In my first blog post I will need to ask the students to introduce
themselves to the other students in the class. As I was reading in our textbook a beneficial way to beginning
the online course would be posting introductions of the students on the class
blog site. I want to start
encouraging students to look for areas of common interest in order to build the community. I realize that in this medium I need to
be flexible. I need to throw away my agendas and the need to control.
I need to let the process happen and to allow for the personal agenda of
students to be accomplished and just try to accommodate them. By this I mean letting the discussion on the blog go to a direction that I may not feel
completely comfortable. OMG
I need to be calm and rather than cut them off abruptly the I should gently guide the discussion perhaps by asking an open ended question that allows the students to examine that interaction together.
So here goes.
Discuss the one personal quality about yourself that you
feel will be most beneficial in making a difference in lives of people suffering
from AIDS.
I am a problem solver. I would really like to say that empathy is what i have to offer, but I have never had to struggle with an illness such as HIV/AIDs. Instead, what I have to offer is problem solving. I know that sounds insignificant in comparison, but when I was faced with life ending situations, I was able to offer guidance and stability. I can look at a situation and take it for what it is; not get emotional or doomesday about it. I am a planner and one who can take it at face value day by day. I understand that some days are awesome and some are just terrible.
ReplyDeleteMy very best friend died of brain cancer seven years ago. One day he was fine and three months later he was dead. During the time in between he lived with my family and we celebrated the good stuff while planning for the bad. We all need people to empathize, sympathize, and just hang out with us, but I am the person who will treat you like you are normal while helping you take care of business. I believe in facts & research while knowing and believing in spontaneous things that can't be explained. For someone living with the reality of AIDS, I hope that I would be able to be honest, be a friend, and see it through.
It is different for everyone personally but I’ve found that empathy might be helpful in the beginning of the illness but as time goes by the person who has AIDS doesn’t require sympathy as much. I think that you just have to go with your gut on this matter. There isn’t just one way to handle this. What the person can tell is if you are being real with them. So I think what you said about celebrating the good stuff and just being normal is best because that came from a personal internal source. I can’t think of a better example for you to site.
DeleteThanks for sharing such honest personal quality.
I am quite emphatic to people who are suffering from serious or life-threatening illnesses. I'm able to go the extra distance to help them accommodate the different logistical obstacles they may have which may stand in the way of their recovery. Helping someone in who is seriously ill often means waiting for them in some capacity. They need to have people understand that it takes them extra time or that they have to make an extra effort to be somewhere, like a doctor visit, or even when just trying to shop for their needs. Patience is a virtue, right? Being patient with someone who can no longer function as they once did is extremely beneficial to that person's sense of participation within their own recovery.
ReplyDeleteThank you Patrick. I believe what you are describing is being a true friend. Your constant unwavering presence and your patience is so helpful. When you know that you are dying it must feel that people are leaving you as much as you leaving them. For you to give of yourself in this way is truly commendable. Your patience is a virtue and I would also add a wonderful example of your own personal quality. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete