Presenting With Pizzazz: Chapters Four, Five, and Six

Chapter Four: Balance Active and Passive Ways of Learning, and Chapter Six: Active Bodies Equal Active Brains

I'm putting four and six together because they are very similar...and pretty much self explanatory.  It goes along with what FFA teaches about kinesthetic learners, and auditory learners, and...I can't remember the other ones off the top of my head.  :)  I didn't pick out any quotes because it was mostly full of ideas for different kinds of learning activities.

Chapter Five: Walk Your Talk

"Don't preach about something you aren't willing to do yourself or haven't yet practiced....Speak from your own experiences.  Be up front about whether or not you have used what you're talking about.  And above all, have your participants practice the skills you're giving them."

I like this point, because I think it makes sense to only lecture about what you know and what you have experienced.  I particularly loved the example the author used, for obvious personal reasons:  "In my stress management trainings one thing I DON'T do is tell people to exercise regularly because I'm not exercising regularly."

And here are a few tips on facilitation and speaking I thought were really helpful, under the sub-heading "Who You Are Speaks Louder Than What You Say":

"Your energy and your non-verbal communication are more powerful training tools than the content of your presentation.  Be aware and learn to consciously use eye contact, gestures, movement, different voice tones, verbal pacing, facial expressions, and dramatization to keep your audience interested and awake.  Step out of your comfort zone and take some risks with new presentation techniques. You'll feel excited and energized- and so will your audience."

I'm going to videotape my presentations and have people fill out comment cards for feedback, to try to figure out what I can improve.  Of course, as my Strengthfinders book says, I'm not going to focus entirely on what I do wrong, but also on what I like about my presentations.

Happy Friday!
Rachel

Presenting With Pizzazz: Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Tell It With Stories

I love telling stories.  Communication is one of my strengths, and I see it in story telling.  I live a rather awkward life, so I have a lot of funny experiences to talk about.  But let me just quote from the book:

"Your story needs to be your own.  When you speak from your own experience, you speak with passion and the story carries more fire and feeling."

"What is most personal is most universal."

"If you do quote someone else's story be sure to give that person full credit for it- always!  It really is wiser- and a much better learning experience- to use your own stories from your own life experiences."

"Go ahead and ham your stories up.  Using your voice, your body, and your face as instruments to tell the stories will help keep your audiences entertained.  More importantly, your audiences will remember your stories- and the important information you're illustrating- far longer with a little dramatization."

At the end of the chapter it suggests brainstorming interesting, crazy, poignant, or funny things that have happened in your life and writing them down.  I've been making a list of these for a while, and what points I could make about them, and I'm going to add them to the blog as I write them down.

Peace,
Rachel

A Thought For This Evening

Hey guys,
I hate driving.  I hate it SO much.  Unless I'm driving to a place I've been a million times, in perfect weather and ideal visibility.  I HATE accidents, I HATE detours, I HATE driving to new places and then getting lost and I HATE driving in the dark.  I don't know that I've ever had a panic attack- but maybe that's what driving feels like.  I always feel so stressed and scared and anxious.

Once when I was talking to Riley Branch, he said a hard thing to get used to as a National Officer is being totally dependent on other people for rides and getting from place to place.  I think I'll kind of like that actually.  If I am a National Officer, I hope this fear subsides, cuz I might have to drive in all sorts of states I'm not familiar with!

Ugh,
Rachel

Presenting With Pizzazz: Chapter Two

Chapter Two: The Person Doing the Most Talking is Doing the Most Learning

When we as presenters talk, move around, and write down points, we are learning.  But when we let the audience members do it, they  are learning.

One of my favorite tips from this chapter was, "If you ask a question, be sure to wait at least a slow five seconds before speaking again."

I used to have a teacher in Sunday School who was the master of this technique.  My other teachers always asked a question, waited a few seconds, and then told you the answer they wanted to hear.  This was good for all of us students, because we knew if we just waited a few seconds, we wouldn't have to guess at the answer, because the teacher would just tell us.

But it wasn't that way with Sister Logan.  She would ask a question and then let the room sit in silence as long as it took...and sometimes it was a long time!  We knew  that she wouldn't move on until she got input, so we all started thinking hard as soon as she asked the question.  Of course, I didn't always have an answer- but someone would.  We all got a lot more out of the lessons because we had to be involved.

Unfortunately, it's very hard to let the room sit in silence.  But I'm going to work on that.

At the end of every chapter of Presenting With Pizzazz, there is a "Your Turn" section, where the book bosses me around and tells me what to do after I read each chapter.  Don't worry- I like it.  It forces me to put into practice what I've read.  So, I hate letters in blogs- whether to myself, to others, or to inanimate objects.  And I wouldn't write this if the book didn't direct me to do it.  Here's my commitment letter:

Dear Rachel,

During my next presentation, I promise I'll do the following:

-- Use volunteer scribes to record information
-- Encourage participants to doodle and take notes
-- Tell participants to take a minute to tell someone else what they learned during breaks
-- Use silence after questions to encourage participation.

It'll be exciting and enjoyable to watch my audience get into the act.

Commitedly yours,

Rachel

(Psst...Hey, Presenting With Pizzazz...apparently, "commitedly" is not a word. :)  )

Have an awesome Wednesday!

Rachel

Looking for Speaking and Facilitation Opportunities

Looking for a speaker this summer?  A workshop?  Some awesome times?
If your answer is no, think again.  Harder.

How about Chapter Banquets?

Club Meetings?

Chapter Officer/Member Retreats?

Youth Camps?

Conferences?

Political Events?

Agricultural Events?

