Quarter 1 SOC Reflection

     I am a seasoned SOC member, therefore I already knew how this class would work. However, there were some new aspects this year that I did not experience last year. This year our class has all been involved in everything more than last year. When a project pops up, or something is needed to be accomplished it seems as though we are never short of volunteers. Since basketball does not start until quarter 2, not much was needed to be worked on, but looking forward some goals I have for the team, other than winning, is to bond more and become more of a family. I am unsure how I will try to create this bond yet, but to be a winning team we have to feel like family. Goals I have for SOC in quarter 2 involve student involvement. Football has made the playoffs again and I look forward to how we can get the student body involved even if it is an away game. Also basketball is starting up, and in the past student involvement with the winter sports have been low. I look forward to working with the rest of the SOC to improve the support around winter sports. An idea I have is making the games as fun as football games. Have a soundboard, have the band perform, and the announcer as entertaining as Mr. Bulka was for football. I believe if we make the games more fun, and our team performs well this year, our support will grow.

Quarter 4 SOC Reflection

     To be successful at anything within a team environment every member has to communicate effectively. This year I thought I was mediocre at being an effective communicator, but next year I hope to really take that to the next level and be the link that keeps everyone on the same page. I plan to utilize all forms of communication whether it is email, face to face, calling, or texting. Part of being an effective communicator is communicating with the community. Our organization blog is almost there, but to truly be a vital connecting point with the community I need to update it more with what our team is doing. This year has really been a growing process, but we aren't finished yet. To further improve the SOC and my student organization I think we need to ask ourselves how we can get more student involvement, how we can get more community involvement, and how we can better connect the community and our school. 

     As the 2017-2018 school year comes to an end, I am able to reflect on what it has taught me, especially through the SOC class. Next year I plan to build on what I have learned and accomplished. This includes stepping up and being a more vocal leader. I plan to push others to be their best through motivation so that within our organizations we can be the best as possible. This looks like on the field and court being a role model and pushing myself at my best. This also involves off the court and filed and into the community. I have learned how difficult it can be to organize a volunteer event and that is something I will improve on next year. I will be organized and have better communication with my partners and coaches. SOC is doing great things for this school, and we have created so much with the student body. Next year I plan on getting even more involvement from the school and connecting as one big community. To do this we will have to brand any event we host, we will have to make the events fun and something people want to go to! It is never an easy task to get people to put effort into anything, but I believe that if we really focus on our goal then we will accomplish it.
   
     This year we laid the foundation for the future of SOC and Thomas Nelson's organizations. I am most proud of the legacy we left behind as a SOC. Whether it was the Angel Tree, supporting the Iron Horse Festival, Bardstown Christmas Parade, Ignites, or the Pink Out game we set the bar high for the future of SOC. Individually, I am most proud of how supportive I tried to be throughout the year. I tried to make it to every sporting event, show, or after school activity that I could. There is always room to grow, but I am pleased to say that I gave it my best. In the future I will put even more energy on ways to support non-athletic activities, because I think the non-athletics are very disconnected from the school, and the student body. That could look like many things, for example, connecting with athletic teams to better connect with the student body. It could also look like many other things happening, but we will answer that question as we transition to the 2018-19 school year!

Quarter 3 Reflection

   
   
In the SOC class we  take CARE to another level; we care not only for our organizations but other student organization, and the surrounding community as a whole. This quarter I have taken pride in focusing on how I can support the SOC as a whole and the other organizations. I have helped create a music playlist for Winter Formal as well as clean up. During RUSH week I continually supported the 8th graders trying to give them the best advice I could speaking in front of all of the boys from Bloomfield. I tried my best to support the other organizations as well through cleaning up, and supporting in recruitment. Through the SOC class I have supported the other SOC members continually through giving feedback during paper ceiling presentations, and providing my assistance whenever asked. In my student organization I brought up the idea of a team bonding experience to help our team relax before our district tournament. So far this quarter my organization has not supported our community partner, but we plan to in the upcoming weeks. Next quarter I plan to continue to support the SOC class and other organizations, but I plan to improve upon my work with community partners.

