Activity 8

Topic 8: Workplace Safety

Task 1 - potential hazards at your service learning placement

Well, there are plenty of hazards at Domino's that I could go on and on about, but since my service learning placement is BHL... hmm...

The biggest hazard at BHL for teachers is getting caught in the middle of a fight. Mr Corley was in a sling for a few weeks last year, after he and a few othe rteachers had to break up a fight. Those kids are psycho (ok, only some of them, and only sometimes). Once there is a crowd, the fight becomes more about the show and gaining/preserving respect (here is where I go on a tirade about the fundamental problems of society when respect is gained through violence, it's primitive and.... ok, back to blog post). The best way to avoid a fight is two take the two students involved outside, away from other students view, and let them calm down. Without a crowd to rally them, they usually realize how stupid they look and will knock it off. Obviously I haven't gained this knowledge first hand, this is what I heard Mr Slovert and Corley discussing.

Or you could run down a feshly mopped hallway, slip, fracture a few bones with the fall, continue sliding to the end of the hall way, getting rug burns along the way, finally crashing skull first into the booth at the end of the hallway, causing a concussion as your head and body break through the glass of the door, scrathes and cuts all over. Your momentum sends you tumbling outside onto the pavement of the bus loading area, and when you think it's finally over, a bus comes up out of nowhere and runs over you. A last fleeting thought befor the darkness takes over, "I've got to file for worker's comp...."

Task 2 - OSHA's Safety and Health Topics

I chose an article on the Drug Free Workplace/Workplace Substance Abuse. OSHA supports and rcommends a five-component comprehensive drug-free workplace program. The five components include a policy, supervisior training, employee education, employee assistance, and drug testing. though a prgram like this is not required by OSHA, it is recomended to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. An interesting fact is that industries with the highest rates of drug use "are the same as those at a high risk of occupational injury" (consruction, mining, wholesale). Maybe their jobs suck, so they are more inclined to drug use, which keeps them from being eligible for a better job. It seems like a vicious cycle. Most businesses require a drug test to be passed for any worker's compensation. This is why I didn't file for worker's comp to pay for my $45 doctor's fee when I pulled a muscle, it's not worth losing my job over. I do not in any way support drug testing for employment. However, I do think that if something is interfering with one's performance at work, especially in a high risk industry, they should be tested. OSHA sets standards for guiding employees to rehabilitation. I do not think the business should have any responsibility for an employee using drugs, the employee should be let go if it is interferring. That employee was dumb enough to use drugs on the job, they don't deserve their job. I know that addiction is brutal, but it's something you get yourself into and have to get yourself out of (if it's not YOU, then it's not really going to help in the long run).

BHL week 6

I arrived to BHL at 8a.m. on Wednesday, April 14, ready for another monotonous day. Since the CRCT is fast approaching, all the classes are in test-prep mode. To give the students some break, ELT was just a free day; students played chess or read or worked on stuff from another class. I got to learn how to grade scantrons (it's not really that exciting, but since it was soomething to do besides sit there starring into space, it was relatively entertaining). The scantrons were from practice CRCT tests students had taken the day before; Corley was going to analyze them to pinpoint what he needs to cover over the next week.

Mr Corley had a computer lab reserved for students to go to for free time once they finised the practice CRCT. In second period, I stayed in the classroom and helped those who were still finishing. I ended up focusing my attention with two girls, helping them get through the thing and explaining concepts they didn't understand. And there were alot of them. It was as if they had notbeen present the entire year, they didn't understand the basic concepts, and this lack of understanding just got more and more vast as the year went on. One of the girls confessed that it's hard to pay attention becuase she doesn't get it regardless; the other girl said the class went way too fast. I agree with both of them, I also think class sizes are too big. These girls were not stupid or anything, they weren't disruptive like alot of students, they just didn't get the time and attention they needed and deserved. We didn't finish before the bell rang and they were scared of Mr Corley "exploding" because their test was incomplete after two days, but MR Slovert said he would explain to Corley the circumstances.

Third and fourth periods were pretty much the same, I stayed in the classroom while students finished their tests and sent them to the computer lab upon completion. During lunch and planning, the other teachers were almost trying to scare me away from teaching. Their stories are hilarious, but also frustrating when it's the same crap everyday. Ms Jordan did point out, however, that if I could survive at BHL I could survive anywhere.