4-H Events?

Leadership Training of any kind?   

I'm really excited to be coming home to Alaska.  I've been studying as well as I can while I've been here at school- reading and watching speaking techniques.  But nothing can replace actual experience.  Once I get home, I hope to be speaking and facilitating all that I possibly can.

And that's where I need your help!  If you have any event that could possibly benefit from a speech or workshop, leave a comment or contact me.  You'd be doing me a huge, HUGE favor and hopefully, I'll do an awesome job and your event will be better for it.

Pretty please?

Presenting With Pizzazz: Chapter One

Hey everyone,

I finished the book I just started the other day, Presenting With Pizzazz.  Impressed?  Don't be, it's only 99 pages long.  It's full of some really good stuff though, facilitation tips and games.  It's great to read it after I've both been to conferences and led conferences, because I can remember facilitators using tips and I can identify where I could use them.

Even though it was short, I got A LOT out of it.  I'm actually going to go through each chapter in a different post to talk about the different posts, quotes and ideas.  

So first, here's a few quotes I liked from the introduction.  

"It doesn't really matter what you know.  It's what you do with what you know that's important." 

"If you want them to HEAR it, YOU talk.  If you want them to LEARN it, THEY talk." 

And now, Chapter One: "Never Talk Longer Than the Average Age of the Group."

At first I read this, and thought, "What?" But remember, this isn't a book about speeches. it's about facilitation.  And, wrote the author:

"Never talk longer than the average age of the group.  It doesn't mean that you stop speaking entirely for the rest of the time.  It just means that you stop for a few moments and let your audience DO SOMETHING with what you just told them."

And it had some great ideas for Pair and Shares that I'm anxious to try.   Good stuff.

Alright, that's all I'm going to do in this post, 'cuz I think if they get too long people don't read them.  I wouldn't.  :)  The next book I'm starting is "Soar With Your Strengths."  I'm really psyched about how quickly I'm getting through them, and getting a lot out of them too.

Have an awesome week,
Rachel

A New Jacket

Hey everyone,

In one of our video conferences a few weeks ago, Rayne asked me what the Blue Jacket means to me.  So let me tell you what I told him.

I was not the kind of person who was immediately inspired to join the FFA when I saw the blue corduroy blazers.  I know that to die-hard FFA members, blue corduroy is the coolest thing ever, but let's be honest...corduroy?  Who wears that anymore?  Especially in blue!?

When I first joined the FFA, I didn't have a jacket of my own, I wore a cast-off from an older sibling whose first name had been removed- so that it only said "Kenley."  This prompted the FFA Chapter President of the time to call me "Kelly" for over a year- and that was one of the reasons I generally avoided FFA.

After I went to my first state convention, things changed...at least a little.  I really wanted my own FFA jacket...but mostly because I wanted people to stop calling me "Kelly."  I was pretty excited to see my jacket when it arrived at National Convention that year though, with my own name and "Chapter President, 2007-2008" on it.  But even after I had a jacket, I really only wore it when I had to and I'd wear it with black slacks instead of a skirt if I could get away with it.

My year as a state officer completely changed that. I ordered my jacket the day after I was elected. I loved my jacket and if I went a week without wearing my official dress, it was too long.  I always had crevats and black nylons in abundance, and by the end of my year of service, my shoes looked like they'd been through a grain grinder.  

My jacket, unfortunately, also shows signs of a year well-served.  The elbows are worn down, and a small spot on my sleeve reminds me to always take off my jacket before eating- because apparently dry cleaning doesn't wash out enchiladas.  That jacket has been dry cleaned so many times that the fantastic bright blue has faded to a less impressive light blue.

I love that jacket dearly, but when I really made up my mind to run for National Office, I wanted a new one.  One that would say to the world, "2010 National Officer Candidate," right under my name.  I thought, "Even if I don't make it, it'll be nice to have this jacket to remember everything I did to prepare."

Then, I went on the website and remembered that jackets cost $60.  For a college student, that's a lot of money, especially for a jacket I'll wear only until October...so I decided just to wear my old jacket.  I was disappointed, but I knew it was just a....stupid...jacket, right?

Oddly enough, I was thinking about my old, worn out State Officer jacket yesterday morning, before I called to chat with my mom.  I'd been feeling homesick, and I was dying to hear about the State Convention.  Hearing about it was hard though, because it reminded me that I wasn't there, and I wish I had been.

Then, out of the blue, my mom said, "Do you remember who Jason Miller is?  He was the State President before Lori, and he always helps out at convention.  When he found out you were running for National Office, he gave us $70 and said to use it to buy you a new jacket."

Right then, at that moment, I felt like I was going to cry.  (And right now, in this moment, I am).  I know who Jason Miller is but I don't know him very well, and I didn't know he knew who I was at all.  What a simple gesture, but what a sweet donation.  I don't know if he knew how much a knew jacket would mean to me....but it means the world.  And now that I can actually get one, I realize how much I really wanted one all along.  

I'm so grateful for Jason, and my family, and Rayne, and everyone who is in any small way helping me with this process.  Sometimes I get so busy and frustrated that I feel like quitting, but I can feel your support behind me.   Even something so simple as a new jacket that I so desperately wanted and am so incredibly thankful for makes a tremendous difference.  I am just in awe of what everyone I know does to support me, by reading my blog, asking me interview questions, listening to me rehearse stories, helping me schedule classes, talking to people who might be able to help me out...or just buying me a new jacket.  I have such wonderful people surrounding me while I make this big effort.  I love you all.  I can't thank you enough.

