The Social Work Experience…

  This is one of my babies. Congratulations for making First Honors this semster. Not only is she good in school, but she also has a good heart and is a singer too…

        By the Grace of God I finally had the opportunity to go and do some volunteering. I was about to go “flip pancakes” (my slang for cause a scene) because my deadline for class was approaching. I couldn’t imagine failing a class because I didn’t fulfill the volunteer requirements. Especially, when I went through hoops to turn my paperwork in and be professional. As a matter of fact it was almost two months ago when I turned my paperwork in. My classmate had the same issue, but she was able to get in touch with someone before me. Who would have known it would be so difficult to work for free. If I had to give someone advice in the future, I would recommend they find three sites and submit their information. Having a backup is important because if one place falls through then you can rely on another one.

        Today, I worked with a group of senior females and we were doing arts and crafts projects. I had fun working with the ladies and I learned two valuable lessons- older people can be bossy and silly. I already knew they were bossy though.   Sometimes working with seniors is just like working with children because they crave your attention. I was working at a table with five ladies and one lady kept calling for my attention or assistance as if there was no one else at the table. The funny part about it is that I really don’t think she needed my help. She just wanted to hog all of the ERICA! (LOL)

        I was standing by the sink when an older lady walked up to me and ran her hand across my lower back, which is where I have a tattoo. Although it is not necessarily a private place, I didn’t expect anyone to touch me so I jumped. She laughed and told me I had a nice tattoo. I laughed after I realized it was just her. Oddly enough, she and another lady had a brief conversation where they discussed how cute my underwear were. It was hilarious to hear them say the word panties.

        Once we were finished with our projects I was asked to assist one of the ladies in a wheelchair by pushing her back to her room. When we went back to her room she showed me a lot of the arts and crafts projects she did. I thought she was a very artistic woman. On her bed there were two of the cutest crochet covers that she had made. Listening to her stories made me kind of sad because I didn’t know if everything she said was true, but if it were it was saddening. During her stay she told me several of her things had been stolen and at one point in time she watched a worker take something out of her room. The most disheartening thing she said to me was that someone who was a couple doors down from her had a quilt that she made laid across her bed, but when she asked the lady about it she refused to give it back.

        Maybe I’m just a really soft naïve individual, but she touched my heart so I went and made her a small Easter basket. I put a few arts and crafts pieces in there so she could do some in her down time. I hope she likes the basket.

**MY ADVICE TODAY**

        When you meet new people be yourself. People are pleased when you try to make a good impression, but can easily become disinterested if you try too hard to impress them. Being unnatural is usually obvious and can take away from the warmth that is you. The qualities that make you the best are the same ones that make you unique.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

 This is one of my babies who made First Honors becase she is so smart. I’m proud of her because she works very hard and is becoming such a beautiful young lady.

        My babies’ report cards went home today and I was so proud of them. There are 23 children and seventeen of them made first or second honors (which is basically the honor roll). I was so proud of them and I was honored that Mrs. Ball offered me the chance to comment on the report cards. Wow! I mean I am only the assistant and she let me write on a document that they would take home for their parents to read.

        It took me a while because I didn’t want to just make typical comments. I wanted to write something that was as special as each child. Some of the children opened their report cards and read the messages that we wrote. Then they came and gave me hugs and told me how much they liked the messages I put on their report cards. All of the students who were doing well were given good comments. All of the students who I could tell were trying their hardest; I complimented them and urged them to do better. A couple of my students who did not make first or second honors and I know they were capable of it were given comments that urged them to do better. One of my students was not happy with me saying I thought she could do better and she made that obvious because she called me and asked me about it. I’ll tell any of my students that I know what you are capable of. I’ve watched you work enough to know when you can do better and when you are trying your best. All I want them to do is try their best. Sometimes it seems like you can push these kids to do so much better, but it’s hard when you don’t have parental support. I am only a teacher’s assistant, active two or three days per week. Being an assistant I can’t just tell a person about how their child really acts in school. Unless the child is really misbehaving then the teachers really don’t mention it. I would make a lot of children mad if I told their parents how they really act. Then again, parents would probably get mad at me for telling them.

