Martin,+Melinda

** About Me: **
Hi! My name is Melinda. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. I became acquainted with life abroad, when my first job out of college took me to Masan, South Korea. While there I was thrust into the deep end as an ESL instructor at a private language school. I met my Kiwi husband, Andrew, there and since then we’ve enjoyed living and working overseas. While in New Zealand, we were blessed with a sweet baby girl, Jordan Emma. We thought we’d like her to experience life in Asia, so we headed to Taiwan. Taiwan was an incredible place to work and live and will forever hold a place in our hearts. 6 years later Jack Jeremiah joined our family 10 weeks early and spent 65 days in a NICU unit in rural Pennsylvania. Now, he is a rambunctious 2 year old who keeps us on our toes! Our family is currently living in Amman, Jordan and enjoying the treasures that Jordan has to offer.


 * Assignment 1 **

I’ve got several different interests in this course.


 * 1) Firstly, I am interested in learning how to be a positive presence in handling conflict in the unique environment of international schools. For us international school teachers, our colleagues may also become our primary social network as we live in a foreign country. I have found that the social environments of international schools, if not healthy, can have an immensely detrimental effect on staff morale.
 * 2) Secondly, I have worked at schools that have large populations of both expatriate and host country teachers. I would like to learn more maintaining peace and positive relationships amongst those factions.
 * 3) Thirdly, I would like to explore specific age-appropriate strategies to teach students about how to independently resolve some of their conflicts with their peers. I would like to learn more about teaching students about how to distinguish when to handle something on their own and when to seek help.
 * 4) Fourthly, I am interested in learning about how discipline policies shape the overall peacefulness of a school environment. I’d like to learn more about schools who are using restorative justice.
 * 5) Finally, I’d like to learn more about how to handle conflict with challenging parents. I am interested in exploring how to promote an parent-student-teacher TEAM approach, with parents and students who tend to take a more adversarial approach to the student-parent-teacher relationship.

=**Assignment 2**=

Whilst visiting family in England, my husband mentioned that I needed to watch American History X for a course I was taking. So we spontaneously decided to have an Adults Only Movie Night! My husband, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and I sat down to watch the video together after we put the kids to bed. It certainly provided us with a great deal to chat about after the film; a departure from the usual conversations about family, life, work, sports, etc.

As the movie unfolded, it was intriguing to watch the ways in which the character’s experiences shaped their beliefs. Throughout the course of the movie, we all believed that Derek first became susceptible to feeling hatred after his father died, as he needed an outlet for his anger and frustration at the wrongful death of his father. We thought it was quite brilliantly revealed, towards the end of the film, that the initial seed of hate was actually planted by his father. In that dinner conversation scene, you could see Derek’s openness and enthusiasm towards studying Black History with Dr. Sweeney become a bit tainted by the negativity and hateful comments of his father. Another powerful scene, was the dinner conversation scene that involved Derek’s mother’s boyfriend and Derek’s girlfriend. As the family all sat around the dinner table, the conversation eventually grew heated and conflict arose as Derek’s anger spiraled out of control. Murray, the mother’s boyfriend, emerged as an immensely calm, patient, caring man despite the horrific words that were hurled at him by Derek. We were led to wonder how the family’s story could have unfolded different if Murray would have joined the family? Would his influence in the family been able to counteract the impact that Derek had on the entire family?

Throughout the duration of the movie, Dr. Sweeney remained an admirable figure, with incredible patience and tolerance. There were several scenes in which Dr. Sweeney was an inspirational figure, particularly for us as teachers. We were initially introduced to Dr. Sweeney in the scene, where he refused to give up on Danny, after Danny wrote a paper on Mein Kampf. As educators, we can draw inspiration from seeing the impact we may have on a student, by simply refusing to give up on a student. Danny’s friends, the influence of Cameron, and his adoration for his older brother certainly contributed to him developing his hateful rhetoric. I was particularly moved by Dr. Sweeney comforting Derek after Derek was brutally raped in the prison. To see Dr. Sweeney gently pat the skin on Derek’s back...the same skin that was covered with neo-Nazis tattoos, was immensely humbling and challenging. How could Dr. Sweeney bear it? How could he remain compassionate?

