48 Learning Reflections
How I learn: 9/11/24
Since elementary school, I have struggled with sitting still and keeping my attention on someone as they’re talking. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and why I had zero interest in school or learning. I was eventually referred to a psychiatrist last year after having no motivation to start or finish my sophomore year. I found out I have ADHD and the way I learn sometimes is by being hands-on and having the ability to move around. I enjoy having multiple topics at a time to learn about and having group discussions. Now that I am medicated and have resources to turn to when I am stressed or can’t digest information, I will be much more successful in class.
Learning Reflection #1 9/12/24- Active Listening
Active Listening
I attempted using active listening on my boyfriend of three years during his daily after-work rant. We both work at the same restaurant so sometimes the last thing I want to do is talk about work outside of work. Typically, when he talks about his kitchen stuff, I subconsciously tune it out. I get the drill- busy nights, annoying guests, and our narcissistic manager. Last night, I took the time to focus on every detail of what he was saying. He said he had a crazy rush, and our head chef was drilling him on ticket times taking too long. As that was happening, he burned his hand on the grill, turning the night into a mess. I asked him how he deals with that pressure, and how our bosses expect him to have a million hands. He looked slightly surprised that I was making eye contact and engaging in the conversation. He went on to explain how preps according to the number of heads in the books and that his Spanish is getting a lot better, so he’s been able to avoid more communication mistakes. Although our conversation consisted of the same topics they always do, this one felt different. I could tell he appreciated me nodding and engaging in what he was saying. I even noticed him getting more into the conversation and raising his voice in agreement. Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused when he’s explaining how to make 10 different pastas at once, but I want him to feel listened to and understood all the time. I will continually be making an effort to use active listening with him all the time.
Visual Strategies at the MERF 10/10/24
Upon my first look at the weekly overview, seeing the words “Visual Thinking Strategies” made me think it was just another way of interpreting what we see and hear. I had never heard the term or seen it in practice, so I assumed it was more about understanding text rather than visual works. I now understand it as the process of slowing down to understand different perspectives and creating a narrative for what is being depicted. When I first looked at the painting of Dr. J. Marion Sims, I could infer it was from slavery times, which led me to assume the woman on the table was getting reprimanded, and the two women behind the curtain were looking to see what would happen. After I listened to the podcast and looked again, I found the context horrifying. I saw that not only was she sitting on the table, she looked to be pleading and more internally sorrowed than before. The men in the picture could be there to watch her experimental surgery. I didn’t notice the medical instruments during the first look, but I can see there are minimal tools and little regard for his “patients”.
When we walked through the MERF, it was my first time there. When I heard the building was the medical education and research facility, I could only assume it would be sterile and visually unappealing, but I was completely taken aback by the open and collaborative design. The building’s purpose is to foster teamwork and discussion within groups. The large windows and expansive options of group study spaces can make people care about what they’re doing. I can understand that the kind of care you put into your work and space reflects the kind of care a patient might receive later.