        Parents need to wake up though. Everybody is always talking about how there are not a lot of really good teachers. I read in an article that some of the worst teachers end up in the inner city because the best ones go to the suburbs. The truth of the matter is that when good teachers come to the city they do it because they don’t care about the money. They are doing it for the love of the job, but they get frustrated by the fact that they can’t teach because they spend so much time parenting. I consider my teacher one of the sweetest teachers I have ever seen when she gets upset. One day I witnessed her and two other teachers get so upset at their classes that I thought they were going to just walk off the job. The sad reality is that we don’t support a good teacher the way we should. We push them away and make them want to do it for the money, not for the love of the job. Children won’t behave and the issue often remains uncorrected. Then parents get upset when their child is suspended and they want to call up to the school or come up there to belittle teachers. Something has to change.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

Love yourself for WHO YOU ARE! Accept the fact that there are certain things you may need to change, but only to make you a better individual-not to conform to someone else’s wants. Look in the mirror and appreciate what you see, but don’t over compliment it.  The most important thing about you as a person should be what you do; looks are just an addition to your other qualities. Some of the most beautiful people have the nicest personalities, while others have the ugliest. Some of the most unattractive people have the best personalities, while others have the nastiest. Always remain confident and love yourself. If you don’t know your own self worth no one else will.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        OMG!!! (Oh My Goodness!!!) I FINALLY BOUGHT ME A CUTE LITTLE YORKIE POO PUPPY YESTERDAY!! I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT IT! I have had class and work study so everyone else has been babysitting her for me. I brought her home last night and took a million pictures of her. Then I went to school and told all of my babies about her. I could barely think about anything else. I just wanted to hurry up and get home to play with her. At 3:15 some of my girls swarmed around me and demanded that I show them pictures of my new baby. They even helped me pick out a name- MiMi!

        I’m so devastated right now. I started writing my blog before I took MiMi to get her shots. The doctor told me she had a luxating patella, which basically means something is wrong with her leg. Being a first time puppy owner I panicked and returned her from the place I purchased her from. I cried when I decided I had to take her back because I wasn’t sure I could handle the responsibility of having a puppy that might have a very serious condition.

        This situation made me sad and I know I’m going to miss her for a while, but then it really made me think. How can I be so quick to give up on my new puppy, my baby, my friend- but so easy to stick it out with friends, associates and family members that are quick to do something wrong to me. I even decided to make helping my profession. If this is really my passion, why did I so easily decide to give my baby puppy away? Maybe I was scared of the challenge or scared of the pain. Deep down inside, I might just like helping people when I know it’s possible I can help solve the problem and I know I can’t do that with her. Perhaps, if I had found out about this later on down the line then I would deal with it. It makes sense not to want to attach yourself to someone who you know is sick. If you attach yourself first then you have no choice, but if you have the option maybe most people would cut their ties before getting too close.

        Regardless, I am still enjoying the time we do have together. She had me running around my apartment and would bark to let me know she wanted to play. Being the little gangsta that she is, she would attack my toes if I didn’t comply. Even though she is leaving tomorrow I enjoy her just during the time she was here.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

Encourage others to do their best when they are working on a personal goal. When perceiving a task/goal that another individual sets for themselves, it is so simple to assume it should be easy to complete. However, if it were that simple the person would not struggle with it. As friends, family and associates-it is important that we establish support systems. Just knowing that someone believes in you or has faith in you is enough to help you reach for your goal. It could be something as simple as trying to plan out your day and as difficult as trying to curb an addiction. Either way, it is not the easiest thing to do. Offer a kind word, a hug or even acknowledge their progress. A little bit goes a long way.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        I am super disappointed in myself today. I had a journal article analysis and a financial budget due in my Ethics class and I did not submit either one of them today. It seems like the first journal article analysis was just due and this second one crept up on me. It would be a lie, if I said I did not know it was due. Finding the article I wanted to work on was difficult because I searched for a while and nothing seemed to appeal to me. I think I would have actually completed the work in a timely fashion had I not looked for a specific type of article. One of these days I will stop putting so much pressure on myself by not taking care of what I need to do.

        As far as the financial paper goes, I couldn’t really submit my budget because I had to re-file my unemployment. This class always seems to be effective in helping me set up and execute tasks. Even when I fail, I learn how to make better moves in the future. Although I could have easily created a budget, I waited until I received my paperwork. Then once I found out what my finances would look like, I totaled up all my bills for the month. It had been so long since I had set out my budget that I had no idea what I was spending to cover the necessities was barely covered by my income. Occasionally, with all the extracurricular activities I was participating in, I was spending money I was supposed to be saving. It’s amazing how I overlooked something that important until it became a class assignment.

