Blog Post #1

To be honest, I am a little anxious to begin working with the Chat Cafe program. When I first read about it way back in May, I thought it would be something fun to do and that everything would go along smoothly.  Now that I have to begin my first session(s) within the upcoming weeks, however, some concerns are starting to emerge: what if attendance dwindles over the next few weeks? What topics should I discuss in these conversations? What if my fellow peers remain silent during the time together, due to lack of interest or fear of ineffective communication?

However, these concerns are not what I am solely associating with the Chat Cafe. I am as equally, if not more, excited about what hosting such sessions will lead to: a better comprehension of the English language for non-native English speakers and a greater appreciation for the vast differences between cultures. I have no doubt that these discussions will lead to all members of the Chat Cafe program becoming more open-minded towards various aspects of our everyday lives, allowing for improved understanding towards differing paradigms. This is ultimately why I joined the program and am looking forward to hosting my first session: to sow the seeds of dialogue that will lead to fruitful rewards.

Blog #1

As I prepare for my first Chat Cafe meeting, I feel both hopeful and ambitious. It is my hope that members of my group are, likewise, feeling motivated and excited to initiate our semester together. The thought of their willingness to learn from one another and grow as conversationalists is motivating me to explore new avenues of facilitation, such as hands-on activities - as suggested in class.

I firmly believe that the improvement and growth amongst participants is catalyzed, at least to a certain degree, by the effort and excitement I harness as a facilitator. So, in the coming days, I plan to draft several weeks worth of tentative meeting plans. These plans will include, introductory ice-breaker activities, conversation starters, and small intra-sessional projects. Several ideas I have drafted thus far include: short term goal-setting, social media show-and-tell, and a small "culture fair". The culture fair would involve each person sharing an important aspect of their own culture, such as food, clothing, artwork, or literature. Participation is, of course, optional, as we are all very busy; however, the opportunity to showcase their cultures will serve as an informative ice-breaker and a smooth transition into conversation, as they are able to comment on something they are very familiar with. It is my hope that the students will connect with one another through basic inquiries regarding their respective cultures.

April Update

The Chat Cafe program has really opened my eyes to the importance of mentoring in an academic institution. Learning from other's experiences is, in my opinion, the best way to enrich one's education and I have had the privilege to serve as a mentor to international students for many semesters during my time as an undergraduate. I think the most rewarding aspect of being a Chat Cafe facilitator is demonstrating compassion when listening to my students' experiences during their transition to the university. I have become more able to appreciate their struggles and have become more sensitive of their vulnerabilites. This semester, I have served as an educational, social, and mental support to my Chat Cafe members, proofreading their applications and papers, introducing intercultural differences, and being a true friend to them.
If I could give one piece of advice to a future Chat Cafe facilitator, it would be to think outside the box when planning your meetings. These students are taking time out of the day to meet with you so you should make their time worthwhile. They should be eager to come back each week, with the hopes of learning something new or experiencing something exciting. Attempt to enrich their experiences to formulate a positive outlook on education in the U.S. in their minds, and calm their worries by being approachable and understanding at all times.
Lastly, I think Writing 302 would benefit if there are more practical learning exercises incorporated into the course. If Chat Cafe facilitators are further trained in communications and dealing with difficult situations through simulations in class, we can be better able to help our students and serve as a more useful resource to them. It would also be great to have some international students visit the class a few times and share their experiences, worries, ideas, so we can gauge which issues are most pressing and interesting to our students, and focus our groups accordingly. (Side note: I have found Facebook messaging/Group Me to be the easiest way to schedules meetings with my group and to communicate with them)

Blog Post 2

Everything is still going well with my conversation circle this semester! Unfortunately I had to cancel it this week because I was sick, but last week we met up at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe and had a great time. I feel like my group is growing closer and closer every week, something which, although we definitely still became friends, didn't happen as rapidly for my members last year. We hope to hit at least one restaurant before the end of the term, but until then we're still enjoying meeting up in East Quad every week.

Sorry for the late reply, it completely slipped my mind last week! I know my post was short, but honestly I just don't have that much to report. Basically, I just love my group and we're having an awesome time.

Blog Post #2

I can really tell that I've started to make friends for a lifetime with this group. In our most recent meeting, we went to the Jolly Pumpkin and had an awesome time! One of my members even brought a friend from her class and I thought it was great to get more exposure of the Chat Cafe program to international students. We ordered truffle fries and chickpea fries for the table and everyone feasted on burgers and and pizza. Everyone loved the food and we all wanted desperately to go to a different restaurant every week. However, since this idea may not be the best for our wallets, I suggested trying coffee places/ice cream shops as an alternative. We definitely will try some international cuisine in the weeks coming though. We chatted for another half hour at the restaurant after we finished our food and all headed back to central campus together. Three of my group members went to Hatcher to study together after dinner. Seeing them walk away laughing truly warmed my heart. I am so grateful that I have had the ability to bring together students from completely different parts of the world and help them to form friendships. A number of students have sent me essays and applications for me to look over and I have helped them wholeheartedly. I love to be a resource for them and a source of support. My group member who returned from last semester informed me that he is graduating in December and would like to continue in the same group until he finishes he education here at University of Michigan. I was so happy to have made a lasting connection with this student and I think that Chat Cafe has done an extraordinary job of connecting international students with peer mentors. With stellar attendance and amazing experiences, this Chat Cafe group has made my semester so memorable.

Mid Semester

So surprisingly enough my attendance has continued to be stellar! Though the conversation doesn't always flow super easily, I have noticed people have been becoming much more talkative and open and it's really fun to see the transformation!
Now that we all know a little bit about each other's lives it helps conversation. Every week we get an update on one participant's fish that he works with in a lab and we find out about the progress anther is making on a project for a material science class.
I think it's made me more confident as a chat café leader that you just have to give everyone time to ease into things. And there is no shame in asking a question and going around the circle having everyone answer it. It actually works quite well.

Blog Post 3/15

The last couple weeks of chat cafe has been pretty smooth. Even though the group is smaller than last semester, I feel like we still have a very good dynamic. I am pretty surprised that the 4 who are registered are still coming. Two of the guys who came already knew each other, and the other two girls are getting pretty close. I think I want to do my minute to win it event soon and pair up one of the guys and one of the girls to make them closer, but I don’t know when to do it because I have to get in the room early but I have class right before chat cafe. Last week I took the advice of putting questions in the center of the table and having people answer them. It went pretty well but I wish I made it more interesting by having people write down their answers on the back of the card and having people guess other people’s answers.

  The woman at our last meeting who asked us to put down our names for videotaping us never contacted me, but that’s okay because I forgot to ask my group members :/. I think I also want to take my group on an outing soon. I’m hoping to wait until it gets a little warmer though. I want to do the museum scavenger hunt, and going out to eat is fun. However, I did an anonymous survey at the beginning of the semester and one of them asked about going out to eat and someone put no. I’m wondering if I should do the survey again.