Kristen is a new addition to the MAP family this summer! She keeps a weekly journal of all her new experiences working at MAP.
I walked into MAP on my first day completely frazzled. I had no idea where to find the bus stop (even though everyone else found it without any issue) and I had to be there at 8. 8. Like in the morning. I feel like I'm more of a mid-afternoon person, so the fact that everything started in the morning made me especially stressed. It was also raining, and I spent at least ten minutes looking extremely lost, probably a little like this guy:
There was absolutely no reason for me to feel this way, considering there were no people around that early in the morning. I don't really know why I never learned to read a map or why I have absolutely no sense of direction, but I was actually right outside the building. After Rebekah generously came to find me standing at the wrong entrance, I happily began my first day at MAP. I can make fun of myself, and this is a prime example of the silly things I do.
I spent my first day constructing lesson plans for teenagers, inventing brainteasers and icebreakers to play with them. Delving into research on the 4-H curriculum and "how to get teenagers to pay attention", I felt more confident with my interpersonal skills to get the students engaged. My situation was ideal; I had spent the entire day inventing interesting games and questions for kids who weren't too far away from my age group.
I continued my lesson plans the next day and did smaller tasks (i.e. to-do lists, organizing papers, etc.). I began to feel more comfortable with the job in general, and I finally got to meet every member of the staff. Settling in, I got invited to my first field-trip (meeting).
My favorite part of the meeting was the food that we got afterwards. Rebekah opted for a breakfast burrito while I had an amazing waffle. It was a really important part of my week.
I've loved getting to know the other amazing high-roaders and spending time with the friends that I knew from school, and everything seems to be falling into place. My first week has been ultimately pretty successful, and I'm interested to see where things go.
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