        Since both of these assignments are due tonight at midnight and it’s quite close, I know I won’t make the deadline. The half a point or point loss I take is worth still getting a good grade because I put the right time and effort into the assignment. I said I wasn’t pulling any all nighters this semester and to date I still haven’t. I may have stayed up late, but I eventually went to sleep. I guess I’m still working out the kinks from last semester. I’m proud that I have gotten better. In the fall I really have to buckle down though because they won’t be taking it easy on me at all. When I graduate I have to represent the right way and I can’t do that unless I get it all the way together.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

Always try to plan ahead. If it’s possible set your day up and map out what needs to be done within the next few days. When you are consistently abreast of what needs to be done, then you minimize the chance becoming stressed and caught in a stressful situation. Think about the last few times you were stressed because there was something you needed to do in a short period of time. Were you aware of the task beforehand?  It’s easy to put something off until a later date. Before you know it the deadline will be right on your heels and it will be hard to catch up. Planning ahead is like a life jacket in the water. It won’t guarantee your survival, but it will definitely help you out.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

    Wow! Last week on Thursday I completely forgot to tell you about the most horrendous thing happening to me. We had to record our mock interview sessions for Professor Water’s Social Work class. They put me in the school’s studio with lights and cameras everywhere, with an actress who pretended to have an issue that we had to discuss. It was so bad I don’t even want to talk about it. I started off okay, but I knew I was too nervous because I didn’t even use my real voice. It was fake! Then I drew a blank in the middle of the interview and I looked at her, closed my eyes, readjusted in my chair and then went forward. All I kept thinking was that the teacher said, “don’t try to solve the problem,” so in my mind I just kept wondering what I should do. Then it got to the point where I felt myself about to freeze again so I just whispered to her and asked was it time to wrap it up. She said yes so I summarized it and that was that. Then I just got up and walked out. I forgot to even say bye or anything.

        I was so nervous I didn’t eat because I thought I might get sick. My heart was racing and when the interview started I sat there telling the girl I was just too nervous. She tried to tell me to relax because it wasn’t that big of a deal. Now I’m paranoid about my grade because I have no idea what I am going to get. I’m so embarrassed because the whole class gets to watch my tape and critique me. 

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

Learn to argue less. Some people like to disagree just because they want to transfer their negative energy to you. Just try not to argue with that person. Instead of disagreeing and cutting them off, just be silent and listen. Some people may become irritated by the fact that you don’t argue with them just because they want to upset you. Others may be calmed by the fact that you let them speak their mind and said little or nothing. There are also a few who will be upset regardless to what you do in an argument. Try not to let them transfer that energy to you. Misery loves company and sometimes people feel better knowing that they aren’t the only one that is miserable. Let them find their own joy; don’t let them get it from taking yours away…

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        Oh My Goodness, mornings are not my specialty when I go to bed late. Kudos to teachers and students because they get up and go like it the best thing in the world. Please give me a cup of coffee filled with cream and sugar first. Today, I actually did assignments like teachers do. My children write in a notebook called their reflection journal. They are supposed to do one paragraph every day they write in it. There are 23 children and I read around eight different entries per child. Some children did not write a lot, but others were in the spirit. When I read something that was very touching I would write a comment or an inspirational message.

        Sometimes it amazes me how insightful they are at such young ages. We live in a world where children are well beyond their years. Filled with knowledge about subjects they should not know so much about and curious about things that you would not even think they wanted to know about.

        They have attitudes that seem like they come from a parent and rub off on them. Parents instill certain values in their children that create this superficial arrogance. It upsets me when my children spend time putting others down because they don’t wear the same type of fancy clothes. Regardless to what any of their parents spend on clothes, they spend over $4,000 a year for that child to go to school.

        At the end of the day those are still my little angels and I wouldn’t trade any of them-not even the mean ones. I just hope that the things we teach them help them to become the best they can possibly be and work hard as they possibly can.       

         Working in the school I can see the role parents play in their child’s education. I work in the school so I know when a child’s grades are struggling because they are lazy and I know when they struggle because they need help. It really irritates me that there are so many students who have mediocre grades and even possibly risk the chance of failing all because they don’t work hard enough. What irritates me the most is the fact that the parents don’t know. If they were active enough then they might know. There is no way your child should be missing several assignments or misbehaving and you have no knowledge of it, but you invest your money into their education. Sometimes I just want to call a parent and ask them do they know about their child’s grades. There is no purpose of paying for your child’s education if you are not going to be active. Maybe some parents just do it to keep their children out of public school and risk the chances of them hanging with the wrong crowds.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

Every action has a reaction or a consequence. We are often quick to react and expect the immediate possible consequences, but neglect to consider the long term consequences. So many lives have been lost, children have been born, pregnancies have been terminated, people have been incarcerated, relationships have been jeopardized, friendships have been broken, reputations have been ruined, embarrassing situations have occurred and feelings have been hurt-all because someone didn’t consider the consequences of something they were about to do or say. People can forgive, but they don’t forget. Before you do something, consider the consequences, if you can handle the consequences and if your quality of life as a result of the consequences will be better or worse.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

           Today I went to work study and my class has been exceptionally out of control the past couple of times I have been here. It’s not so much that they are bad, but they have to be constantly told what to do and their attitudes can be terrible. I laugh at the way they hold grudges against me when I make them mad. I smile at the way they come to me to give me hugs and greet me with such loving kindness. They make me want to spend all of what little money I have on them.

