Blog #9 Class Reflection

While scheduling classes, I was told by a peer to take Team and Organizational Leadership. I did not think that this class would be benefit my life in so many ways. I was a little hesitant to speak the first couple of classes because I did not know how my classmates would react to my life experiences. After a couple of classes went by, I began to feel more comfortable and welcoming by the class, so I began to tell my stories. The reactions I got from my peers made me feel comfortable telling personal stories about my life. I have also gained many new friends by taking this course. Team and Organizational Leadership has helped me go beyond my comfort zone and take risks.

One of the first things we did in class was take the StrengthsQuest quiz. I have never taken this type of assessment before, so I did not know what to expect. My results were very accurate and my top five strengths described my perfectly. My top two strengths were includer and woo. One of the many things I like to do is include those people who feel left out or unwanted. This makes me feel good inside knowing that person is feeling loved and cared for. It is very beneficial to know my strengths because I have many upcoming job interviews and those could assist me. Interviewees would be very impressed with how I can help and strengthen the company I am applying for.

One assignment that will help me now and in the future was the leadership plan assignment. This project helped me sort out of my short and long-term goals. I described each goal in depth and how I will achieve that goal now or later on. This assignment showed me that if I want to reach something, I need to work for it. I have completed some of my short-term goals and are striving to reach some long term ones. I am now aware of what tasks I need to perform in order to reach my desired goals. For example, one of my short-term goals was to receive a 4.0 GPA. I talked about how I lacked esteem and confidence and the only way I can achieve this is if I believe in myself. , “Esteem is enhanced if you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and know you are growing and progressing in the areas you want to improve” (157-158). I think this really does show that it is not impossible to grow and we should accept ourselves.

Lastly, this course has taught me how to be a leader and not a follower. We talked about how there are many leaders in our world, but a lot more followers. People believe that they should not speak up or take control in a group or work situation. They often just listen and follow the tasks of the leader. I have now taken control and spoken up in group or work settings. This makes me feel like I have achieved something that I have tried to accomplish all my life. In high school I was often scared to voice my opinion, but now I have matured and it is not a problem for me anymore. This class has helped me grow as a person and has prepared me for the future ahead.

Blog #8 Community

When I was a senior on my high school basketball team, our school motto was community. Every organization or group we had, people came together and formed this community with one another. During my senior year of basketball, my main goal was to beat our rival school since it was years since we did. 

Looking at the faces of the freshman girls trying out for the team was very interesting. Many different emotions were present like happiness and intimidation. This represents Pecks first stage of pseudocommunity. After a week of practice has gone by, players are starting to form relationships with one another on and off the court. The girls have gotten through the tough times of joining a team, making friends. This represents the theory of chaos. The girls are then letting down their barriers and going outside of their comfort zone. The players are letting out their failures and fears to one another while looking forward to the upcoming season. I saw all of this take place after two weeks of practice and can relate to it when I first joined the team. This represents the theory of emptiness. Lastly, the game against our rival team has finally approached. There are mixed feelings as to how everything is going to play out, but my team is ready for the challenge. As the game comes to an end and we finally win after four years, tears of happiness and shouts of joy occur. The team forms together as a community and feels as if they can overcome any challenge they encounter. This is the last stage in Pecks theory, true community.

Overall, Pecks theory is a good representation of my experience. It shows that a team can start from nothing to form a community and be one with each other. It is important to follow each stage in order to reach a particular goal.

Blog #7 Target and Non-Target Identities

There are many groups of people who have to encounter each other in a certain situation every day.  These people may be from different minority groups and may or may not like the other person because of their race, gender, or religion. I have experienced many target and non-target identities throughout my life.

A target identity like religion is something that people look at wrongly. I am Catholic and have a strong belief in my religion. I think it is very important to me and also to my family to have this strong belief in God. When people I interact with use God’s name in vein, it bothers me immensely. They are using his name wrongly and in incorrect conditions. I usually address this problem to them, but sometimes keep it to myself or I will be laughed at for having this bother me so much. People would think I am joking or it is not a big deal. My catholic religion takes this very personally. I can say that I have sometimes messed up and said his name in vein before, but was then reprimanded by my family. This social identity group is often looked at by people as nothing and not important.

I have also got called out for going to private school all my life. People see this as you are stuck up or snotty. My parents have sent my sisters and to this school to receive Catholic education. They want us to learn more about our religion and attend mass regularly. People in our society automatically judge you on the school and not the things you are learning at the school. They want me to receive a good education while still learning about our dominant religion. I try to not let this get to me since it was back in high school, but when the past is brought up, people never let anything go.

On the other hand, being a white female has many privileges that other people do not receive. Racism troubles have never been a problem for me and I am very blessed to have this benefit. I cannot imagine all the complications that have occurred with people of different races. This is an ongoing problem that is still occurring in our world today. Even though I have not encountered any of these harsh remarks, I still see them happening everyday. I think these problems need to be addressed and stopped immediately. I believe that everyone is the same no matter what race they are. Everyone should be treated equally.