And I'm stoked to order my new jacket the minute I get home! :)  But after I wear that one, you know what would be even better?  A brand new jacket that only had this on the back:

Man, if I could put on a jacket like that, it would be fantastic.

Rachel

What I Miss Today:

Well the FFA Convention is either over, or ending, right now.  I wish I was there so bad!  Seeing these pictures Rayne posted on Facebook made me really think about the convention...it feels like it didn't happen, because I've been here worrying about school instead of running around the depot and feeling like I'm going to explode from stress.

Man, I love FFA so much!  Just seeing all these guys in their FFA jackets, that I've gotten to know and love, fills me with a sense of...I don't know what....pride?  People say we're from Alaska, there isn't agriculture here, etc. but I know these kids and I know what they're capable of, and I know the FFA program can bring out their leadership potential.

Ah!  I miss Alaska.  I think I'm just going to start a new leadership book and then go to bed, try to keep my mind off of things.  Only 2 weeks left until I'm home!

--Rachel

Oh wait!  PS, guess what?  I've done another

50 Hours! 

of study as of Thursday!  That's 150 altogether.  It seems like it's taken a long time, and it has taken 7 weeks...but hey, it's something to celebrate.  I think I'm going out to lunch with my dorm mates at the Indian Oven to "celebrate life" tomorrow, and this 50 hours is something on my list to celebrate!  50 hours closer to my goal of 500...here I come...


PPS- Mom just texted me and said Palmer won the Parli Pro contest!  Awesome job guys, I can't wait to practice with you this summer!

150 Ways to Encourage the Heart

...or maybe just 35.

I finished "Encouraging the Heart" yesterday, and there is a list of 150 ways to practice Encouraging the Heart in everyday life.  I picked out a few that I think are applicable to my situation, and I'm going to knock them off, one or two per week.

So here's a run down of the seven essentials of Encouraging the Heart:

1. Set Clear Standards
2. Expect the Best
3. Pay Attention
4. Personal Recognition
5. Tell the Story
6. Celebrate
7. Set the Example

And here are the experiences on my list:

Set Clear Standards:

1)  Think of someone you admire who exemplifies living a principle-centered life.  Interview that person.  Find out how they discovered their own values.

2)  Watch Eyes on the Prize, the film on the civil rights movement.  It's a compelling story of the power of purpose and the dedication people make to realizing a dream.

Expect the Best

3)  Surround yourself with positive people who can remind you of your strengths and abilities.

4)  Practice envisioning.

5)  Buy a few inspirational posters.

6)  Read George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.  This is the classic novel on the power of positive expectations. And/or watch the video of My Fair Lady.  The film version of Shaw's novel, it portrays the power of belief in self.  Watch how Eliza Doolittle evolves through a growing sense that she can learn.

7)  Rent a video or CD of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1963.  Listen to it for the word pictures he paints.  You'll be able to see what he says.  Now try to add word pictures to your own speeches.

Pay Attention

8)  Make note of the kinds of "gifts" or recognition people appreciate (or don't appreciate).

9)  Right now, pay attention to your breathing.  What do you notice? Write it down.  Your ability to attend to the most common and immediate elements of your daily life helps you be more attuned to what is going on around you.

10)  Right now, pay attention to your heartbeat.  What do you notice?  Write it down.

11)  Right now, pay attention to the sounds in your immediate space.  What do you notice?  Write it down.

12)  The next time you listen to someone talk about himself, his work, and what's important, listen with your "eyes and heart," not just your ears and brain.  What do you notice in listening with eyes and heart that you don't in listening with ears and brain?

Personalize Recognition

13)  Think back on a time when someone encouraged your heart meaningfully and memorably.  What did she do to make it special for you?  How did she personalize it for you? Make note of the lessons you learned, and apply them.

14)  Tell people your own "most meaningful recognition story."  Ask them to tell theirs.  What are the common lessons?

15)  At the end of one of your speeches, say something like, "My colleagues couldn't be with me today.  I sure hope I represented them well."

16)  Write a thank-you note to a loved one or someone who has done something special.

17)  Take a class or workshop on creativity.

18)  Take a course in drawing, painting, or photography.

19)  Say thank you personally every time you appreciate something someone does, anywhere and anytime.  It's good practice, and good manners.

20)  Make a vow that never again will you fail to personalize every recognition you make, every celebration you hold.

Tell the Story

21)  At the next opportunity, tell someone the story of your most meaningful recognition.

22)  Keep a journal.  Record in as much detail as you can the critical incidents of the day.  The practice of observing and recording is important in building your skills in storytelling.

23)  What's the best movie you ever saw that really tells a compelling story?  Rent it on video and watch it again.  What lessons can you learn from your favorite movie?  How can you incorporate these lessons into your leadership practice?

24)  At the next holiday when you're together with your family or friends, volunteer to read a story fit for the occasion.

25)  At dinner every night, don't just talk about the day; tell a story about it.  Describe the rich details of place, people, and feelings.  Use your home as a practice stage.

26)  Take an improvisational theater class.

Celebrate Together

27)  Attend local athletic events.  Watch cheerleaders, coaches, and players as they celebrate small and large victories.  Focus on their enthusiasm and energy.  Watch how people express this enthusiasm as well as how those who receive it are affected.  Notice how you are affected by the celebrations.  

28)  At a wedding or other celebratory event, make mental notes on what you like, or what really inspires you about the event.

29)  Plan festive celebrations for even the smaller milestones that your team reaches.  "Don't wait until the whole project is completed before you celebrate.  Immediate acknowledgment keeps energy and enthusiasm high.