        Then I went to Professor Farris’ class where we had a guest speaker. First we talked about the habits from the book we had been reading all semester. Since one of my classmates was not there and she was in my group, she contacted me and told me Professor Farris said she needed to record our class session so that she could see it. I recorded some of it on my computer, but it died because I left it unplugged. Luckily I was able to start it back up before the guest speaker spoke. Then it briefly cut off again somewhere in the middle so hopefully I got the majority of it for her.

        Our guest speaker was Robin Thomas from Channel 7. She spoke to us about finances. It made a lot of sense because so many of us are caught up in the glamour and superficiality of expensive things. Clothes, shoes, purses, cars and houses all serve a purpose-functionality. We need them to survive, but we do not have to spend all of our money to have the best. Another problem is that we use credit for so much. When we cannot afford something the first thing we do is see if we can afford to make the payments. This is in regard to financing anything from expensive cars down to clothes and shoes. When those payments are stretched out, we never really think about how much we spend on interest and it may just be too much.

        She also talked to us about investing and saving for our future. When it comes time to retire, you don’t want to still be working to pay off a house, car or credit card debt. So many people are jumping at the chance to buy houses, but they can be such a liability because there are so many financial expenses that are associated with the purchase. I live in my apartment and I love it. With the economy and jobs being so unstable, I would not want to make a big purchase like that unless I could pay all or the majority of the price in cash. Then I would also want to have a significant other to help share the responsibilities. Delayed gratification can sometimes work in your favor.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

Tangible goods can be motivation to work harder and make more money. However, tangible goods are not a reason to go into debt. When you spend money on something you want versus something you need, think of how many hours you, your parent or your significant other had to spend working to afford that item. If it has to be paid for with credit, it is important to determine how much you will pay for it once the interest is added. The total may be so high that it may just make you rethink the purchase.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

     Usually, on Tuesday morning I sleep in until time to get up and get ready for class. Last week at work study they asked me to volunteer to work until six on Friday. Then on Friday they asked me if I could come in on Monday or Tuesday to help with the book fair.  Being the nice girl that I am, I volunteered to work on Tuesday before I went to class. I dragged myself out of bed and made it there by eight something. Goodness I strongly dislike mornings.

        I am thanking God that the group work I did with this particular group is finally over and done with. This had to be the most unprofessional, lazy, embarrassing group I have ever had to work with in my entire life. We were supposed to present the Thursday before break, but there were too many groups. No one from my group had bothered to contact me over break. I made changes to our project, spent all of those nights up and then you know what happened?

        We presented the PowerPoint presentation I created and then at the end the girl in my group handed me her flash drive and announced to the class that they put together a second PowerPoint. I thought that was perhaps the dumbest thing I have ever seen. We had an extra week on our project. If you wanted to add information why not add it to the original instead of creating a whole new set of slides, which did not even look similar to the ones I did. I was very upset because it was obvious that they talked this out and were aware of what they would do, but no one notified me. It would have been quite ignorant of me to address the issue in front of the class, but I was furious. I am definitely going to express my concern to the teacher. This is just one perfectly good example as to why group work is a pain.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

The saying goes, “treat everyone the way you want to be treated”, but it might be wrong. What’s right for you may not be right for everyone else.  We each have our own needs and wants that we would like to be met. Instead, accept that person as an individual and treat them they way they need to be treated.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        There wasn’t really much to talk about this week because it’s spring break. I figured I would save the fascination and sum up the whole week in one post. My goal was to get some of my work accomplished so that I would be ahead of where I should be when I go back to school next week. I’m impressed because I actually did some school work. I went to work study on Wednesday, Thursday and earlier today. Wednesday it was pretty calm so I didn’t do much. Thursday I went in for a couple of hours then my babies had some type of program so I left early.

