2019 Program Archive

Keynote Workshop

Jared Featherstone "Mindfulness in Peer Education: Awareness, Self-regulation, and Attunement"
Contact information and Bibliography

Session I                                                              10:25-11:25

Pure Heart Leadership                                                                                                            Shana Garrett ~ Walden University

This session will be a combination of lecture, assessment, and conversations around recognizing and distinguishing your authentic leadership style. Discussions will focus on methods needed to evaluate your talents, identify your opportunities, and a strategy to develop and/or enhance your authentic leadership legacy.

Let Me Help You With Your Bags:  Promoting a Focused-Learning Environment                           
Tracie Autry and Erin Hall ~ Brazosport College

Helping students enter into a focused learning mindset by utilizing the game "Thorns and Roses" as a tool to both identify and table emotional situations that hinder focused learning.

Consultant and Student Perspectives on Disabilities in the Writing Center                                
Milton De Leon, Jami Doddroe, and Carolina Langner ~ Brazosport College

This presentation will discuss the research Consultants De Leon, Doddroe, Langner used to pursue answers to the questions: how can the Writing Center better meet the needs of students with diagnosed learning disabilities, and how can that be done while simultaneously mitigating potential shame and embarrassment?

Mindfulness and the Bigger Picture         
Emily Bueno ~ Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The session will provide a supplemental instructor’s perspective on the importance of mindfulness and the bigger picture. A mapping-style technique will be used during the presentation, starting from square one. Attendees will be able to experience how visualizing the bigger picture can lead to higher self-confidence among students.

Session II                                                             11:35-12:35

At Your Leisure: Movement and Mandalas 
Priyank Whitley, Jamie Stoicovy, Chloe Snodgrass, and Jonathan Estrada ~ Brazosport College

In this workshop, we trace the shifting roles of mandalas through history. We will then spend some time designing our own mandalas, and interpret their significance in small groups. The session concludes with guided chair yoga to balance our energy centers. All necessary art supplies will be provided.

Playing by the Rules of Mathematics  
Joseph Balderas ~ Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Math anxiety stems from a student’s lack of confidence in knowing the definitions, operations, and/or methods appropriate for a given problem. Learning to solve problems with the mindset of playing a game where the laws of mathematics are simple rules will help a student streamline their mathematical thought process.

Promoting Patience with Practical Practice by Playing Dungeons and Dragons                            
Kirksey Berg and Elly Laughland ~ Brazosport College

This workshop offers participants hands-on practice with methods for developing patience, especially when handling difficult students. Learning more patience can help us take a step towards being more mindful to our students’ needs. To achieve this look at patience, we will use Dungeons and Dragons: a tabletop roleplaying game that teaches team building, decision making, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and patience. Participants will move through mock encounters that explore different approaches to patience.

Education and Interpretation: Finding the Right Words to Effectively Teach Any Audience            Houston Glover ~ Brazosport College

Often, we meet students who struggle to keep up in lecture because they can’t understand the terminology. In this workshop, I draw on my time as an SI leader to illustrate the many ways information can be presented so that any audience can take away the same key points.

Session III                                                            2:10-3:10

The Zen of Super Smash Bros.: Video and Board Games as a Mindful Practice for Success 
Mercedes Torrez, Makayla Aaron, Nia Cromartie, and Shayla Rubio ~ Texas A&M University-San Antonio

This presentation focuses on game play as a mindful practice that helps learning and guides development of relevant, work-related skills which contribute to the overall success of the learning center. Presenters will describe mindful practices developed during game play, as well as how the skills learned contribute to both learning center and student success.

The Power of Mindfulness: Reflections on Our Mindfulness Exercises 
Ammar Habib, Marva Doss, and Carolina Langner ~ Brazosport College

This summer, The Brazosport College Writing Center's consultants partook in a semester-long mindfulness project. The project’s objective was to help us grow in various areas of mindfulness. In this panel, three consultants who participated in this project reflect back on the project and discuss their personal experiences and learnings. ​

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better: Mindful Relations between Professors and Tutors     
Madeleine Lowery and Tabatha Rhodes ~ Brazosport College

The relationship and dynamic between writing tutor, faculty, and student is an important but fragile commitment to sustain. This collaboration between a writing professor and writing consultant shows faculty and tutors how mindful approaches can help them avoid frustration or judgment when working together. Presenters provide scholarly research on mindfulness, offer suggestions to follow, and facilitate an interactive role-play between a professor and a student.

Mindfulness in Anatomy & Physiology Supplemental Instruction Sessions                             
Beth Richards, Anna Benzaia, and Frank Huerta ~ College of the Mainland

Mindfulness in Anatomy and Physiology is essential because it is a course where many students struggle. The SI Leader plays an integral role in supporting the instructor, as well as ensuring students develop the tools to become self-sufficient and the ability to anticipate which results in success.

Session IV                                                           3:20-4:20

The Success of Modeling Meetings as SI Sessions                                         
Sarah Slaughter and Kimberly Kammel ~ Tarrant County College Southeast Campus

We all know the SI model can be difficult to grasp! Through trial and success, we found that an effective way to assist in implementing the SI model is to have Senior SI Leaders facilitate bi-weekly team meetings as if they were a SI session with opening, main, and closing activities. This presentation provides ways to incorporate SI leader participation in meetings while reinforcing the essentials of SI.

ESL & Mindfulness: The Hidden Thread          
Andrea Aguirre and Ammar Habib ~ Brazosport College

This workshop will explore how mindfulness practices can be used by tutors during sessions with ESL students. The goal of this workshop is to give tutors practical tips for mentoring ESL students. Additionally, we want to help tutors recognize the importance of active awareness and listening during ESL sessions.

Practicing Mindfulness by Promoting Mental Health Awareness in Student Services 
Kaylla Luera and Olivia Moore ~ Brazosport College

This presentation will provide resources and suggest strategies for working with students and coworkers struggling with mental health. Our goal is to create a community that is sensitive to the needs of those struggling with mental health, and to be prepared to offer up resources and support.

2 Girls. A Guy. And A Study Space.  
Jorge Rosales, Angela Anderson, and Ashley Gonzalez ~ Brazosport College

Three big components to effective learning are memorization, note taking, and managing stress. As students and supplemental instruction leaders, whose job it is to understand the process of learning, we hope to enlighten you with some new techniques and perspectives to help you develop a study program.