30)  Take care of your own needs for support.  Develop a relationship with at least one person with whom you can talk about your grandest hopes and worst fears, your greatest achievements and your biggest flops.

31)  Do a DWYSYWD ("Do What You Say You Will Do") audit.  Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle.  On the left-hand side record your value: the principles by which you say you want to lead your organization.  On the right-hand side, record your actions: what you do regularly to live out each of your values.  The only way to get any value out of this exercise, of course, is to be completely self-honest.  If you don't see yourself doing anything to live out a value, then leave the space blank.  If you think your behaviors are contrary to your espoused values, then write down that admission.  Grade yourself on how you're doing.  Do your values and actions line up?  Where are you strong?  Where do you have opportunities for improvement?  Make a plan to better align values and actions.

32)  Identify those experiences in your life that truly inspire you, and then bring this kind of inspiration into your conversations with employees.

33)  Write and deliver a thank you note every day.  We've never heard anyone complain about being thanked too much, but we've heard lots of complaints about being thanked too little.  

34)  Keep a journal of your experiments with encouraging the heart.  What works for you?  What doesn't?  What lessons have you learned?  How has this effort changed you as  a leader?

35)  The next time someone recognizes you, make note of your own thoughts and feelings.  (Experience becomes the best teacher, but only if we reflect on it.)  Then send that persona  thank-you not expressing appreciation for what you learned.

Yay for new goals and things to work on!  I also have a sheet from Dr. Miller on which I need to determine what I'm going to do to earn my four credits for of independent study.  

So for right now, let's check off the ones I've already done!  Numbers 16 and 26.  I wrote a letter to Mr. Giesler for 16, and of course, I started 26 when I came to college.

Ummkay, I'm out!

Rachel

Good Day, Sunshine

Hey guys,
It's not actually sunny outside.  It's raining and very windy.  But I feel good!  So apparently, weather actually has very little do with my mood.  So, to make up for the depressing-ness of a few posts, I'll give you some bullets about why life is awesome:

• For some strange reason, though my video would not function on my computer or on Youtube, once I got it onto Facebook, it decided to function!  They watched it today and I think it went over well.  
• My classes are finally all figured out for next semester!  After a few minor set backs, I finally reached the right teachers and got into the right classes.  I'm going to have 4 credits of ASTE 3900: Independent Study in solving Agricultural Problems- basically, just studying for National Office.  I also have 3 credits of a general class, Creative Arts, and 3 credits of Music 1010, for my music minor, 1 credit of piano lessons, and 2 credits of Intro. to Ag Education.  Hooray for finally having everything all figured out once again!
• My History and Hollywood journalism project that was giving me an ulcer is over and (I think) aced.  I never have to do another project form JCOM 2010 ever again.
• I finished "Encouraging the Heart" yesterday and have some great ideas for interesting things to study.
• I'm almost positive that I have never looked as pretty as I do today.  At least not my face.
• I might get to have a video conference with Rayne tonight- which is one of my favorite parts of the week.
• The House episode "Lockdown" was AWESOME!
• My room is semi-clean.

Just a few reasons why life is grand, and I am happy.

A few more fancy shots for you.  The one on the left is from last Wednesday, I dressed up for my piano recital.  No eyeliner, I ran out of it.  My lips weren't really that pink, but the yellow lighting makes the colors weird.

The other one is from today.  It's probably more make-up than I would do on an everyday basis, but I did it for my history project.  We all dressed up like we were from the fifties.  It looks awesome...it only took me almost an hour to do. :)  You can't see my eyeshadow, but I bought some pretty pink/brown sparkly powder.  I like it a lot.  I also curled my eyelashes.  Another thing I would not take the time to do normally- makes a really cool difference!

Happy Earth Day!

Rachel

Celebrating My Year as a State Officer

Hey everyone,
Today, the 2010 Alaska State Convention begins.  If you're in Palmer, you should stop by the Depot to see the cool stuff the kids are doing.  My sisters Amy and Lori have worked really hard securing sponsoring and organizing everything.

The start of the convention is a  little bittersweet for me.  It's sad because it's the first time in four years that I won't be there, and because its the one year anniversary of my retirement as a state officer.  But it's sweet because it's the two year anniversary of my election.

Just for nostalgia's sake, here's a photo slideshow of all the great times I had as a state officer.  Enjoy.

Finally, the video!

Yeah!  4 minutes and 39 seconds of "heck yes, it finally worked!"

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=378456929354&saved

Frustration and Facilitation

Hey guys,
It's a beautiful sunny day outside and I should be happy.  But I feel upset and discouraged.  In bullet form here's why:

• Yesterday I spent a loooong time trying to make my video for state convention in Alaska- which starts tomorrow.  After burning my ankle with my overheated laptop (seriously!) I finally figured out what I wanted to say and how, and got a good recording, but the audio doesn't sync up with the video, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get it to.  Unless anyone has any tech-knowledge I don't, I won't have a video for convention. :(
• I thought I had my class schedule all worked out yesterday, only to find out today that I can't take one of the classes I wanted to, so it's back to the drawing board.  Registering for classes is made infinitely more difficult when I have to check with each teacher and ask, "Would it be okay if I had to drop out of your class three weeks early?"  I abhor it.  And I wonder if I really am making the right choice by taking an easy semester.
• Today I volunteered to help judge the Agricultural Communications CDE.  It took over an hour longer than it was supposed to, and because I was 2 seconds too late for Media Smarts, I missed class and a quiz.  And my project due Thursday is not even close to being done!
• Buying new make up doesn't make me any better at putting it on.