        Today was very interesting. Normally, I assist my teacher, but today I volunteered to work in latchkey from noon until six. Latchkey takes students from kindergarten through eighth grade, which made this so new because I usually work with fourth through sixth graders. I did the basics, passed out lunches, took them to the restroom, watched a movie and just bonded with the children.

        Then I saw something I had not seen in years and it took me back to my younger days. There was a little boy who had to be about five years old, he sat at the table and he just dug in his nose like it was nothing out of the ordinary. He dug deep in his nose and pulled out a glob, which he proceeded to quickly put in his mouth before I could respond. He washed his hands with sanitizer then I asked him if he could blow his nose. I helped him, and I be darned if he didn’t need a couple sheets of Kleenex, but it tickled the heck out of me.

        The scariest part of my day is when one of the lesser behaved children who was in time out dropped a table on his arm. He folded his arm around the table and when tried to pull it off he started to yell. I was so scared he had broken his arm because he yelled every time we moved the table. Once it was finally off of him and I realized he was okay a part of me was so relieved and the other part of me wanted to beat him in the head with a lunch tray or something.

        The lady I met spoke to me and mentioned her own personal issue-she was battling cancer. It’s amazing how you can spend time with someone and have no idea about what they go through. That takes a lot of strength, but she manages to do it every day. She shows those children love, discipline and the reward of hard work. She deserves to be commended for all her efforts.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

        Before you react to a situation or a person, take the time to think about what that person might be going through. Heredity and environment control a lot of how we think and behave as individuals. A person from a different environment or unique set of parents may see the world from a paradigm that is nothing like your own. We judge people based on the way we are taught to behave. Preventing an issue from escalating can be as simple as taking a moment to stop and put yourself in their shoes. Understand that different does not mean right and wrong.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

 **NO LIQUOR IN THIS DRINK**

       Okay I thought this would be my last post discussing group work for this particular project, but it won’t. There will be one more. Last night I stayed up until about four a.m. doing last minute touches. Then I got up at eight forty five just to make sure everything was in top shape. I styled my hair, did makeup and rushed to class ready to present after I was satisfied with everything. Our group didn’t even present because there were too many groups scheduled that day. So of course I have to update you on how the presentation went when we are finally done.

        Today I received my psychology paper back from that super boring book Wasted and she gave me 100%. I did put a lot of effort into the paper and my research. When it comes to pulling it all together at the last minute I’m great. But I decided I’d rather lose five points for submitting late than lose more points because I didn’t thoroughly scan my paper out. The hard work paid off. It always does.

        I have work study tomorrow with my babies-oh wait, scratch that, they don’t have class tomorrow. My spring break has officially started today. Okay so the goals are as follows: relax, shop, party and catch up on schoolwork. I’m going to finish reading the book I am supposed to read for abnormal psychology. Then I need to start working on my PowerPoint for Ethics and the Journal Analysis that’s due. If I can accomplish enough of this work it will take the stress off me toward the end of the semester. I really have to get on my volunteering also because I will not fail the class because I didn’t complete 12 hours of community service. I will go serve everywhere before that happens. HAPPY SPRING BREAK!!!

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

There are so many aspects of you as an individual. Some of the things you do you know about, but don’t share with anyone else.  Others you about and others know it too. There are things we don’t know and others don’t know either. Then of course there is a side to us that we are completely unaware of that others recognize. Be honest with yourself, find someone you trust who knows you well and ask them to tell you the truth about yourself. You have to be prepared for the criticism and accept what is said with love because that is where it comes from. You may find something you need to change or you may reveal something that you have had bottled up. If you can handle it, the information may make you feel so much better.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        I’m going to share with you a secret of mine I used to get a decent grade when a date oversight would have cost me a lot of points. Remember when I said that I had a journal analysis that was due and I used a paper I had already written?  Well I cut the rest of the citations from the paper, removed the other information that wasn’t necessary and had a perfectly good analysis.

        Unfortunately, I overlooked a few grammatical errors, which cost me a perfect 10. My teacher gave that paper back and I received a 9.5/10 which was great, saying as those I put the paper together in a matter of hours. The best part of giving your all on an assignment is that if you ever need to use the material again, you will most likely get another good great if you just tweak the areas that needed improvement.

        Oh and a good way to keep up with those old assignments is to email them to yourself as attachments. That way you can access them from anywhere or share the information if necessary. Technology is your best friend-you just have to learn how to use it.

