Paid to Learn
May. 12th, 2008 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebLast week I went to a conference hosted by my employer's Association for Professionals in Student Affairs. This is a group that, like the Academic Counselors Association, has meetings once a month with guest speakers. The ACA will have speakers on topics like what the Learning Center has to offer and how the new registration wait listing system will work. APSA makes less sense to me, I guess focusing more on work/life balance issues than on work issues (because the members have such varied jobs ranging from financial aid counselor to housing and food service workers).
So, the opening keynote speaker at the conference taught us about drumming. Officially, everything we learned was tied to some sort of work lesson. Like when things get crazy, you may be tempted to lock yourself in your little cube and focus on your own work so you can get it done, but if you're not paying attention to the other rhythms in the office, you won't be effective that way. That's just like when a group of you are playing instruments, you really do have to be listening to each other while you do so or the result will be a mess.
I can't actually imagine how to listen to the other rhythms in the office. Right now grades are due, so I volunteer to be one of the people who delivers the latest list of courses that still have outstanding grades to provide a friendly face in case there are questions. Does that count? And later, I may help stuff diplomas. Do those count?
I don't really see how making sure my system is kept updated in a data-entering frenzy really makes a clashing sound with my co-workers. Actually, doing that helps me get it done before students register for the classes so that when they run audits with these new classes on their records, they will get valid results. So I guess beating these sorts of deadlines (registration, course schedule publication, graduation certification) counts.
Anyway, the important thing is that we all had drums. And we got to bang on them. And we got to copy different cool rhythms. At work. Where I was getting paid. I actually got paid to learn how to make two sounds on a hand drum and to learn that I am not totally awesome at keeping a steady rhythm. I get sidetracked, confused. So I wouldn't be a good drummer in a band because the drummer is supposed to keep everyone else on track.
That was nice. And then it was over.
So, the opening keynote speaker at the conference taught us about drumming. Officially, everything we learned was tied to some sort of work lesson. Like when things get crazy, you may be tempted to lock yourself in your little cube and focus on your own work so you can get it done, but if you're not paying attention to the other rhythms in the office, you won't be effective that way. That's just like when a group of you are playing instruments, you really do have to be listening to each other while you do so or the result will be a mess.
I can't actually imagine how to listen to the other rhythms in the office. Right now grades are due, so I volunteer to be one of the people who delivers the latest list of courses that still have outstanding grades to provide a friendly face in case there are questions. Does that count? And later, I may help stuff diplomas. Do those count?
I don't really see how making sure my system is kept updated in a data-entering frenzy really makes a clashing sound with my co-workers. Actually, doing that helps me get it done before students register for the classes so that when they run audits with these new classes on their records, they will get valid results. So I guess beating these sorts of deadlines (registration, course schedule publication, graduation certification) counts.
Anyway, the important thing is that we all had drums. And we got to bang on them. And we got to copy different cool rhythms. At work. Where I was getting paid. I actually got paid to learn how to make two sounds on a hand drum and to learn that I am not totally awesome at keeping a steady rhythm. I get sidetracked, confused. So I wouldn't be a good drummer in a band because the drummer is supposed to keep everyone else on track.
That was nice. And then it was over.