Kinard Week Two

Activities:
Worked ICC Freshmen Orientations Tues-Friday in Fulton and Tupelo
Began researching practitioners at UA to shadow

Reflection:
This week I spent most of my time at ICC.  Although this location is not officially my practicum site, I volunteered this week to get some more experience and network.  I had the best time ever!! You know you are doing the job you love when your week feels like a vacation.  I love ICC as most know, and getting to be back in the mix again was alot of fun.  It also allowed me to meet some new members of the ICC family. 

This week during orientation, I helped the student orienation leaders educate the incoming freshmen about ICC and college in general.  I also got to do some advising and scheduling with them.  I worked with Mrs. Allyson Cummings and academic advisor and Indian Delegation recruitment team advisor.  She is a fabulous practitioner who inspired my love for student affairs in the first place.  It was a pleasure to work with her again. 

Orientation went differently at ICC this year than when I was a student there.  First of all the students were divided among orientation leaders in groups of 12 or so with two orienation leaders and an advisor.  The parents were immediatly seperated from their students and sent to a parent orienation.  They did not see their student again until the end of the day.  I am sure this made some parents and students uneasy, however it made the day run unbelievalbly smooth.  I also think the students were better off for it.

The advisor in the orienation sessions had access to the students ACT scores and their major.  The orienation leaders played games and icebreakers with the students and presented to them information about their rights, ICC, tips for success, financial aide, books, buildings, classes, etc.  The advisor then made out a sheet for the students laying out what classes they should take their first semester. The students where then taken on a short tour of campus before arriving at a computer lab to make our their schedules.  A short video was shown describing how to use the website and how to register for classes.  Then the advisor and the orientation leaders helped the students make out their schedules.  It went very smoothly!  I thought the new process was much better than the first.

(Some videos used at orienation will be coming soon)

Now in regards to UA.  I will be emailing my supervisor with a list of practitioners I would like to meet and shadow while I am on campus in July.  She will also be sending me a list of activities for me to perform before arriving in July.