        I know you are sick and tired of hearing about group work and I am sick and tired of fussing about it. This is the funny part of group work. After all of the work I did and all the time they had to provide input, one of my group members told me on Tuesday that I needed to add more statistics to our project. This project is due tomorrow and since I have other homework I didn’t have time to just keep focusing on the group work. I don’t understand how everyone could tell me where improvements needed to be made, but I had to make them. I was the group leader, PowerPoint designer, task manager and a research facilitator. Next time this happens I’m slapping people (just kidding). It’s like Midnight and I’m about to work on this for a minute and hopefully it will come out great.

        I have slipped up a couple times this year and I must admit, God has truly blessed me with the ability to pull through in the clutch every time. I guess it must be meant for me to Graduate in May of 2011.

**MY ADVICE FOR TODAY**

If you are moving forward, yet always looking behind you- how will you move in the right direction? Sometimes we move forward, changing situations and removing people from our past, but we are always looking back to see if they will resurface. Sometimes it’s out of fear, others it’s because we miss them. When we change it’s for a reason. WITH EVERY GAIN THERE IS A LOST. It’s important to realize when we let go it is in hope of pursuing something better.

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

       Somewhere in between last night and this afternoon my phone went into a coma. I feel like I’m talking about a family member because I wish it would just come back to me. I’m in the process of trying to volunteer so I need to be in contact with the center and my group members. My PowerPoint presentation is due Thursday and I have no contact with my group members. Although we could use email, there’s no telling how long it would take to get a response.

        This group work is some minutia (crap). I feel like I did the majority of the work myself. I won’t deny my group members credit for their participation, but it was very small. I feel as though no one wanted to take any roles or take responsibility. Everyone was scared to say they would do anything-like everyone should do some of everything. Nobody said that when I spent days designing this PowerPoint and researching additional information to answer questions no one else answered. I bet my team would be upset if I threw them under the bus. I researched read and created so much info that I would not have any problems explaining it. This is a group thing though, so it’s bigger than me. God knows my heart and as much as I would like to get all the glory, I’ll get it from the fact that I know I worked very hard.  On any given day, I would rather be the weakest member on a strong team, than the strongest member on a weak team. Thank God we present on Thursday and this will be all over with.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY…

** Use your own personal integrity everyday of your life, especially when dealing with others. People regret things they have done or resent people they have done things for because they did not do things with the right intentions. They did things because they felt they should do them, not because they wanted to. It can create a lot of bitterness in relationships. Do things out of the right motivation otherwise you may regret them later in life and resent the people you did them for…**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        Okay it’s Friday, here’s a rundown of my week. Tuesday the teacher returned our social work tests- I got an “A”!!Wednesday I planned on going home and work on the paper that was due Thursday, but I realized I had a paper due at midnight. How the hell did I forget that?! Luckily, I did a multiple journal article analysis last semester in a similar class, which was eight pages, so all I had to do was cut out and rearrange some information.

        Once again I tried to read the book for class and pull an “all nighter,” that did not work. I went to class on Thursday with a goal of submitting my paper by midnight. The teacher announced we would only lose five points for a late submission so I figured it was best to go for the “A” style writing. I was up until three a.m. working on the paper. Then I had to turn around and go to work study at eight a.m.

        This morning I went to work study and had a great time with my babies. As a matter of fact we went to gym and played together. I sat and talked to a few students on the bleachers. My favorite little buddy played with me for a while, but she wanted to hold the basketball and I wanted to play. She ended up getting mad at me because I went to go play with the boys. The little boys worked the heck out of me on that court. We had a great time though.

        I would like to take a moment to thank God for Economics being available online because without that my grade may have been a lot lower. Today was the final and I think I obtained a “B” in the class. How about this for craziness… Economics was a seven week class and I did not even realize that until the end of week five. It never made since to me that he gave us two chapters a week to read. Now I am happy all I have is four classes to focus on.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY…

**Sometimes it’s the little things that count. Never underestimate the power of a smile, a thank you, a hug, an apology or even a shoulder to lean on. People focus so much attention on the big picture that they miss the little details. Even in genuine friendships and relationships- people recognize the power in the little things. If you were to ask someone about some of the best parts of a relationship, there would be at least one little thing that meant a lot.**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

       As a college student one of the hardest things to do is catch up once you fall behind. The key is to either get ahead or stay afloat. Saying as though I stay afloat, one bad day can usually put me behind. Since I don’t have class Friday-Monday, I use that time to relax with my guy friends, do homework and shop. The objective is to at least spend two good days studying. This weekend was so hectic that I planned to study Sunday and Monday. I don’t know why I waited until Monday, but I did. It just also happened to be the day that I spent 16 hours off and on trying to fill out an application for government assistance. I started at nine a.m. and I planned to be done around noon at the latest.