...and other things.  But hey, I know from experience that dwelling on what gets me down never does anything to help me get back down.  I know this is just the first of many times I will doubt what I'm doing, feel down on myself, even consider quitting.  But I'm not quitting.  This is what I want and hard times only make success sweeter...right?

So let's talk about something else.  In Society and Disability class today (I did get to go to that one) we watched a video about teaching children with learning disabilities, and it made me think a lot about facilitation.  I don't blog much about facilitation right now, because I'm not doing very much of it, but that will hopefully change when I get home for the summer.

I got to present a workshop at the Utah Leadership Conference in December, before I started this blog, that helped me improve my skills quite a bit.  One thing I remember is talking with the other workshop presenters afterwards about how their workshops went, and we all had picked out the kids that were problems.  They weren't really "problems," of course, but they went against the grain- didn't play along with the games, asked too many questions, gave input that really didn't help establish the point, or what have you.  As a workshop presenter, these kids can be hard to work with, and sometimes you wish they'd just act like the others.

A leadership book I read earlier this year (and the title escapes me right now...I think it was by John C. Maxwell) presented something called the 80/20 principle, which says you should pour 80 percent of your energy into your top twenty employees/students/people.  

I usually agree with leadership books, but this principle really bothered me.  I think I'm more of a 20/80 principle type of a person.  High school kids who are juggle four after school activities, a part time job, and a 4.0 GPA don't really need me.  Of course I am going to give them as much attention as I can, but I really think my job as an FFA facilitator is to focus on those who I could really help to make important changes in their lives.

But how does that apply to facilitation?  Because like I said, those students who need the most help are typically those who "ruin" the workshop.  I keep thinking about ULC and I remember that there was an attendee there with an obvious mental disability.  I should have reached out to her, but I just ignored her.  That was so wrong.

But back to the video we watched.  It was about teaching- not facilitation.  When I was younger, I really wanted to be a teacher.  The glitter has worn off a little now, I don't think I want  a full-time career as a teacher, but I still have an interest in it.  I think that's why I was so drawn to state, and now national office- because I get to be a teacher to students without doing it full time.

I heard somewhere that a lot of kids want to be teachers when they grow up because that's the only occupation they've really been exposed to.  I also think it's because teachers have a lot of influence over their students during the year or two they have them in their care.  That's obvious for me because I picked Mr. Geisler as one of the people who has had the most influence in my life.

Teachers can do a lot of good, and a lot of harm, to their students.  I remember Mr. Geisler and all the great things he did for me, but the two other very vivid memories I have from middle school are from 6th and 8th grade, when two very well-meaning and good teachers hurt my feelings and made me cry because of some faulty teaching techniques.  

I don't blame those teachers at all, it was honest mistake and I still hold them in the highest regard.  But what I remember is not all the days of excellent teaching- but the one day of utter humiliation and embarrassment.  I think sometimes teachers don't realize how their teaching tactics really effect students, which is what the movie focused on.  The "teacher" in the video illustrated some things that teachers typically do that don't make sense, such as punishing or bribing students to answer questions they honestly cannot answer.  

What I got from this is that you can't beat a dead horse.  If I'm trying to make a point in a workshop, and it isn't working, I'll just have to switch tacts and be adaptable.  I'm not perfect- I certainly don't claim to be.  I had a few moments at ULC where I felt like I really got through to the students and did some last minute changes to my workshop which really worked well.  Other moments, I ended up looking like an idiot.

To wrap up, my philosophy on workshops is to be adaptable.  I'm going to focus on trying to reach all the students, not just the high achievers.  I'm going to try to always uplift and never degrade, because I certainly don't want student's only experience with me to be one they remember because I was mean to them.

I hope the rest of your Tuesday is great, and here's hoping mine gets a little better too,

Rachel

Pooped

Hey guys,
I went jogging in the cemetery this afternoon. It was SO hot outside. But I jogged for half an hour. It was a nice day and a very pretty place- so it was as enjoyable as it could be- ignoring the fact that running makes me feel like I'm giving birth inside an iron lung during summer in Africa.  (I have no idea what that would feel like, by the way.  I've never given birth, been in an iron lung, or traveled to Africa.)


After I ran I had a video conference with Rayne.  Maybe the exercise took all the energy out of me...I was kinda off my game.  Next week should be better.

Right now I'm working on making a little video shout out to the Alaska State Convention.  I was working on it last week, and I was getting really frustrated, I just couldn't seem to figure out what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.  But I talked to Rayne about it and I have a good idea now.  I'll post it here (if I can figure out how) in a day or two.

I have a lot more I could say, I'm just too tired to say it.  Tomorrow I'm meeting with my adviser to talk about what classes I'm going to take next semester.

Have a great Thursday,
Rachel

Workout Woes, Leadership Thoughts

Hey everybody,
As you probably know, in high school, I was a swimmer.  Or a drowner, I guess that might be more accurate for a person on the swim team who can't really swim.  Anyway, I bring this up because swimming is the only workout that I semi-enjoy.  So I bought this cheap Speedo swimming suit the other day and looked up when free lap swim is at the school's pool.  Today I got the suit in the mail and went for the first time.

You know how they say it's as easy as riding a bike?  And once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget? I don't think swimming is that way.  I am not nearly as good as I once was.  I barely swam 1000m today, but I stayed in the pool for 45 minutes and now I am VERY sore.

I think I might be sabotaging my own exercising efforts...I keep doing different workouts, running, pilates, step aerobics, cycling, weights, just so I don't get bored.  But I don't do anything regularly enough to get good at it!  Ugh.  Okay, I'm done complaining about workouts.