What led to Derek changing his ways? While it was a confluence of factors we agreed that it was the influence of the fabulously hilarious Lamont and the unwavering support of Dr. Sweeney. Lamont was a steadily positive influence on Derek, as they worked together folding laundry. Lamont refused to give into Derek’s stony silence and day after day continued chatting. You could see the switch being flicked, when Derek’s walls finally crumbled as he succumbed to Lamont’s joke telling and goofiness. The friendship that developed served to open his mind. This movie was an excellent choice to vividly portray the impact that one’s environment can have in shaping one’s worldview.

= = =** Assignment 3 **=


 * Elements of a Peaceable School Community **

For this assignment, I chose to think about the school community as a whole, as early in my career, I became intrigued with how, as a visitor, I got different vibes at particular schools. One of my first jobs was to teach First Aid to primary students at schools all over Southland, New Zealand. One of my favourite aspects of that job was having morning tea with the teachers in the staffroom. It was during that time, that I began to think about much could be learned about a school by observing some of the interactions that took place in the staffroom and how the staffroom provided a window into what the school felt like.

Throughout my teaching career, I have experienced varying degrees of peaceability within schools. One of the most important aspects of a peaceable school community is one in which all stakeholders’ voices are respected. In a peaceable school, students, parents, teachers, administrators and other staff members must feel as though their voices can be heard without fear of retribution. A peaceable school community values open communication. Stakeholders have the responsibility of finding an appropriate way to engage in challenging conversations or discuss the inevitable conflict that may arise.

In a peaceable school community backhanded forms of communication are not tolerated. The expectation should be that grievances are aired appropriately and the correct line of communication would be followed. For example, if a parent has a concern, she should first speak to the teacher before pursuing conversations with other stakeholders. Teachers feel disrespected when they are circumvented in the flow of communication. Students need to be encouraged to learn appropriate tools so they can learn to manage their own conflicts. This includes learning appropriate strategies to settle a dispute over a highly sought after eraser or discussing a mark with a teacher. The student needs to learn how to handle conflict, both minute and significant.

In a peaceable school community administrators should provide a listening ear and openly accept feedback from teachers and students on how the school can be improved. Differing opinions amongst teachers regarding best practices for learning and behaviour management strategies should be openly discussed, creating a dialogue so that teachers could learn from one another. In an international school setting, with teachers coming from a wide variety of backgrounds and training experiences, it is essential that these differences are acknowledged and discussed.

If Hank walked into my school community and saw me in action, this is what I hope he would see. I strive to be a stakeholder in my community who does not feed into negativity and does not gain pleasure from conflict. I like to be the person who is able to be a positive presence in bridging gaps between others...the teacher who is not a member of one particular social clique, but instead enjoys positive relationships with most of her colleagues.

In the staffroom, I’d like to be the teacher who can provide a listening ear to the colleague who needs to vent without providing accelerant for her frustration. I try to acknowledge her distress while also providing encouragement. To help maintain a peaceful environment in the staffroom, Hank might see me chatting up the socially awkward teacher who is struggling to be liked by colleagues. Or, he might see me having a chat with teachers who are new to the school to ensure that they are settling in comfortably and finding their way around. Hank would probably see me trying to take note of where I stand or sit in the staffroom, so that I get the opportunity to chat with different members of staff.

With my principal, Hank would see my acknowledging the great things that are happening in the school but then trying to tactfully make a suggestion about how we might try to improve staff morale or bolster student participation in sport. With my students, Hank would see me encouraging them to independently solve their own problems by equipping them with “back-pocket responses” and having conversations with them about how their body language and tone of voice may be contributing to how they are being perceived by others. With my students’ parents, Hank would be see me taking their feedback and concerns on board. He would see me being incredibly careful with my body language, tone of voice, and word choice to ensure that my message comes across appropriately.