Sixth period was the easiest and most boring, everyone was done with the practice CRCT so they just went straight to the computer lab for the period. Mr Corley did let me look at an interesting book, The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. It was pretty cool, about Francess Glessner-Lee, a pioneer in criminal investigation. She made dollhouse replicas of crime scenes, called Nutshell Studies, that help train investigators to search for visual clues. At the time, mid 20th century, many murders were unsolved due to forensic blunders; Glessner-Lee created the nutshell studies to help investigators properly handle evidence and better asses crim scenes. She made them with exquisite and persice detail, the photographs were creepy. She made 18 nutshell studies in all, using the most peculiar cases as a basis for her diaramas. It was very bizarre and intriguing.

Because of the CRCT, the next two weeks I will be going to BHL on Friday (4/23 and 4/30)

Activity 7

Topic 7: Creating Your Resume

Ok, I will be doing this one a little differently as well. For Mr Sigmund, I will print off a copy of my resume I have already created and have Phil give it to you. I already have a great job at Domino's, but when I finished all my course work at PLC and had a bunch of free time, I applied at a few other places to fill those hours. My brother (also my manager, awesome right?!) ended up redoing the schedule to get me the hours I want when I wanted them so I ended up not taking any new jobs. I did however make a new resume and turned it in at several places, landing three interviews (I got hired at Loco's and Rue 21, but turned both of them down to keep my main job).

As far as the "inventory of positive work traits" goes, I am supremely skilled at BSing without lying (that's pretty much what you're doing if you're making a resume for a minimum wage job, the resume is just to show that you put effort into obtaining the job; at Domino's our policy is pretty much that you have to know someone to get a job, but one time this one kid turned in a resume with his application, so he had to be hired obviously being the best candidate for the job, and he turned out to be the worst employee in recent Domino's history, also the first and only person Wil (my brother/manager) has fired).

So after listing my positive traits and academic achievements, I can expand my one job at Domino's into three separate positions: CSR (customer service representative, I work inside answering phones and cleaning and making pizza), Promo (wobble boarding, door hanging, other promotional stuff) and Game Day tent manager (me and Phil set up a tent outside Domino's on gamedays and sell pizza, I gave myself the title of manager of the tent and my bro ok'd it).

And then, making it look pretty. I don't have Micorsoft Word at home so I had to start from scratch, but it's not hard. First off, a header with my name and contact info. Then, carefully format it so it is straight forward and professional looking (using bullets instead of "-", a simple border around the edges).

One thing that I think helped me was making an objective, where I stated what kind of job I was looking for, why I wanted it, and why I was the best for it. I made different resumes for different places, highlighting my experience in the food industry and desire to gain table waiting experience for restaurants, accenting my desire to go beyond the food industry for retail stores (the Rue 21 manager said she thought I might be too smart to work there).


And now for this activity I am supposed to do a blog response to:
"What skills do you possess that are unique to you? What experiences in work or the community equip you to follow a career path you would like to pursue? What will you continue to do in your daily life to add valuable skills to your resume?"

I am very intellegent and have good reasoning skills; I like to find the most efficient way to do something (because usually things are not being done very efficiently). When being compared to others or competing against others I strive to excell and prove myself to be above everyone else. I am motivated to succeed in whatever I am doing (it's really not even that hard! I'm already in line to be promoted to assistant manager status on my 18th birthday). i prioritize my life, getting done what needs to be done before going off and having fun. I don't let ceratin habits interefere with my work, I like to know that I am on top of thinngs before I relax and chill.

BHL week 5

I only stayed for a few hours this week, from 8 until 12. I pulled a muscle at work the day before and it was hurting quite badly and interfering with my breathing. Plus, Mr. Corley usually forgets that I am coming and doesn't have anything for me to do. These next few weeks are preparation for the upcoming CRCTs, so the classes have been primarily review lectures. I pretty much just migrated around the room, reminding students to be quiet. I took up a few notes but eventually just let it slide; they would talk out loud and disturb others without passing notes, and they were not paying attention even when the notes were gone.