Other than that, I've had a great day today.  Very busy this week, but I got over 2 hours of FFA study in.  I found a lot of great stuff in "Encouraging the Heart."  I don't feel like commenting on them, so I'm just going to copy down the quotes.  Enjoy.

"You cannot lead out of someone else's experience.  You can only lead out of your own."

 "It's not so much what we do as what we are that counts....People learn-and respond to- what we are....All the techniques and all the tools that fill the pages of all the management and leadership books...are not substitutes for who and what you are."

"Finding your voice is absolutely critical to becoming an authentic leader.  If you can't find your own true voice, you end up with a vocabulary that belongs to someone else, mouthing words that were written by some speech writer who's nothing like you at all."

"Don't confuse leadership with position and place.  Don't confuse it with structures and systems, or tools and techniques.  They're not what earn you the respect and commitment of your constituents.  What earns you their respect in the end is whether you are what you say you are, and whether what you are embodies what they want to become."

Have a great day,
Rachel

Breeding Tests at Broadbent Ranch

Hey all,

This is what my Saturday looked like:

How was yours? 

Students in my Animal Science Class, and the entire Sheep Production Class (about 120 kids overall) went to the Broadbent Ranch in Granger, Wyoming to do breeding soundness tests on their 500+ rams.  It was a ton of fun!

It was so nice to be around sheep again, to learn new things, and to make new friends.  But I am getting ahead of myself.  Let me tell you about the trip from the beginning.

I woke up at 5 am so that I could get to the Wool Lab to meet everyone and we could leave by 5:30.  Of course, some people were not so timely, so we didn't get on the road until a little after 6.

I slept on the ride down, until we got to a McDonalds somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming.  I wish I had taken a picture.  They had seats in the play center that were saddles.

We finally got to Broadbent Ranch at around 9:45 and started working immediately.  The only problem, at the beginning, was that I didn't know what to do and how to do it.  And nobody told me.

So let me describe the first part of the day, because it was difficult and made the rest of the day that much better.  And it taught me something profound about leadership that I will discuss a little later.

While everyone scurried around and got into groups and began grabbing rams and performing the tests that they had learned in sheep production class, I stood there wondering where I could go and what I could do to not be in the way.

The supervisor of shots and drenching then rounded up all the students in the Intro to Animal Science Class.  She gave us jobs to spray the sheep with color (I'm sure it wasn't spray paint, though that's what it looked like) after they were vaccinated and de-wormed.  Unfortunately, the work was fast and the supervisor wasn't very clear in her directions to me and the other person working with her.  I took about, oh, five seconds for her to become frustrated with us.  Then she told us to follow her and on the way a student tried to recruit me to "Drench" sheep and even put a backpack of chemicals on me, before Doc (that's my teacher) explained that I was in the introductory class and didn't know how.  Then Doc stole me to help herd the rams into the corral, which made my supervisor really mad.  So I went to herd sheep, and in about three minutes later my partner Jacquelyn joined me with the other sheep herders, saying that the supervisor had become so frustrated that she had "fired" her.  

Sheep herding turned out to be standing around like sub-par fences for about an hour.  We felt so useless.  At one point, someone walked by and asked how we got lucky enough to be sheepherders, and I answered, "Because we don't know how to do anything else.  We're incompetent."  And that's how I felt.  It got worse when one (giant) ram slipped by me and I heard another supervisor yell, "Doc, I need another student there, this one can't do the job."    

Luckily, my experience got dramatically better when all the sheep were herded into the corral.  Then I went to Doc and asked him for a new job, and he assigned me to work with an exceptionally nice group of girls.  These girls included me in everything, taught me what I didn't know, and generally believed that I was capable of helping.  Pretty soon, I was able to perform almost every test and flip the rams with only one other person helping.  

I won't elaborate on the tests we were performing- they were kind of gross.  But it was so fun for me to be around animals again!  I didn't even mind getting manure ALL over me, because it's just helping season in my Carhartts. :)

When we finished, the sheep looked like this: pretty colorful!  The purple streaks signify the rams have been de-wormed, the orange that they have been vaccinated, and the red and green signify their performance in the breeding exams.

After we finished all the tests (in record time, I might add) we ate some Dutch oven food.  On top  is mutton stew.  I don't particularly like mutton, I've decided.  On bottom is the yummy peach cobbler we got for desert, plus a great view of my dirty legs and trashed boots.

Well I said I was going to make a point about leadership, and I am.  I had two totally different experiences at that ranch in one day.  The first part of the day I felt like I was in the way of everyone.  I was totally inconvenient and people treated me like it was easier to ignore me or to yell at me than to teach me.  The second part of the day, my group members believed in me and gave me every opportunity to learn.  Even when I made mistakes, they knew that it was just because I was still learning and gave me the benefit of the doubt instead of writing me off as worthless.

Having been treated both ways, I now know how I want to treat people.  From now on, I will help people to learn and believe the best about them.  I will not let my impatience govern the way I treat others.  

Phew, this is a huge post!  I have a really funny story to tell about this trip, but I'll save it for another post.

Have a great week!

Rachel

Still Hating, Playing Dress Up, Altruistic, Changing Up the Study Routine

Hey guys,

For the record, I still hate working out.  I know I need to be healthy, I know I need to take care of my body, nd I know that requires exercise, but I still hate it!  I'm trying to amend my goal a little though.  My goal before was to work out 3 times a week, an hour each time.  I think for me, it might be better to say I'd like to exercise 2 hours a week, either by going to a forty-five minute class three times, or working out for a half hour four times.  Anyway, I'm making progress, even if I don't reach my goal every week.  It's better than not working out at all.