Oscar Arius said, “There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that establishing clear meaning and communicating it effectively is the most important tool for peace.” As a teacher, parent, wife, I am working on this every day. When tired, my tone breaks down, my volume gets too loud, I say things I don’t mean….I struggle to communicate effectively. It has taken practise to become self-aware of when my personal communication is breaking down. As a teacher, I’d like to constantly challenge myself and my students to maintain awareness of how we are communicating with others.

**How my Experiences Shape My Perceptions**
Wow! This lesson has certainly come at a compelling time, in light of how events are unfolding in the world. As I write this, it is a week after the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling; a week after the death of five police officers. I am outside of the United States so I don’t see firsthand how conversations and dialogue are unfolding. However, it certainly has been interesting seeing how conversations on my facebook feed have been unfolding. Reading the posts of my American friends includes sentiments from people who are in interracial relationships, friends who are police officers, friends who have barely left rural Pennsylvania, friends who have doctorates and friends who have a high school degree, friends who are card carrying members of the NRA… With our vastly different backgrounds, experiences, education levels, how do we all make sense of it?

I’ve got one part of my heart in the USA, while a large piece of my heart reside outside of the US. Having spent nearly all of my adult life outside of the USA, the places I have lived have-South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Jordan- have shaped my outlook. So, any sense I try to make about gun violence is certainly influenced by my experiences. My family is in the midst of deciding if we want to give life in the United States a try or whether we should move to New Zealand. There are many factors to consider; a massive concern is safety. Many of my American friends and acquaintances, thought it crazy that I would willingly take my family to the Middle East. Research paints a different picture.

Some basic research led me to [|__gunpolicy.org__] to look at the global impact of gun volence. I was curious to see how PA and NC(where we hope to move) compared to other places I’ve lived and traveled. While the results weren’t surprising, the visual image the graph created, really made me pause.

From Gun Policy.org (International Firearm Injury Prevention and Policy) I was led to the I [|Institute for Economics and Peace.] My children are fortunate to have New Zealand passports. What is best for their future? New Zealand ranks 4th on the Global Peace Index while the United States is 103rd. The research I've conducted for this course is likely to have an impact on decisions I make in my personal life!



**Perceptions of Violence**
I took a few liberties with this assignment, in terms of how I administered the questions. I posted the assignment on facebook as a [|__google form__] and asked friends to help me out. Over 60 of my facebook friends took the quiz. //Some of the people who took the quiz do not live in the United States.//


 * Breakdown of Respondents' Answers **

**Rate of Crime**
//My perception that violence has remained fairly constant was correct. However, it was interesting to note that the majority of respondents thought that statement was false. Once again, I think the timing of this course may play a role in whether people believe it has been constant. The Orlando Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016 is still very fresh in people's minds.//

=**Solving of Crimes**= == //The majority of respondents answered this correctly.//

**Homicide Rate**
//Respondents were fairly evenly split on this question.//

**Extreme Violence**
//It was interesting to see that the majority of respondents answered this question incorrectly. Why?//

**Arrests for Violent Crimes**


Most respondents answered this correctly but I erroneously believed that fewer people are arrested for violent crimes now. According to the answer key provided, it is false that “Even though the population of the U.S. has increased from 200 to 300 million, fewer people are arrested for violent crimes in the United States now than 30 years ago.” However, the [|__Bureau of Justice__] statistics indicate that the arrest rate has decreased over the past 30 years. //(See graphs generated using Bureau of Justice)//

Rape





**Amygdala Hijacking**
====One of my friends was feeling incredibly anxious about leaving the school and transitioning to another school. She was clearly experiencing a gamut of emotions including excitement, sadness, nervousness, etc. On one of her last days, she had difficulty in receiving some of her payout from the school. Whilst she was ordinarily a very calm and controlled person, the frustration of not being able to access her money overtook her. She screamed and swore at the bank teller in front of other members of the staff and members of the public. She was always the person who spoke about needing to behave in a certain fashion, because she believed she was always representing the school. This behavior for her was a significant deviation from how she usually acted and how she usually treated people. Her usual careful, controlled measured way of interacted with others was completely altered as her amygdala was hijacked.====

