning Academic Mentors!


I want to take a different angle to today's Thoughtful Thursday. Let's look at one way to think about learning - Proactive vs Reactive vs Inactive. In the moment, proactive learners function much like the growth mindset, but I want to frame this with an eye for study skills and time management.

It is critical to mention that everyone exhibits all three levels of activity in their learning! It's just a matter of which one is more prominent in decisive situations. It's also a matter of growing as much as possible... moving inactive and reactive tendencies towards proactivity.


Inactive Learner



The Inactive learner is just that, inactive. Failed a test? meh. Missed class? meh. Didn't study? meh. Don't have any idea what lecture was about? meh.

This is much more of an issue at the high school level from my experience. That being said, it can crop up in the college level too. If you notice someone going from proactive or reactive to inactive, this might be a sign the student is in distress. For more info on a student in distress, check out this previous blog post.


Reactive Learner



Ah, we have all been there, haven't we? Yes, procrastinating is a part of being reactive, but it isn't the whole thing. Let's take a look at a few characteristics...

• Accepts things as they are
• Waits to be 'taught'
• Waits until a bad grade to work hard in a class
• Exam studying is done in chunks right before the exam
• Weeks go by without studying a course because "other courses are keeping me busy"
• Fixed mindset

So, what can we do to help a reactive learner?

1. Point out reactive behavior in a kind way.
2. Point out how a reactive behavior may be causing the student undue stress.
3. Encourage students of the benefits of proactive learning.

Proactive Learning

Soooooo Bob. What are the characteristics of a proactive learner?

Well, you, here they are!

• Employs growth mindset
• Asks questions early
• Studies every course every day even if an exam is not looming
• Cramming is not necessary
• Misunderstandings are uncovered early and in smaller chunks, making them more manageable to overcome
• Student does extra problems outside of the homework
• Student seeks out academic mentors / learning support within the first two weeks of the semester.
• Student consistently attends academic mentoring even if the student needs to study for another course.

So, I ask you this: how can you help your students move from being reactive to proactive? How can we address students' reactivity or inactivity in a respectful way?

Oh, and one way YOU can EASILY help your students become more proactive is by encouraging them to attend the Time & Money Management Workshop on Wednesday, October 28th from noon-1pm at B47 Bascom Hall hosted by yours truly. Your student will be better off for attending and all you have to do is spend 30 seconds encouraging your student! What a great deal!!!!

If you don't watch Curb Your Enthusiasm... it's prettaaaay.... prettaaaaay... prettaaaay good.