All right, here's another make-up attempt.  Green eyeliner, brown eyeshadow and mascara.  I wouldn't do my hair like this for National Office obviously, but I like to do it now, even though I've been told it makes me look like an anime character. :)

By the way, today's word is altruistic.  I first heard this word in the movie adaptation of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," doesn't it sound like a Dr. Suess word?  It's an adjective which means unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others, as in:  Giving blood at a blood drive is an altruistic thing to do. (which is what I did on Monday, by the way.  :)  My arm makes me look like I've been shooting up drugs, but I sure was altruistic!) 


This week I've been doing less studying of FFA while I focus on finishing up school.  The study I have been doing is more reading and studying about myself and blogging.  I think that really is more helpful for me.  This summer I'm thinking of just dedicating a day to work on memorizing facts, and the rest of the week to studying myself.


Have a happy Friday tomorrow,
Rachel

Josh Sundquist

Hey guys,
As promised, here is my post about Josh Sundquist's speech at the '09 Convention.

If you've never heard of Josh Sundquist, (like me!) Google him.  He's a Paralympic Skier, motivational speaker, and author.  Minus the skiing, that is my dream job.  One word that describes his speech: wow.

Funny story to go along with this though.  As usual the quality of the speech video was crappy, so I turned it on to listen to while I cleaned my room.  It was because of that I missed a very crucial point to the speech: Josh Sundquist only has one leg.  You can imagine my confusion when he talks about what is visually apparent to the audience.  Good thing I watched it the second time, there was a lot of physical comedy that I missed out on.

Man I want to talk about this speech but I don't feel like I can do it justice!  First of all, Josh was really, really funny.  He has some experience with stand up comedy from what I understand, and it definitely shows.  I think that being funny is important if you're going to speak to high school age kids.  But I do have to admit, after a while I was like, "Is this guy just a comedian?  When is he gonna tell me something 'inspirational'?"

Toward the end of the speech though, after he's told all his hilarious stories about living with only one leg, he ties them all together and talks about how to deal with hard things in life.  He tells the story of how he lost his leg, and even when I was just listening to the speech the first time around, the emotion in his voice was SO powerful.  I was surprised how quickly the speech had gone from roll on the ground laughing to so serious and almost made me want to cry.  The story and the delivery was so powerful, and I just thought, "I want to give a speech like this!"

I also listened to Josh's commentary on the speech, which had a lot of good insights on how he plans and delivers his speeches.  When it got to the serious story, Josh said that he always saves it to the end because he feels that you have to earn the right to be serious.  By that, he means you have to connect with the youth by being funny first, so that they trust you, and they don't turn up their noses at your more serious points.  That's something I think I could work on.

Ah!  I want to write so much more about this speech, but I just cannot do it justice.  Please, please, please watch it so that you'll understand.  It's great (and good quality at this link).

Have a great week everyone!
Rachel

PS- Hannah Harrison suggested I read biographies and autobiographies of people I admire...so Josh's book, "Just Don't Fall" is on my list.

Talking About Faith

Hey guys,
I already posted a long one today, so I'll wait to blog about the Josh Sundquist speech I just watched until later. I think I want to watch it again first anyway.

But just for the heck of it, here's a video he posted on his blog about the dos and don'ts of including faith in a secular speech.  I thought it was really interesting.  Like a lot of people, I'm sure, I've heard a lot of keynotes and retiring addresses that mention faith- and some are good and some are awful.  I thought it was cool he addressed it.

Check it out here.

What do you think?
Rachel

Repose, More Make-Up, Influence

Hey everyone,
In honor of what a restful and relaxing day I've had, today's word is repose.  It can be used as a noun or a verb, meaning the state of rest, peace, and tranquility, or the act of resting or refreshing oneself, as in: After a long day of schoolwork, I long to go to find repose.  Because I have only a few classes on Fridays, I have time repose and ponder.

Yes, today has been a very reposeful day.  I even slept in this morning, but I still got up in time to follow through on my April goal and dress up.  I did my make up totally different.  I am out of eyeliner so I just skipped it, used light pink eyeshadow and lip gloss.  Pretty simple, but I'm not sure what I think.  Do light colors make me look washed out?  Or like a little girl?  Is lip gloss professional?  If not, does anyone have any tips for picking a good color of lipstick?

I hope I don't look like a crazy person in this picture, because I took a lot of pictures and I looked all kinds of insane in most of them.

I also took a picture of my whole outfit, just because I was so cute today, and I never wear dresses to school.

Speaking of goals, I forced myself to go to a class at the gym last night and work out.  It was hard and I didn't like it.  Does exercising ever get easier? 

Before I went to work out though, I had a great video conference with Rayne.  We've been focusing on...talking.   That sounds weird, but we're trying to make my answers to interview questions less robotic and more heart-felt and sincere...so we're just discussing things right now so I can talk freely without being nervous, and then we'll incorporate what we've gone over into the interview session.

Yesterday we talked a lot about influence.  Rayne asked me what I thought the word meant.  The first thing that popped into my head was the ever-repeated quote during my year in State Office:

"Leadership is Influence!"

So that's what I said.  But just to clarify, according to Dictonary.com, influence is the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.  So then we talked about how I want to influence others in life and as a potential National Officer.  It quickly became apparent that I want to influence others because of the influence others have had on me.

Then Rayne asked me to come up with three people who have influenced my life the most.  Can you think of three off the top of your head?  Neither could I!  I've only lived a little over 19 years, and I still find it hard to pick just three people who have changed my life significantly.  I came up with two as we were talking and thought of the third later.