**Assertiveness Up: Stress Reactivity Down**
[|Amy Cuddy’s] Ted Talk on //Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are// provides a great deal for me contemplate. Her description of a leader in being powerful and assertive, while not stress reactive caused me to analyse various bosses I’ve had. I immediately thought of a principal with whom I had worked. He was certainly powerful and assertive. What about low on stress reactivity? One of my first interactions with him was on a skype call when I informed him 3 weeks before the start of the school year that I would not be able to start my new job on time because my son was born 10 weeks early. My entire family was under immense pressure with the premature birth of Jack and my new new principal could have added to that. Instead, in the face of stress(needing to rejig hiring), he remained calm and caring, letting me know that he would handle everything so I could focus on my son. That was essentially my first impression of that principal and it stayed with for the duration of the time that I worked for him. Seeing him powerful and assertive, while being low on stress reactivity, set the foundation for a positive working relationship.

Am I stress-reactive? Amy’s video caused me to think about my role in my classroom and how I interact with my students. I strive to be calm and laidback but I know I’m not perfect. When a certain threshold is crossed, annoyance creeps into my voice, a look may cross my face. I work so hard on being calm at school, that I find it tends to break down when I am in the safety of my own home. Maintaining a peaceful classroom environment can be downright exhausting. Check body language. Check tone of voice. Check volume of voice. Monitor my interactions. Monitor student interactions. Monitor interactions with colleagues. Some days it comes very easily. Other days…. WHEW! In many cases, I am hopeful this course will also help me to become a better parent. I expend so much energy on teaching that I fear, my loved ones get me when my energy is low and therefore I am more stress-reactive. While the spilled cup of water at school wasn’t a big deal, now, at home, it’s JUST too much! I want to maintain the peace at home-to be a leader for my children to look up to, exemplifying assertiveness and low stress-reactivity.

Also, Amy’s talk resonated with me, as I began thinking about attending my first International School Job Fair. Whilst I have taught overseas for several years, I have never had the experience of attending a Job Fair. I hear alternately fabulous things and horrifying things about fellow colleagues’ experiences! Without having a great deal of interview experience, my instinct is to feel a sense of trepidation. However, I know that I can capitalise on my understanding of body language and how our bodies can change our minds. So, I will be certain to be finding a quiet place to practise my power poses before interviews!


 * Assignment 6 **

6a Hijacked Brain

As I was shopping at the Pound Shop in Hemel Hempstead, I observed an altercation that arose as a result of someone’s amygdala being hijacked. Despite his strong accent, I could still make out the songs of someone cursing another person out. I started to watch the scene that was unfolding, along with many of the other shoppers. There was an older teenage boy was in front of the store, cursing out another boy, who apparently had been speaking ill of his sister. These two boys were surrounded by a small group of teenagers who were loitering in front of the store. The teenage boy was shouting and threatening to hit the other boy. An employee of the shop calmly came out and asked the boys to move their disagreement away. They spoke loudly and rudely to her, however she did not respond in kind by matching their tone or volume. I was quite impressed with how the employee handled the situation. Instead of escalating and raising her voice, she continued to calmly insist that they move their argument away from the front of the store. Eventually they complied and moved away, without anyone getting injured. The young man, whose amygdala was hijacked, managed to refrain from hitting the other boy.

The employee was the key player in this situation. It was clear that the aggressive young man was infuriated and had lost his cool. If the employee had shouted at him or tried to interfere otherwise, I think the situation could have become worse. Instead the employee just firmly repeated her wish to have the boys move away from the door and remained calm and in control of her own emotions.

A hijacked brain isn't always a bad thing. I believe there are instances when having a hijacked brain may actually save lives and prevent someone from over-thinking when an urgent response is required.

