🗨 Wanderings and maps

 

Reflect on recent career assignments

Here are some activities your TA may organize during section when you discuss your most recent assignment.

TA Strengths.png

Top strengths. Your TA may ask each student to identify/choose their top strength, to get a sense of the range of different strengths represented by the group. You can choose the one listed as #1 or the one that you agree with most strongly out of your 5.

  • Maybe your TA will write all the strengths on the board, and you'll put your initials by yours
  • Maybe your TA will ask students to stand up and cluster according to the four different areas of strength that the CliftonStrengths assessment uses, based on your top strength.
  • Discussion prompts
    • How does your top strength connect with patterns you’ve noticed in your work experiences? When do you feel like you've used this top strength in the workplace or school?
    • If you were an employer, would you want a team of employees who shared the same strengths or who brought different strengths? Why?
    • Which strengths do you think would work well to reinforce or complement each other?

Loyal opposition. Not all students believe this tool accurately reports their five strengths. Do any of your five strengths seem incorrect for you? Are there other strengths that seem more correct for you? Make your case – take a few minutes to write about these topics, and then pair up with a partner and justify why your report should have given you other strengths. (Just don't focus on little things like "I was tired when I did the test" or "my internet cut out halfway through the test" – keep it big picture!)

  • Your TA has also taken this strengths analysis quiz, and may choose to offer their own reflections on whether they think the quiz accurately reflects their own strengths – and if so, how they talk about and practice those strengths as part of their own academic and career development.

Balconies and basements. Some strengths don't always have positive connotations, and in some cases our greatest strengths are also areas of weakness for us. Your TA might ask you to think through the "balcony/basement" exercise using the diagram below. First, choose one of your top five strengths or talents. In the "balcony" box, write down descriptions of that strength that sound like compliments. In the "basement" box, write down negative descriptions of that same strength, or descriptions that make the strength sound like a barrier. Can you think of situations when you have been frustrated at work or in school in a way related to one of your strengths? How might you deal with this by focusing on another of your strengths in a more positive way instead?

TA Balconies.png

 

Mapping your wanderings

The following activity is adapted from Brooks pp. 24–39. We are skipping one round of connect-the-dots, but otherwise we are following the same procedure.

Step 1. Take out a blank sheet of paper and two different colored writing utensil. Write your name in the middle of the paper.

Step 2. Set a timer for 3 minutes, and write down all the important parts of you life. See the list below for ideas. Write small, and don't stop writing! You want two or three dozen items.

  • Important events
  • Places you've lived
  • Good vs. bad jobs
  • Memorable classes
  • Hobbies/fandoms
  • Teams/groups
  • Awards/honors
  • Personal victories

Step 3. Pair up with someone, and swap maps. Get some new ideas based on what they wrote. Take just 1 minute for this.

Step 4. Set a timer for 2 minutes, and write down additional important more parts of your life. Write small, and don't stop writing! You want two or three dozen items.

Step 5. Using a different colored writing utensil, draw connecting lines between connected items. Don't connect conventional CATEGORIES (like the ones in the list above) – instead look for THEMES. Label the lines when you've got a handle on what the connecting themes are.

Step 6. Take a look at the labels you've put on the connecting lines. Some of them will still resonate with you, and some will feel superficial or arbitrary. In the margin of the paper, list the labels that you endorse. (If you find all your labels insightful, list them all.)

Step 7. Reflect! Here are some questions your TA may ask, to help you extract value from this exercise.

  • If you had to sum up your wanderings diagram in a single word or phrase, what would it be?
  • How does this change your view of your education?
    • How does the definition of a liberal education connect to your wanderings diagram?
    • Did this activity remind you of anything you'd like to pursue while here at UW? 
  • Does this map bolster your previous assignments?
    • Does it give context to your personal brand?
    • Do you see items that should be on your resume?
    • Could you summarize the things on your map as STAR statements?
    • Are your strengths evident in the components of you wanderings map? 
  • Was it helpful to do this exercise graphically, or would you have preferred to use text?

 

Examples

Katharine Brooks includes two example wanderings diagrams in chapter 02 of her book, both of which are annotated for themes (rather than categories):

map 1 image.png