As the end of the semester approaches (thank heavens), I have several papers/projects to wrap up. One of the requirements for my program is we have to write reflective essays after completing certain classes. Actually we must turn essays in for most of the classes we take. I’ve been a little out of practice since I had to take so many of the no essay required courses in quick succession. This semester I’m taking two classes and both require the essay. In fact from now until I’m finished with the program, I’ll be writing these essays. Before I can graduate I have to write a long essay wherein I reflect on my entire journey through the program–that one should be interesting since it will come due at the end of what is predicted to be a very grueling semester.
I decided to go ahead and write both of my essays this weekend so I can focus on the last paper in one class and the finishing touches on a group presentation in the other. When I started writing the essays, I really thought I would have a hard time making distinctions between the two. As it turns out the tone of the two essays are completely different. Both are highly personal and show how much I’ve been thinking about lessons learned, but they diverge after this point. One is brighter and sunnier (if that makes any sense in relationship to academia) and the other is darker and more somber. The more somber of the two is for my Groups and Teams class. I have an odd relationship with that professor–in one breath she’ll tell me how much she values my contributions and in the next she’s stone-cold to me. I don’t know if this is just how her personality is or if when she’s being stone-cold she’s telling me to step it up. At any rate, I do believe she’s an excellent facilitator and even when you don’t feel like learning she manages to get you thinking and engaged.
As part of our learning process in Groups and Teams, we formed a team and had to work on three projects together. I have come to believe we were never really a team. This disappoints me. We have some of the characteristics of a team (task focused, goal setting, structured work assignments) but we fell way down in the team identity dimension. There’s another team in the class that I believe to be a good example of a team and we’re nowhere close to their level of cohesion. I touched on these feelings in my reflective essay and will explore them further in the long paper I have due in eight days. Eight days…crap, I need to get busy.