Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 9

PD for Free:

Job Shadowing for Success
If you have ever wondered what it is like to work in assignments,
facilities, or residence life, job shadowing is a great way to learn more
about another functional area and see if it might be a good career fit
for you. Regardless if you are the shadow or if you are the one sharing
your day-to-day work with a student or colleague, there are a lot of
professional development opportunities available.
Brian Bourke, assistant professor in the higher education program
at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and former residence life
professional, recounts his own job shadowing experience. "As a new
professional in residence life, I worked in a fairly new building and
assisted with the opening of a brand new facility. I wanted to learn
more about the facilities side, more so that I could know what issues
to look out for. I spoke to the director of facilities for housing, and
he suggested a form of job shadowing. The basic plan was if anyone
from facilities - from painters to the locksmith to steam plant workers
- came to those two buildings, they would call me and I'd meet up
with them." Through this experience, Bourke learned about upkeep
of the facility and maintenance and about project management. "It
helped me develop a big-picture perspective that I've carried with
me since. This helped me think more broadly about my professional
development. I didn't want to simply be a residence life person."
In a previous role, Amma Marfo, now assistant director of
student activities, involvement, and assessment at Emmanuel College
in Boston, Massachusetts, provided a student with the opportunity
to shadow her. The student shadowed Marfo in the weeks leading
up to a major event on campus. In addition to providing a handson learning opportunity for the student, Marfo found that the
experience furthered her own understanding. "In the process of
having a student shadow me, I learned how many of our processes
are unspoken - that is to say, if we didn't verbalize what we were
doing, many wouldn't know how we do what we do. Taking the extra
time to explain and provide context helps newcomers to understand
and feel more included in the group process." Marfo also credits this
experience with enhancing her supervisory skills. "Being able to have
a student shadow me was valuable in being aware of the learning
that was taking place and forced me to focus on what she needed
from the experience and how I could provide that. It gave me insight
on how to better supervise the students I was already working with."
Job shadowing has become so popular that February 2nd has
been dubbed National Job Shadow Day. If you want to learn about
a different area of housing or student affairs or know a student
interested in the profession, consider job shadowing this month.
Kate McGartland-Kinsella
Student Development Officer, University of Toronto Mississauga
[Ed. Note: PD for Free is a recurring column that explores professional
development opportunities for campus housing professionals at little or
no cost. If you have ideas or success stories to share, please contact the
author at kate.kinsella@utoronto.ca or on Twitter at @KateMcGK.]

Fun Facts

Dartmouth College in
Hanover, New Hampshire,
has a Winter Carnival
each year, which includes
the option to jump into a
portion of the frozen-over
lake that has been cut out,
an event known as the Polar
Bear Swim.

At the University of Texas Arlington,
a Late Night Breakfast is put on by
residence life and housing operations
to ease the stress of finals week.

At Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg, an alarm
sounds on the first big
snow of the year. Students
leave everything behind and
engage in a massive snowball
fight.
Sewanee, The University of the
South, is said to be a home for
angels. If you feel you need some
protection (or just some company)
when you leave campus, you can
borrow a guardian angel for as long
as you need. To pick up your angel,
just tap the roof of your car as you
pass through the campus gates; to
release it, tap again when you return.
Senior rank residents of Linn House
Hall at the University of Chicago
in Illinois sign their names on
a specific wall in the student
lounge to literally leave their
mark before they graduate.

January + February 2014

9



Talking Stick - January/February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - January/February 2014

Talking Stick - January/February 2014
Contents
New Member Highlight
Vision
Just In
Your ACUHO-I
Transitions
Facilities
Regroup
Special Focus
Calendar
Now Starring: Sophomores
An Oasis for Learning
Conversations
First Takes
Reporting Out
New Members
Snapshot
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Talking Stick - January/February 2014
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Cover2
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 1
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 2
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Contents
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - New Member Highlight
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 5
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Vision
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 7
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Just In
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 9
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 10
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 11
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 12
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Transitions
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 15
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Facilities
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 17
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 18
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 19
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Regroup
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 21
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 22
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 23
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Special Focus
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 25
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 26
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Calendar
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Now Starring: Sophomores
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 29
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 30
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 31
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 32
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 33
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 34
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 35
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - An Oasis for Learning
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 37
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 38
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 39
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 40
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 41
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 42
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 43
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Conversations
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 45
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 46
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - First Takes
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Reporting Out
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 49
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 50
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 51
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 52
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 53
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - New Members
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 55
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Snapshot
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Cover3
Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - Cover4
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