For this food lab we made Thai Curry. I developed in the communication core competency by communicating with my partners on what vegetables they would like to use in the recipe. There were many choices of vegetables to use, and we had to decide which ones we all agreed with. I listened to their preferences and we also listened to each other’s. When plating the food, I also communicated with them that my serving size would be smaller than usual. So we arranged each other’s plates and communicated if we wanted less/more curry or rice. I think this core competency is important because when working in groups, it’s a sign of respect to communicate your choices and actions to group members. This helps everyone stay on the same page and reduce mistakes/miscommunication. I think what we could improve on for next time is for everyone to show up early to class so we can plan before as to during the lab when we’re cooking.
I demonstrated communication in this food studies lab by communicating with my partners what fruits/add-ins they would like in the smoothie bowl. Communication was necessary in this lab because we had our own preferences of fruits/ingredients, we discussed and then agreed upon the ingredients we were going to use. If we were to add/use fruits or ingredients in the smoothie bowl without checking with each other first, we may have different perceptions on the taste/look/texture of the recipe. For example, we collectively agreed to not add fruits high in water content, because majority of the fruits we used were low in water content.
I demonstrated collaboration in this food studies lab by working with my partners to make the smoothie bowl. I did this by taking responsibility for my tasks and doing my share of duties in the kitchen. An example in the kitchen where we had to collaborate is when the blender was struggling to blend the frozen fruits. We collaborated and communicated with each other by asking each other if we should add more liquid, or keep mixing the smoothie with a wooden spoon; relying on the blender. We still wanted to have the thick consistency of the smoothie, without adding too much liquid. I also collaborated with my partners if they wanted to add granola/sliced fruits into their smoothie bowl.
I show that I value feedback from others in my group by acknowledging them. For this first semester, my goal is to improve on my collaboration skills, I chose collaboration as one of my core competency goals because I have a tendency to focus on my own work. I think that I can improve on collaboration by asking questions or giving suggestions to others in a group, so that we all benefit from each other’s work. And when they give input in return, I need to improve on valuing feedback and showing acknowledgement. I feel that I don’t show enough acknowledgement towards someone. I’ll know that I have achieved my goal when I feel comfortable giving/receiving feedback from others in a group and when someone’s reaction is positive.
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I do an activity that refreshes/resets my mental capacity for a moment. For this first semester, my goal is to improve my focus in school, and recognize what to do when I need to boost my mood. I chose personal awareness and responsibility as another other core competency goal because I find that I lose focus in school quite often or have a poor mood. I can improve and personal awareness and responsibility by taking more frequent short breaks and doing an activity that will refresh my mind. Depending on the situation, I may have to be focused for long periods of time. If I’m able to identify when to take breaks, e.g. when I get stuck on something, losing focus, etc. I know to take a break and do something that clears my stress. I’ll know that I have achieved my goal when I know how to identify when I need a break, and what to do when I lose focus or become stuck in schoolwork.
Communication
The ways I communicate at school differ from how I communicate at work/ hockey/family eventsin these ways: passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive. For this first semester, my goal is to improve on communication in school and at home. I chose communication as another core competency goal because I subconsciously lack strength in communicating in school and at home. Communication differs at school and at home because of the people I communicate with. At school, I mostly communicate with people who I’ve known only in school. Compared to at home, I’ve been communicating with my parents throughout my life. But, I find that I don’t communicate well with others who I’m not familiar with in school. I tend to be passive-aggressive towards people who I don’t usually know. But at home, I feel comfortable communicating because they’ve known me for a long time, but communication can be aggressive/assertive. I’ll know that I have achieved my goal when I don’t feel stressed or uncomfortable when communicating. I’ll achieve this goal by trying to be more open to new people, and acknowledging/communicating at home clearly and providing confirmation if needed.