     Connecting within the SOC class is also taken to another level. In the SOC class we not only connect with each other and the school, but with the overall community as well. In order for a group to function the individuals in it have to effectively communicate so there are no misunderstandings. I have taken pride in being an effective communicator whether it is in my organization or the surrounding community. Whether it was communicating practice time with other members of our team, or game times on social media and throughout the community. I have also connected with other SOC representatives to support growth in their organizations as well mainly through feedback on paper ceiling presentations, and giving them advice when they ask. I could still use some help from my small group to help me get organized with connecting with my community partner. Overall, I believe I have helped the SOC function by effectively connecting with other members to promote progress.

     In the SOC class we have CREATed from the get go. This whole year has been new to the school with the changes we have made to the SOC. In the 3rd quarter I have created a temporary logo for my SO, applied and helped find a paper ceilings sticker, and supported other SOC members with feedback with collaboration and feedback during paper ceiling presentations. I will continue to put in the effort and energy to improving my SO and the SOC as a whole. For next quarter I want to continue to be active within the SOC, but there are some things I can improve on. I want to create a mission and vision statement with collaboration from coaches and players, I want to create a relationship with a community partner, and I want to lead an initiative by the SOC. To accomplish my goals I will continue to active and supportive, but I will reach out more and move out of my comfort zone even more. In conclusion, I am proud of all the work I have accomplished and how active I was this quarter. Next quarter I will make moves to accomplish the goals I have set, and end on a positive note for next year!

2017-2018 Season

Congratulations to the team on a hard fought season!

Blog Reflection 2

     Why we do what we do is a rhetorical question. We know the reason, but the work that is put in because of our why has been amazing thus far. Our LEADership in the SOC class not only has built a foundation for the future of SOC, but it has also built a foundation for student involvement in our school, and the communities involvement in our after school activities. From ignites before games, to events in the auditorium we have created hype and support never seen before here at TNHS. Our work to show the community we CARE ( Iron Horse Festival, Christmas Parade, Angel Tree) has CREATEd avenues of community building in the future. Our community knows we care, and that they can count on us to help in anyway possible. In return our community has cared and CONNECTed with us. Offering thanks for our help, and even donations to help us continue to support our surrounding community. Through our work we have left an easier route to creating hype for student involvement, to caring for our community, and to have our community connect with us.

Semester 1 Reflection

Having SOC as a class has enabled us to put forth much more energy and focus surrounding our organization; therefore, we have been able to improve the overall quality of all the organizations at Thomas Nelson and have created energy and hype around them. For example all the energy we were able to create surrounding Friday night home football games, and the Ignite sessions before them. This semester I am proud of the ability to assist my coaches with their needs that they may not be able to do efficiently without my help in school; like helping with communication. One thing I will need to focus more energy on next semester is developing a better relationship with my community partner and developing service projects. This semester I have been able to meet most of the goals I have set for myself, and this was largely due to the fact that SOC is a class, but I need to spend time on some goals outside of school and this is a big goal for next semester. Overall, this semester was very successful and I intend to grow on it and have an even better second semester to develop SOC even more within the school.

Fly Closer Friday Reflection 11/17

As part of a LEADer on the basketball team I am not only constantly pushing myself to be my best, but I am also pushing others to do their best on the court and in the classroom. This involves leading through example and vocally. By being a role model on the court through giving 100% effort and being coachable gives my teammates, especially underclassmen, a model to look after. Vocally I lead the team with encouragement, but also tough love. One of the most valuable aspects of being a leader on the basketball team is that future leaders that are currently underclassmen look up to you, and will mold their leadership qualities like yours. Just this weekend at our annual Generals Madness I had a conversation with a Freshmen about what it means to be a leader and what it looks like. I hope to continue to be a leader on this team, and that I inspire others to step up as well.