My husband (a Kiwi), my brother in law (English) and I (American) had a fascinating discussion regarding swearing. Even though we all come from English speaking countries, we have very different ideas about what constitutes a swear word. We also discussed how our environment impacts our swearing and the importance of knowing our audience when utilising swear words.
 * 6b Cursing **

Oh! My husband and I have had many discussions about this. We are aware that our upbringing and culture play a massive role in what we deem to be appropriate words. We disagree on what words are okay for school and what words are inappropriate to say in front of kids. I grew up in a household in which most forms of swearing were not tolerated, as my family were conservative Christians. It was definitely not okay to take the Lord’s name in vain but saying “crap”, “darn”, and “shoot” were okay. However, my husband grew up in New Zealand in a family that took a much more liberal approach to the utilisation of swear words. For me, “bugger” doesn’t cause offense but in New Zealand that word can cause offense, as indicated by the controversy of this [|__Toyota commercial.__] There is a great deal of variation, even in English, as to what constitutes [|__strong words.__]
 * What Constitutes a “Swear Word”? **

When my husband comes to visit my family in the USA, it actually causes him a certain amount of stress, as he takes great pains in managing his language to ensure that he is being respectful. To hear him say, “Oh my gosh!” or “Oh my word!” is hilarious, as it is so unlike him. In some situations, I feel completely comfortable dropping the f-bomb but in other situations, I take much greater care with my language. I would never use that word around family. Overall, I would be very careful about swearing at work, except in a situation where I know my colleagues very well and feel comfortable. Interestingly, my husband and I agreed that while we might verbally drop the f-bomb when with friends, we didn’t feel comfortable using the word on social media posts. For me, the sense of permanence, and of course having family members as facebook friends prevents me from using curse words in my writing on facebook.
 * Know Your Audience **

I have experienced the role that swearing can play in forging a relationship. In one instance, I was completely overwhelmed at my new job. I felt like a fish out of water, in a highly buttoned up work environment. I was busy trying to make sense of a stressful, intense work environment. I had one casual conversation with a sweet veteran teacher, who also happened to be in her first year of teaching at this particular school. She said something to the effect of, “This place is f%^#ing nuts.” In that moment, I felt validated. I had met someone else who was also feeling overwhelmed. I felt safe to voice my angst, even though I didn’t know her very well. Had she said, “This place is quite distressing,” I don’t think I would have felt like I could have been as honest with her. Hearing her drop the f-bomb, when I didn’t expect it, actually made me like her more and begin to think that perhaps we could be friends.
 * Forming relationships **

This article on [|__elite daily__] raised some interesting points about swearing. Based on the reasonably high participation rate of my last facebook survey, I thought it might be fun to see what my friends think. I whipped up a quick survey on google forms and asked them to answer a few questions based on the elite daily article. Here are the results:
 * What do my facebook friends think? **

Most people agreed that swearing can help you emphasize your points. I was surprised at how many people disagreed that swearing can help you create close bonds with other people. Overall, my friends agreed that swearing can serve as a coping mechanism and disagreed that swearing means you are stupid or ignorant.


 * Assignment 7 **

We’ve been on the road for an entire month, with our two children, Jordan and Jack. This is the first time we have traveled for this long as a whole family. Overall, it’s been amazing but there are have certainly been moments that have been immensely trying. Trying to do coursework for this class while living in other’s people’s homes, having more kids around than usual, and having intermittent access to wifi has been a challenge. My husband has been quite supportive of me working on this course over the summer, because he knows I am invested in working towards a Master’s Degree. When you watch Jack, I can get some of my coursework completed and I feel relieved that I will be able to meet the deadline for course completion. He was grateful for my thankfulness. He then expressed thankfulness for me working to provide for our family. Throughout our ten years of marriage, we have occasionally struggled to validate one another. I am very appreciative of how much work my husband does around the house and perhaps don’t express it enough. Once again, this course can be a good reminder for how I can communicate positively in my personal life.
 * Positive I-Message for My Husband **
 * Context **
 * Message **
 * Reception **

