Monday, June 18, 2018
WOW! Today was one of our good days in class. The main reason it was a good day is because of Toastmasters. We have to get over our fear of speaking in front of a crowd; and it’s something that many of us here are starting to overcome. Studies prove that public speaking is a fear almost everyone deals with. Today went as planned and was super-smooth because of all my fellow PEP brothers and the bond that we have created with one another over these last six to seven months. It’s nice to have the brotherhood that we have.
Once Toastmasters was over a lot of us attended computer lab to finish our assignments such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. For those that didn’t, they headed back to the pod to begin studying for our entrepreneurship test on Chapter Seven. Then a few of our Legacy ‘18 brothers, along with some program graduates, came together and encouraged the new class of Winter ‘19. After we answered any questions that they had, we celebrated a birthday and the whole pod came together in a big circle to sing our brother “Happy Birthday,” which he enjoyed very much.
Before the night came to an end, we quizzed each other according to our flash cards and studied over our Business Behavior book to prepare ourselves for our upcoming Etiquette event, including the proper way to set a table and the do’s and don’ts of holding a conversation. Our day went as planned and was very productive.
Michael L.
(a.k.a. “Goat Getter”)
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
We have finally came to the point in the program where the new Phase One men are arriving on the unit. Today was their first day in class so you could feel the energy in the air, along with some nervousness that you could see on their faces because they don’t know what to expect. We have mentored them and have given them positive and encouraging words so that they can embrace the program the way many of us have. It’s interesting to be able to see the transformation. As Servant-Leaders, we are very excited.
Since we didn’t have class today in the PEP classroom, we still got together in the pods to study for our entrepreneurship test that we have coming up tomorrow over Chapter Seven. We also finished reading our etiquette book, Be on Your Best Behavior. The book has been very helpful. When we studied for our pop quiz, we decided to have some fun doing so and played Jeopardy on the topic of etiquette. We had lots of fun and actually realized that it was a very good tool to use for studying.
Afterwards we weren’t done with our fun – we went right into Toastmasters and gave our speeches on the pod. We always look forward to Toastmasters because of the interesting and funny speeches we hear. We ended our night with singing one of our new Phase One brothers “Happy Birthday” for his 31st birthday. He did not expect us to gather and celebrate with him, but we are a brotherhood. We are PEP!
Teddy M.
(a.k.a. “Theodore the Chipmunk”)
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Today was one of our early days. This is the day of the week that we study hard for because we test from our entrepreneurship textbook, this week over Chapter Seven. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this morning. We always wonder if we have studied enough or studied the right parts of the chapter. The test went as expected: difficult and tricky, but as a class we overcame and passed this test. When we thought that we were done testing, we were given a pop quiz on the remaining chapters of our etiquette book. We have all been reading and preparing for our Etiquette event so that we can get rid of our old bad habits.
Once this was over, we turned our chairs to the front of the room and we welcomed our instructor Brian T. to give us a quick review of the chapter that we were fixing to review, and once that was completed we were privileged to be taught by two very knowledgeable volunteers. Jim H. and Jimmy W. danced their way to the front of the room to teach us Chapter Eight on a financial analysis and establishing a financial foundation.
After our lecture we had another presentation by our Peer Educators on Integrity Selling. They explained our assignments and gave us some examples of a feature and its benefit. Then they gave us another example of a probing question and a rejection so that we can better understand our assignments and turn them in on time. This concludes our wonderful day. We are PEP!
James M.
(a.k.a. “Mrs.Doubtfire”)
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Today was a very exciting day for us because a lot of us in Legacy ‘18 were able to facilitate and help with the new Winter ’19 class, since today was their second day of class. As we entered the PEP room, we went to talk with our lead facilitator about the day’s agenda and our expectations. A few of us had to give presentations on the importance of character traits. Once class was over, we went to our pods to break into our study groups and make flash cards for our upcoming test on Chapter 8 in our entrepreneurship textbook. It’s always good to execute and prepare ourselves early on, because a pop quiz is always possible. We have to stay ready to keep from getting ready. After studying the business vocabulary for about 30 minutes, we paired up and quizzed each other.
We then took a break and after dinner, we held a Toastmasters session over speech number eight, which consisted of a presentation or a visual aid. Toastmasters is always fun and interesting. We really get a chance to express our funny personalities that many of us have and may be shy to express. Once we were done with Toastmasters, we gathered with the new class of Winter ‘19 and answered a few questions that they were curious about. We explained to them the importance of studying and preparing for their tests once they graduate from Phase One (character phase). We gave them study guides and encouraged them to be successful as a whole.
Ivan M.
(a.k.a. “Woody from Toy Story”)
Expressions
“To know God is the beginning of wisdom.”
I heard this quote from a man named Wayne Carver who was one of my mentors. My first time in prison, I was taught self-defense and learned many quotes in each belt as I advanced. Once I received my black belt, it took years for me to finally understand it clearly. It now makes perfect sense to me because of the challenges and obstacles that I have been through in life. It has helped to change the way I think when I see or feel pain. I put myself in the position of being blind and going against what God had planned for me, and He took the anger that once consumed my entire being. At first, I learned to control it, and then understood what caused it, and finally I realized that it wasn’t healthy for me or those I loved.
Having more wisdom – and the best kind that you can get – changed every way that I think and the dreams I have about my future. My anger was passed on to my daughter and some of my other siblings, and now I realize that it’s a way that God is opening my eyes to change and fix things to better myself and my family. I can’t change my past, but I can determine my future to be both positive and successful.
Henry M.
(a.k.a. “Petty Officer Dufus”)