1.
When was our first meeting, and what was your impression of me?
It would have been in ENGL101. I remember thinking you were thoughtful.
You didn’t seem comfortable speaking in class, but would do so anyway, and
would present good ideas and questions.
2.
I have been told that I am somewhat cool and aloof, so could you tell me how
my communication style affects you, and a time when you do or don’t like it?
I find you cool, but not aloof. I think you are careful in speaking, which is why
I describe you as thoughtful. Aloof means detached, and I think you are very
present when you speak. You approached me about how to get international
students more involved, and I appreciated the care you showed in that
conversation.
3.
Do you perceive my high sense of urgency when I do a project in a group?
What should I improve to work in groups?
Because you are pretty calm and cool, I didn’t sense urgency, but I did see a
commitment to doing good work in a group. You are willing to represent
yourself in a group discussion instead of fading into the background, and I
think you should keep doing that.
4.
Have you ever felt my coolness in a meeting? If so, could you tell a time when
you liked or didn’t like my coolness in a meeting? Why?
I appreciated your coolness in the conversation I mentioned above. It would
be easy to sound like a complainer, like it is someone’s fault that international
students are sometimes less involved in discussions, but you came at it as just
an issue to address. Sometimes, keeping emotions oout of the picture makes
it much easier to move ahead.
5.
Are you comfortable or reluctant discussing crisis about me? Why?
I would have no problem discussing a crisis with you because of your ability
to maintain a cool head.
6.
When I ask or answer questions, or present my ideas, do I seem confident?
How can I improve?
I saw your confidence improve. You were quieter in 101, but by the time you
reached 102, you were among my best students. Always believe your
questions are valid, because they are.
7.
Does my coolness make me an interested listener? Have you ever felt my
coolness while I was in your audience? Could you understand that though I
looked like being somewhat cool to speakers, I was really not aloof?
I never felt like you were aloof when I was speaking. I could tell you were
paying attention, and I am used to working with many different personality
types.
8.
How do you think my personality of speaking styles is? Have you ever felt
bad or comfortable talking with me? Could you give me an example?
I feel comfortable because I can tell you care. Disinterested students
frustrate me, but you are so clearly invested in your education that I always
found you very easy to communicate with.
9.
Can you think of one of my writings that you feel most favorable? I have a high
sense of urgency, but I am not good at timed writing, so what can I do to
improve my writing skills?
Practice, practice, practice. I can’t remember a specific essay, but even if your
grammar was not perfect, you were always able to dig out interesting ideas.
You are a good writer because you challenge yourself. Always push beyind the
obvious and have faith in the ideas you generate.
10. Are there any thoughts that you want to share with me?
You may not know this, but a native English speaker in one of your classes
approached me and said that you were the student that helped him see that
the contributions of international students are valuable and worth working
across language barriers to get.