        It was so frustrating because I had been trying for so long that I refused to give up and I really needed to do my homework. I just kept at it over and over and I almost wanted to quit so many times. Ironically, I felt as though if I didn’t get my application in all the time would be wasted. Even though the application was finally submitted, I had not accomplished any of my assignments. Wednesday I had a couple small assignments and a journal article analysis that would be due. Thursday I had a paper due, but there was a 290 page book I had to read before I could do the paper.

        Monday night I stayed up until almost three a.m. reading the book for the report that is due Thursday. I made it to page 90 in the book I had to read before I went to bed. Earlier today I was discussing the book with a student in another class and I realized I was reading the wrong book. The one I was reading wasn’t due until next month.

       Despite that, I wanted to pull an “all nighter” and read the book.  Unfortunately, it was like narcolepsy set in and I can barely keep my eyes open. The name of the book is Wasted and it is so boring. It’s about a girl who suffers from both anorexia and bulimia. All she seems to talk about is her childhood and her parents issues.  They seem to be dysfunctional themselves, but then again, no one has the perfect set of parents. Who would think dsyfunction in your family would give you an eating disorder. Eww, at the thought of eating a whole lot of food just to throw it all back up. I don’t think I’ll ever make it to the end of this book. Just typing about it is making me sleepier. Did I just bore you with the synopsis of the book? I figured I would just share my thoughts before I pass out from boredom. Goodnight…

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY

**Don’t make promises you cannot keep. If you are sure you can do it, then say maybe or we might. People don’t understand how much another person may value spending time with them. If a person really wants to be around you and you make plans, when they are disrupted it can really hurt them. Unforeseen circumstances do occur and can be understandable, but how do you explain being forgetful or neglecting just because? It’s thoughtless, hurtful and sometimes unforgettable. Think before you commit.**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

I think I am finally back on track this week. I went out and celebrated with my friend for her birthday last Thursday, Saturday and again on Monday, which was her birthday. We were supposed to go out again tonight, but we were both thoroughly exhausted.

        On Tuesday I was so exhausted I could barely get up for class. I finally put myself together for class and then someone close to me started confiding in me about something very personal. If it’s one thing I know, when someone opens up-listen because you never know how much they need you in that moment. I didn’t miss much in class though.

        There are two classes I never miss, Ethics and Abnormal Psychology. I only have them once a week for two and a half hours. I took a test in Abnormal Psychology and it looked like it was written in the 1500’s in Spanish. I was so scared that I failed the test. However, the teacher returned my test and it was a “C.” Now that may not be the best grade, but compared to what I thought I was going to get-it was great. There was multiple choice, essay and matching. I thought it was a conspiracy until I realized one sheet on the test was a handout I received and looked at for every bit of 5 seconds. I messed up on that one, so I feel the need to redeem myself.

        I miss my babies because they are on vacation this week and school is closed. That’s kind of a good thing because with all the partying I did, I threw my sleep off and I don’t think I could get up at 6:30. I’d need more than one cup of coffee to stay up. It’s probably a blessing I got a little time off though because one of the kids stepped on my foot last week and reinjured it. I recently suffered a second degree burn on that foot so it was quite painful- I hope she didn’t do it on purpose, but I can’t prove it anyway!

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY…

**There is a difference between what is urgent and what is important. Things that are urgent appear in front of you or occur suddenly and you may want to take care of them. Important things need to be taken care of. Wants and opportunities occur unexpectedly attempting to seize **

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

  If you are going into the helping professions- more specifically, social work, psychology or counseling… PLEASE BEWARE!! Almost everyone thinks you either want to analyze them or listen to their problems. Since I am single I do a little dating in between, homework, school, texting Facebook and all those other important things. If I say something to a guy that sounds like it came from a text book, they automatically tell me to stop trying to analyze them. It makes me want to throw a book at them and then beat them with it!

        Professionally, it is considered unethical to counsel close friends or family. However, I found myself having conversations that I give a counseling approach. When people talk, I listen. Then I ask questions to help them look at things from certain angles. If necessary I offer an opinion, but I never put them down or tell them what they should do. One thing I like about the new approach is that I find it helps other people see your perspective. Instead of trying to make them see things my way, I help them turn it into their perspective.

        One thing I love so much about counseling is the self-help. Often, people who go into helping professions are people who come from their own battles and want to help others avoid the same path or have better opportunities. Since I began focusing on education I learned more about me. I have become more fearless than I used to be. I’m conquering so many demons I let chase me around throughout my life. I also see things from a different viewpoint. The mature perspective I have causes others to respect me and even seek out my advice.

