Fox Tales: Are You a Student,
Teacher, Mentor, or Coach?

By Susie Lynn Fox, 2007-2008 LSC President

Because school is still in session for a few more days before the holiday break, I’d like to toss a FUN POP QUIZ at you! I know that fun and pop quiz don't necessarily go together, but I got the idea for creating an unscientific, fun pop quiz when contemplating some recent STC Lone Star Community (LSC) events. These events reminded me of the importance of being students, teachers, mentors, and coaches each day.

Arranging Job Site Tours for Texas Tech Students
STC Texas Tech University (TTU) student chapter members and faculty made a road trip to the LSC community meeting on October 4. They wanted to hear Jack Molisani present “Portfolios and Interview Strategies.” Thanks to Elisa Miller, First Vice President of Programs, for scheduling the informative 2007-2008 programs!

Before the dinner meeting and presentation, Jeanne Foster, Membership Manager, and other LSC members kicked off the evening by welcoming TTU students to the pre-game Newcomer special interest group (SIG) meeting. The air was electric with expectations, excitement, and interest as students and professionals shared stories and information.

The next day, Heather Steele, Second Vice President and Registration Manager, and Jackie Damrau, LSC Technically Write Newsletter Editor, arranged and provided job site tours at local companies for the students. This is a great example of how students and professionals can work together to enrich the future of the profession. Thanks, Jeanne, Heather, and Jackie, for pulling this off!

Judging Robot Design Notebooks for High School Students
LSC has long been a proud sponsor of the Dallas Boosting Engineering Science & Technology (BEST) competition. In October, LSC volunteers once again judged the robot design notebooks for teams of high school students. Before building a working robot, students must document how their teams design, build, and test the robot design. Robots must be able to roll across the floor, change directions, tackle inclines, pick up and carry multiple objects, and deliver objects.

On BEST game day, the gym at The University of Texas at Dallas reverberated with non-stop, ear-splitting cheers as teenage teams pitted their robots against each other in fiercely competitive games. In this pep rally style atmosphere, I was once again reminded of the importance of teaching, mentoring, and coaching students of all ages.

As LSC President, I was lucky enough to be asked to present the first, second, and third-place notebook awards to: (1) Thomas Jefferson High School, (2) Ovilla Christian School, and (3) The Hockaday School. Other winners are this year’s LSC volunteers, including: Kathlyn Auten, Ann Balaban, Georgina Cantoni, Jackie Damrau, Kelly Burch, Rhonda Harris, and Mary McWilliams Johnson.

Providing Web Site Redesign Class Projects for UNT Students
This fall, Mel Haughton, Immediate Past President and Volunteer Wrangler, and Alan Oak, Webmaster, worked with other LSC volunteers to define LSC Web site redesign criteria. Mel then met with the faculty at the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton to discuss possible class projects for this fall’s technical communication students.

The faculty agreed to Web site redesign projects, and the result is that UNT students get to work on real-world projects and add to their portfolios. This collaborative effort among LSC volunteers, UNT faculty, and students is a great learning experience for everyone. Thanks, Mel, for working with UNT faculty and students this year and last year, too!

Back to the Pop Quiz … Are You Ready?

OK, it’s time to learn something new about you by answering the following multiple-choice questions:

1.  What kind of student are you?
A.  I like to learn something new about any subject.
B.  I like to learn something new so that I can help others.
C.  I like to learn something new so that I teach others.
D.  I like to learn something new to accomplish goals and make changes.

2.  What kind of teacher are you?
A.  I like to answer students’ questions about the course work.
B.  I like to see the light bulb of understanding go off in students’ heads.
C.  I like to unpack a subject so that students can learn something new.
D.  I like to see students meet their educational goals and enrich their lives.

3.  What kind of mentor are you?
A.  I like to listen to people who want to learn how to advance their careers.
B.  I like to share with people how they can launch and refine their careers.
C.  I like to review someone’s resume and offer helpful suggestions.
D.  I like to provide job contacts to people who are looking for a new job.

4.  What kind of coach are you?
A.  I like to listen to people who want to learn how to improve their lives.
B.  I like to share with others lessons I’ve learned in life.
C.  I like to work with people who want to improve their interpersonal skills.
D.  I like to help people plan and reach their life’s goals.

Answers to the Pop Quiz
A – If you chose three or more, you are a great listener.
B – If you chose three or more, you care about others.
C – If you chose three or more, you give of yourself to others.
D – If you chose three or more, you contribute toward others’ successes.

If you are a great listener, care about others, give of yourself to others, and/or contribute toward others’ successes, you are already a well-rounded student, teacher, mentor, and/or coach. You can continue to benefit yourself and others by trying out and expanding your skills at LSC in the following ways:

LSC Area of Interest	Expand your skills by…
Competitions	Entering and judging
LSC Help Desk	Asking questions and providing answers
Mentoring	Mentoring others and being mentored
Networking	Meeting other professionals and help each other succeed
Newcomers SIG	Meeting and greeting newcomers
Newsletter	Writing articles and teach by sharing information
Presentations	Learning something new and inviting colleagues to attend meetings
Scholarships	Applying for scholarships and supporting scholarship activities
Volunteering	Learning new skills and building your portfolio
Workshops	Learning more about a specific topic or volunteer to teach a topic