Tara Lago, Period 6, 2/14/23

 Tara Lago, Period 6, 2/14/23, Modern Mythology 2023 

Atomic Habits and Growth

I find it funny how my blog's due date falls on Valentine's Day, and anyone who knows me well can tell you that I am one of the most anti-romantic people you will meet. Still, while I shirk the roses, kisses, and expensive dinners, I reflect on the relationships I am a part of and what I can do to be a better classmate and groupmate.

If myth has taught me anything, it’s the necessity and power of group work. From discussions to slides presentations to full on play performances, my group and I had to rely on each other to get the work done and succeed. Overall, our collaboration has been fruitful, and thankfully we’ll be able to work together again in the spring semester. However, I notice that in many of my group project endeavors, I somehow have asserted myself as the leader. I came up with our name “The Unamused Muses.” I proposed the puppet show idea for the creation project. I told my group to analyze “The Wedding at Cana.” I said that our Norse story should be transformed into a reality tv show. 

I’m not a dictator, but I’m not an elected official either. I think my ideas are great, my groupmates agree, and we have our solid executions to prove it. Yet I feel that I exert too much control of our projects’ direction.  Thus, my goal for the spring term is to take a step back from my own vision to accommodate theirs. Instead of speaking my idea/opinion immediately, I will directly ask for their thoughts and their ideas. I want to be a facilitator of creativity rather than the definer of it. I have taken steps toward this goal. As a facilitator, I created our team’s group chat so that we can touch base outside of class, schedule times where we could work at the Makerspace for our puppet stage or rehearse our play. I also always wait for their feedback before making any changes. For instance, I initially wanted the Hindu puppets to be shadow puppets, but the rest of the group agreed that they should be detailed and colored. 

For the future, I will assess myself with these two reminders: 

1. Wait to speak. Give everyone time to brainstorm. 

2. When we decide on a project, do not assume responsibility for all the work. Divide and conquer. 

These reminders will be especially helpful as we begin our Monsters in Society project. I already have a monster and story in mind, but I must exercise self-control and create a space for other, possibly better ideas to flourish. I will definitely take these reminders to heart as my team and I formulate our social contract and outline our strategy and communication expectations. I enjoy my group’s company, and based on our previous projects, I know that their contributions are wonderful, valued, and most importantly, uniquely them!