This week was excruciatingly boring, the worst yet. The lectures were rather dry, just covering the basic ideas that will be on the CRCT. In first period, ELT, we went through a practice CRCT with the class. I have realized, alot more could get done if there were far fewer students in the classes. With 30 kids in a class with one teacher, it is difficult to get all 30 minds focused on the same thing at once. We're lucky to get barely 15 kids paying attention at any given moment.

The next classes were the same lecture over and over, the basic ideas and concepts that will be tested on the CRCT. It was not only boring for me but for the other students as well. The lectures would be great for auditory learners, but that's not the majority of the class. I was tempted to ask if I could take a small group of three girls (the ones who were passing notes) out into the hall to do our own review, but Mr. Corley is very fussy about that kind of thing. I'll bring it up next time in the morning before students arrive to see what he says...

Arround 11:30 the boredom combined with the petulant throbbing of my right ribs and lung area became too much. I called my dad who insited on taking me to the doctor, and though I was admantly opposed the day prior, any form of relif was welcomed. I asked Mr. Corley if it would be ok to leave and before I even finished explaining he just told me to go, that it was a dreadfully dull day he agreed.

I will be back on Wednesday, April 14 for a regular day, but the two weeks after have CRCTs on Wednesdays so I will be going on Friday April 23 and Friday April 30. I am supposed to go May 5 and May 12, but there is lots going on so I may be going on different days. Even though I only got in 4 hours this week, if I stay 4 more full days I will finish with 71.5 hours (I have 34 right now).

Activity 6

Topic 6: Attendance and Timeliness

I didn't go to BHL this week because of graduation testing, but it's not like I'm missing anything.

Task 1: Helpful Hints

"1. Rise and Shine! Set your alarm clock for 20 minutes earlier than necessary. That way, you can either hit "snooze" in the morning, or have extra time to get ready."
This would be useful if I was crunched for time in the mornings, but since I already get up early and don't have issues with being late, I'll pass on this hint... But not that it's a bad suggestion, when I had to be at Jefferson at 7:45 every morning, waking up a little earlier so I wasn't rushed was nice.

"2. Be Prepared! Have your clothes washed, ironed and laid out the night before so you can get dressed faster."
Fo' Sho'. My teacher clothes have their own special drawer in my dresser.

"3. Multitask! Prepare your lunch for the next day ahead of time while making your dinner."
I eat lunch at school and it's honestly one of the best meals I eat all week. I get awfully tired of Domino's and Lean Cuisine.

"4. Know where you are going! Get directions to your service site before your first visit. Plan your route and know how long it takes to get there."
BHL is like 5 minutes from my house.

"5. Expect the unexpected! Understand that not everything will go smoothly in the mornings. Give yourself enough time to deal with any potential problems that may arise, such as traffic jams, spilling something on your clothes or running out of gas."
I usually give myself a comfortable time frame to avoid stuff like that...

"6. Call ahead! If you are going to be late, make sure you have the phone number of the place where you are going. Call as soon as you know you will be late and give an honest estimate of how long it will take you to get there. Apologize for the delay and work harder the next time to get there on time."
Or better yet, don't be late.

"7. Save your absences! Always reserve your absences for when you really need to take them. If you miss work, school or your service learning because you take a vacation day, your boss, teacher or mentor will be less sympathetic to you needing to also take a sick day. Be sure you need to be absent before you miss a scheduled responsibility."
Well, I think the graduation tests are a good enough reason. Plus I've got and will have plenty of hours.

Task 2: Understanding where your time goes
I usually spend about half an hour (if not more) sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, thinking, talking to my dad, listening to music, going online... This is an important part of my routine, it's how I "start" my day. And since I don't have problems with tardiness, I have no reason to alter it.

Task 3:

I. Discuss a variety of ways you can implement time management into your daily life.
I plan out the next day the night before, making sure I have plenty of time to do what I need to do and have transportation to where I need to be.

II. What would you do if you became overwhelmed with obligations?
Prioritize and cut some of them down or out. I spend too much time being bored to not fulfill my obligations.

III. Give your blog an appropriate title.
Is "activity 6" ok? Not very creative, but I like to keep things organized.