Category: Alan - WORKABILITY CLASSROOM BLOGS

Alan's Blog

12/8/2016

Reviewing Curriculum

Today I reviewed our curriculum. I would like to spend more time on Self-Advocacy. I reviewed all the topics I have learned about for the past 2 months. Yesterday I made an emergency contact list so I have all the important phone numbers I may need like Poison Control, Family, and my Doctor. We are almost done doing landscaping at the lady’s house, so it was much quicker today. Yesterday I picked up trash near the backyard and pulled more weeds! All this hard work I have done will help me get a real job in spring 2017 which might be a lot tougher than I thought. What shall I do next?!

Alan's Blog

11/30/2016

Volunteering

Today I learned about VOLUNTEERING which means you get to help others in need. You get to be part of a team and meet new people. You can learn about new skills and get better at what you already know how to do!!! You can practice professionalism like being on time, keeping a schedule, communicating with your supervisor and staying productive. A volunteer position can be added to your resume as experience and you can ask a Supervisor to be a work reference. I am a volunteer at The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and I must say I enjoy it quite a bit. If you want to volunteer check out this website:

https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/index.jsp?l=Tucson%2C+AZ%2C+USA

Alan's Blog

11/28/2016

Learning About Diversity!

Today I learned about the Choctaw Indians whose culture included ball games like lacrosse. Many of their clothes are very colorful. Both men and women wear clothes which are made of deer skin or other animal hides. Men wore breechcloth hide and women wore knee length wrap skirts also made of hide. I also found out that the Choctaws were code talkers during WW1 and WW2!! Their main food is pearl hominy, bean, squash, melon and sunflowers. Their tradition is stickball which is now modern day lacrosse. Some Choctaw speak in western language in family. In the 19th century, Choctaws were known as one of the "Five Civilized Tribes".

Alan's Blog

11/17/2016

Community Garden

Today we started planting a community garden at Yellow Brick Coffee. The one thing we planted today was lemongrass. I picked up trash and a lot of rocks by bending over! The best part was dumping the soil back into the ground. This is called aerating the soil. We also cleaned the parking lot with a broom to keep it neat as a pin.

Alan's Blog

11/10/2016

Resume and References

Today I learned about resumes and references. In order to get a job, you need a resume with references. Your resume should include your personal information like your address, email, and phone number. You also need to include your work and volunteer history, education, and skills. References should include someone who has seen you work/volunteer and can comment on your abilities. Contact references ahead of time and confirm they will be a reference and that you have their correct contact information.

Alan's Blog

11/2/2016

Managing Your Money

Today I learned about managing your money. The amount can depend on what you earn from chores at home or at a job. Make sure you keep an eye on your budget so that you don’t end up bankrupt from spending all that money. If somebody lost their job or gets sick, he or she won’t be able to pay their bills. So when it comes to finding an apartment, pick each of these choices such as a how many bedrooms because some are made for 2 or a bed made for one or a studio without a bedroom. Remember to save your money wisely before you spend too much.

Alan's Blog

10/26/2016

Teamwork

Today I learned about teamwork. There are 10 elements to being a good team member. And judging others don’t or not being respectable with each other isn’t the way. Contribute and come up with a few ideas and respect will be earned. The best way is to have fun with your friends and you will make teamwork grow stronger.
Here is the list of the 10 elements of teamwork:

Be reliable
Effective communication
Active listening
Participation
Shares openly and willingly
Be cooperative
Be flexible
Be committed
Problem solver
Be respectable

Alan's Blog

10/19/2016

Types of Communication

Today I learned about types of communication. There are 5 types: verbal, aural, non-verbal, visual, and written. I watched a video about the types of communication.
Examples are:

Spoken Words = Verbal = “Go to bed!” Said Dad
Hearing = Ambulance Siren means get out of the way and pull your vehicle over
Body language, facial expressions, and sign language = Non-Verbal = Rolling your eyes
Pictures only = Visual = Poison Symbol
Words = Written = Stop Sign

Alan's Blog

10/19/2016

Safety at Work

I learned about safety at work. Some examples are:

Wear a safety vest when working in parking lots
Avoid debris or stuff that is the way of your path. Keep aisles clear!
Wear the correct safety equipment such as: hard hat, goggles, gloves, safety suit
Follow all safety procedures and don’t take short cuts. Short cuts can lead to injury and possibly even death.
Only use equipment that you have been trained on. Ask questions if you are unsure of anything.
Lifting: put 2 fingers under item to be lifted, if you can’t move it then it’s too heavy to move alone. Ask for help and always follow lifting procedures.
If there is a spill on the floor clean it up right away to prevent others from being injured.
Always be aware of your surroundings!!
Use your 5 senses to keep yourself and others safe

Alan's Final Blog

9/26/2016

Job Searching

Today I did Job Searching and found 2 jobs online: Sprouts and Fry’s. I learned that searching for a job online depends on what I choose for. I have the skills to search for job openings. I make sure I look at the Job Description which tells you what you will do at the job and the Job Qualifications which tells you the skills you need before you apply for the job. I can fill out an application and I have practiced doing interviews. I am still working on making sure my volume is appropriate to the setting but I made a lot of progress!

Alan