Throughout our European adventure, it has been a battle getting my daughter to shower. When she was younger, she was obsessed with showering and would get jealous at the unfairness of my twice-a-day shower regimen while living in steamy Taiwan! Now, she needs to be prodded and cajoled to jump into the shower. It can be a source of stress, especially, after we’ve had a long day of schlepping the kids on and off trains, planes and buses! When you take a shower the first time I ask you, it allows me more time to focus on other things and I feel relieved knowing I will have a clean kid who’s ready for bed. She looked at me and said,”Ok.” She seemed to appreciate me acknowledging her positive behavior, even though it was several hours after she had taken a shower. She is an incredibly aware child and is able to discern the tones of voices I use, whether I employ sarcasm, and whether I am being genuine. She is very sensitive when I allow frustration to creep into my voice and really dislikes it when I talk to her like she is one of my students!
 * Positive I-Message for my Daughter **
 * Context **
 * Message **
 * Reception **

When you combine the spices and herbs that we use for cooking, it makes it difficult for me to cook and I feel frustrated and annoyed.
====My husband was annoyed with me for bringing this up. I had already brought it up numerous times. We both have peculiar tendencies in how we like to organize and declutter. Whilst we often agree on keeping our possessions to a minimum, sometimes I think he takes it too far. His idea of decluttering the kitchen is to combine spices. It drives me wild! I don't think my i-message solved the problem but at least it was very evidence exactly how I felt.====
 * Reception**

Gigi seems to lack some awareness in how her behavior is affecting her friend and her friend’s relationship. I would love to know more about Gigi’s situation. Given what we know, I think Gigi needs to be spoken to in such a way that makes her aware of how her behavior is affecting her friend and her friend’s relationship.It does not need to be make into a huge deal, but may be an instance in which lightness may soften the blow.
 * INVADED IN TEXAS **

Dear INVADED IN TEXAS,

The time may have come for you to have another conversation with your friend, “who has a heart of gold.” It sounds has though you value her friendship and don’t want to lose her. There are some words that you can use to help you convey your message in a way that Gigi will understand. Here’s how you might tackle it. It’s really important that you wait until you are calm and not frustrated. Perhaps you could casually bring it up over a cup of coffee to keep it light and maybe even humorous. “Gigi, you are such a great friend! There’s just a wee thing. When you come into my house and borrow stuff without asking, I have trouble keeping track of my belongings and I feel scatterbrained and disorganized. I’m happy to share, but please wait until I’m in the house to lend it to you, so I know I can stay organized.” By speaking to Gigi in this way, you’ll let her know directly how her behavior makes you feel. Hopefully, this will open the door for you and Gigi to have some positive dialogue to further clarify your expectations.

If Gigi responds well to your message and changes her behavior, you’ll want to make sure you acknowledge it. For example, you might say something along these lines- “Gigi. Since our last conversation, you like are respecting my space and belongings more. I am able to keep track of my things better and that is making me feel really happy. Thanks for hearing what I had to say. It makes me feel like you value our friendship.”

