I woke up Saturday ready to tackle the world. I had worked very hard on the upcoming position paper and was looking forward to the peer review process. In class, we began with several activities to enhance our skills and assist in writing the position paper. The more we worked in class the clearer it became that my paper had many holes and needed a drastic “do over”! I could feel my stomach churning as I continued to review and rewrite. When the final hour came to submit and exchange our papers, the instructors decided to have us proceed with a “blind” exchange of papers within the Longwood Cohort, as the other cohorts were not ready.
I was nervous about having others view my work and pick it apart. To my surprise, it was an awesome experience. My cohort colleagues gave me ideas and suggestions concerning my position, as well as, provided comments concerning my writing style. Some of the suggestions were obvious and other suggestions were ones that I would not have otherwise considered.
The overall process was a tremendous help for me. This position paper has been the most difficult for me in terms of writing and finding research to back my “position”. I enjoyed the other papers and was able to find numerous resources and interesting articles on my chosen topics. I found this assignment and the topics to be somewhat more of a stretch for me. Non-the-less, this experience will assist me in furthering my skills.
I am so appreciative of my cohort members. We are growing, enhancing our skills, and learning to trust each other. Most of us have already been in leadership roles and are enjoying the opportunity to take a new “fresh” look at our experiences and polish up those rusty skills. This process reminds me of something my father always said to me, “you are never to old to learn” and ” education is the one thing that no one can ever take from you”! With that in mind, I will strive to grow and bloom in these new experiences.