I'd like to share a little bit about these people and the effect they've had on my life.  But first, a *Disclaimer*:  If I were to answer this question completely honestly, probably all three people would be members of my family, since they've known me longer than anyone.  However, if I were asked this question by a member of the nominating committee, I would diversify my answer so that I mentioned people who have affected me in different areas of my life. So that's why this answer may not be exactly the top three people, but these people have changed my life significantly.

3.  Sara Kenley: I grew up with Sara.  We are 1 year and 4 days apart and have the same middle name.  We both love singing, acting, playing the piano, jazz music, and sleep overs.   Although Sara is my cousin, I think that more importantly, she's my best friend.

I always have loved to be around Sara because we are so similar in our interests and senses of humor (which can be pretty weird sometimes).  Sara has seen me at my best and at my worst, and she still likes to hang out with me.

I like to think that Sara is exactly like me- except when it comes to the aspects of my personality which could be improved upon: meaning simply that Sara isn't bossy and she doesn't have a short temper like I do.  This is great because that means she can call me out on those things, and she's constantly making me a better person.  I want to work to minimize those negative aspects of myself and becoming more compassionate and patient like she is.  Because we think and act alike in many situations, I feel like Sara really understands how I feel better than anyone else I know.  I'm so glad that Sara and I are such great friends and I'm grateful for the impact she's had on my life.

2.  John Geisler: Mr. Geisler was my history and language arts teacher in seventh grade.  For the majority of his class, I wanted a different teacher.  I only signed up for his class because all my friends were doing it, and after they left I wanted out too, because it was no longer the "cool thing" (and in middle school, coolness was very important to me).  I am grateful that my parents flatly refused to let me change classes that year.  I don't know that they knew what a difference it would make in my life, they are just stubborn and live by the principle that if you sign up for something, you should see it through.

Mr. Geisler ran a "school within a school" program at my middle school.  Basically, "school within a school" is alternate teaching method where learning is primarily student interest driven and grades are downplayed.  When I started the program, I was confused and overwhelmed.  I had been taught in school up until that point to do what needed to be done in order to get an A.  Mr. Geisler, however, expected his students to work on their own and assess themselves.  It wasn't long before I started to understand the program and soon found myself delving into subjects that really interested me, including marine reptiles, greek pottery, King Tutankhamen, music composition, film, and the history of the Jewish people.  I constantly researched my topic and never actually finished a paper- since I realized that I could never finish learning about a subject.

This probably sounds like just a fun class- but to me it has been more than that.  Because of Mr. Geisler, my attitude on gaining knowledge completely changed.  My attitude towards schoolwork in high school and now college has completely altered because of that mind-opening year.  I now learn because I am hungry for knowledge, not because I'm concerned about grades.

Mr. Geisler has also been a great friend and mentor to me as I've worked through academic issues in my life.  In high school, I could always go to him for calculus help, consolation after a failed test, and a good book recommendation.  Although I rarely see him anymore, because of the year I spent as his student, Mr. Geisler greatly impacted my life.

1.  Carol Kenley: How could I talk about people who have influenced my life without talking about my mom?  My mom has made me the person that I am today and I am so thankful to her for that.

I used to think that I was just as dedicated, motivated, and hard working as my mom was and that I must have gotten those traits from her through genetics.  I realized after moving to college, however, how false that was.  I am not naturally as hard working and driven as my mother, but I have had those values drilled into me from birth.

My mom never pushed me to be involved in things, but she completely supported whatever I wanted to do.  She has always been there for me after I had a rough day at school with a big plate of cookies and a glass of milk.  She sewed three prom dresses for me and edited countless essays, articles, and scholarship applications.  She always pushed me to be the best person that I could be and practiced tough love in calling me out when she knew I was acting in a way contrary to the way I was brought up.  Now that I'm away and in college, she is never too busy to talk to me on the phone for hours advising me about classes, hearing about what I've been doing or comforting me when I'm homesick.

She is my cheerleader and my number one fan.  No matter what I am doing, win or lose, I know she will always be there for me.  I love her so much and I know I would never be the person I am today or accomplished the things that I have without her.

I hope you have some repose this weekend,
Rachel

PS- I never cry, but for some reason, lately, I tear up every time I talk about my family.  I think it has something to do with moving to Utah.  It's getting obnoxious.  I've never been such a cry baby before!

Affinity, Child Nutrition

Hey everybody,

No jokes today, I promise.  I thought about it, then I thought it would be more unlike me to not pull a prank.

Today's word is affinity.  It's a noun that means a natural liking or attraction, as in: I have an affinity for performing arts of all kinds.  Reading is something I have a particular affinity for.

In recent ag-related news, the Senate Agricultural Committee passed the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010" on March 24.  This act provides 1.2 billion dollars to combat childhood hunger through expanding afterschool meals, categorical eligibility for foster children,  and promoting the availability and locations of summer food service programs.  Another 3.2 billion dollars go to promoting health and reducing childhood obesity by helping schools improve the nutritional qualities of school meals, establishing national nutrition standards for all food sold in schools, promoting nutrition and wellness in child care settings, and connecting students to healthy local produce through farm-to-school programs.  You can read the article here: http://www.agri-pulse.com/20100324H2.asp.

Incidentally, I'm learning a lot of new information from Agri-Pulse.  According to Ty, a former fellow state officer and 2009 National Officer Candidate from Wyoming, that's the newsletter National Officers use to keep up on current ag events.  Another something I learned from questionnaire feedback.  Thanks again everyone who responded!  You are all awesome.

I hope you do something you have an affinity for this weekend,
Rachel