From,

Agony Auntie


 * 8b Empowering Students **

This past year, we had the opportunity for an anti-bullying presentation at our school. It was led by a renowned presenter from the USA who gave us a brief overview of some ideas of how to work with students to prevent bullying. While her presentation was effective in getting a conversation about bullying started amongst staff and students, it was evident that the presentation barely scratched the surface. The decision was made to form a committee in efforts to discuss measures to be taken in how to empower students to be upstanders, not bystanders. I volunteered to be part of that committee, so this assignment is particularly relevant as I think about gathering resources to share ideas. I found [|__Megan McCarter’s article__] on bullying prevention to be fascinating and was led to further explore [|__Odyssey Community School,__] which she references in her article. I was very impressed with the school’s [|__communication agreement.__]There were several key points in the agreement, which I can apply in my school setting. I have been intrigued to learn more about [|__Marshall Roseburg’s__] nonviolent communication, which encompasses self-empathy, empathy, and honest self expression. Several years ago, my aunt who was volunteering at a maximum-security prison for juvenile men, mentioned being interested in restorative justice. I’ve taken this opportunity to learn more about [|__Dominic Barter's work on restorative justice__]. I found this [|__tutorial__] to be beneficial in learning some of the basic concepts of restorative justice. In my students’ cases, they need guidance in how to repair the harm they’ve caused by unkind words and thoughtless actions. I am fortunate to enjoy a good relationship with our primary school counselor. I’ve shared some of the resources with her from this course, in hope that we can make actionable change. I’m also motivated to insist that students be part of the committee, so that we are better addressing the needs of all stakeholders.
 * “Communicate directly with the person or persons involved in an issue. Do not work through go-betweens or serve as a go-between for others. If someone asks you for information about an issue in which you are not directly involved, direct him or her to the proper source.” (This aspect of the communication agreement is something that I would like to see more carefully discussed and followed at our school. In a short period of time, I have witnessed many feelings being hurt and many miscommunications taking place as a result of people not communicating directly.”
 * Respect and validate others’ feelings. If you do not agree or do not support another’s statement, acknowledge what has been said, then make your point. (This particular aspect is something that I would like to work on with my students to help foster dialogue in the classroom and help them understand how to respond when they have a difference of opinion.”


 * Assignment 9 **


 * My Personality Profile **

My results were reasonably even, but PP(people person) emerged as my dominant trait. My scores were as follows; People Person(21), Learned Expert (16), Creative Problem Solver (14) and Practical Manager (19). I found the results to be quite accurate. I have been told by several people that I am gifted in creating harmony. Much of the extra-curricular effort that I pour into my workplaces, involves working to promote a sense of harmony. I agree that I am happiest when I am able to connect meaningfully with other people and also am aware that I tend to be stressed when there is conflict. There were a few instances, this past year, in which members of my grade level team were not getting along. I found the conflict and dissension to be quite wearying and tiresome, even though I was not directly involved in the conflict. I work hard to identify the emotional climate of a room when I enter it. As I mentioned previously, I had a job which allowed me to visit schools all across the southern part of New Zealand. One of my favorite aspects of that role was analyzing the social climate of the staff rooms during morning tea. There have certainly been instances in my personal and professional life when I have suppressed my needs to keep the peace and avoid conflict. Finally, I agree that I am person who finds it important to belong to a group. When I feel like a valued team member and am very confident of a role in a social group, I perform much better.

I was unsurprised to find that PM(practical manager) was my second highest profile. I do gain pleasure from organizing people and things. Making a google doc to organize groups of people to participate in a running event brings me joy. Rearranging my classroom and trying to figure out how to minimize clutter and unnecessary transitions are other challenges I enjoy. I go through phases of loving list making and at other times, am very disorganized in keeping track of information. I find that I am more of a big picture person, rather than someone who is obsessed with details.


 * My Husband’s Personality Profile **

My husband’s score were as follows: People Person(29), Learned Expert (27), Creative Problem Solver (18), and Practical Manager (26). I was a bit surprised to learn that he was a people person. Whilst he has excellent people skills and is very friendly and likeable, he is much less likely to be a people pleaser. He does not feel the need to do things simply because it makes other happy. Also, over the past two years, he has been a stay at home dad. He has been quite happy in this role and hasn’t become too distressed by the lack of social interaction. I think it would be have been much harder with me to deal with the social isolation that he experienced. Also, he does not find it that important to belong to a group. For example, in our time overseas, I am much more likely than him to try and forge connections and create a sense of community. Many times, he has expressed that he does not feel the need to spend time with expats just so he can part of a group.

I was unsurprised to find that his second dominant profile was as a learned expert. He is incredibly knowledgeable and craves knowledge and information. He follows several online news sites, enjoys biographies, and loves watching documentaries. He does tend to be a bit sarcastic and enjoys a good political debate.

For this assignment, I chose to make a weebly site with some introductory activities on conflict resolution for teachers and students. I plan to build on the weebly throughout the upcoming school year. [|Conflict Resolution]
 * Assignment 10**