        MY ADVICE FOR TODAY…

**Love is a word, not an emotion-don’t confuse the two. People are not blinded by love, they are blinded by emotions. One mistake we make so often is seeing what we want to see or hearing what we want to hear. Take it for what it is worth, but don’t always assume it means the best. If you have to question how someone feels, then they probably don’t feel as strongly as you. Love means sacrificing, compromising, understanding, being loyal and being human.  Love is supposed to be unconditional, even if it must be done from a distance**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

          Call me biased, but if you ever have one of Professor Farris’ classes- she will work you to death, but you will love it. In class we talked about our purpose in life. She said we can get a degree and we can make a lot of money, but what is that at the end of the day? A degree is a piece of paper that sits on the wall, it doesn’t accomplish anything. It just shows you completed a certain amount of hours in school. The most important thing you can do is take the education you learn and spread it around. Don’t be the only person to benefit from what you learn.

        Of course we need money to survive and be successful, but at the extent of giving up and missing out on what else. I mean I love shopping and money, but I wouldn’t trade the love and relationships I share for all the money in my dreams. Life is priceless and has to be appreciated as such. If everyone had a positive perception of life and their own worth, then maybe we would all get along better.

        Education changes your perception on so many things. Being surrounded by so many different views and opinions opens your mind up to things in ways you have never seen them. I appreciate the opportunity to spend time with children in work study because I learn different things about what they lack at home and what need. Listening to older people gives you an appreciation for life.

         For example, I was shopping one day and this older Caucasian lady was with her daughter. I overheard the older lady say, “I’m 85 there isn’t much in life that I haven’t done.” So I laughed and I said, “Sounds like there isn’t much in life you haven’t done and that’s great because it means you haven’t missed out on too much.” We laughed and she agreed. I admired that because what’s better in life than to say you have accomplished what you wanted to accomplish and did everything you wanted to do.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY

**Love Yourself first! No one can love you, complete you or make you happier than you can because you are the only person who knows what you want and need. If you don’t know what you want, don’t be afraid to search for it…**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        Valentine’s Day is coming up, so maybe you’re working, making plans or not celebrating at all. I’ve been hearing people fuss about it all day and I don’t have any plans this weekend, so I don’t care. Luckily, after a long night of partying with my best friend for her birthday, I woke up and had the chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day today with my babies. It was a small thing. I didn’t even realize they were doing anything, but some of the kids brought in candy and passed it out. Call me a big baby, but I get a little jealous when the kids bring in stuff and don’t bring in enough for me because I always bring in lots for them. The picture I have posted today is of the little keepsakes I have from my babies. I know I talk about them all the time, but nothing warms my heart like they do. I feel like I can never do enough for them because they do so much for me on the inside. Not to mention, I love the rent-a-kid program. I have them all day during school, and then I get to send them home to their parents.            

        I’m glad I didn’t have class today because I don’t think I would have stayed awake for the whole time. If I did I probably would not have learned anything at all. I feel so drained and I didn’t even drink anything last night. It’s getting late and since I took a nap I think I’ll wash my hair and then get on this economics. I have it online and I love it. This is my tenth online class and my first one at U of D. It’s online, all the quizzes and exams are open book and I am still only holding down a B average. I guess that’s okay, but I should have an “A”. Then again, if everything is due on Sunday at Midnight and I don’t read the chapter until Sunday afternoon, what else should I expect? I realize my grades are always a reflection of my work and I usually start the semester off sluggish and pull out in the end. I have not done a whole lot of assignments, but moving forward I will be ahead. Work of advice, if you are ordering your school books online, do it at least a week before class starts. If you can read ahead in just one class, then you won’t have to play catch up throughout the year.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY

** Ask yourself are you doing what you need to do, to get to where you want to be. If you are working hard, but putting your energy into the wrong things you will never be happy. The fruits of your labor will grow, but if you don’t work toward the right things it will all be a waste of time…**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        Have you started taking exams in your classes yet? We have a million and one projects, presentations and little papers to do. Oh My Goodness nothing has been as hard as this Abnormal Psychology Exam I took today. It could be because it’s the first exam of the semester or maybe because I didn’t study as much as I could have. This test looked like it was in Spanish. What wasn’t in Spanish looked like something from the 1400’s. To make matters worse we took half of the test on scantrons and she graded it today. Luckily she said no one received less that 60% on the scantron part of the exam. That is great because that was half of the test. If I pulled through this part then I probably did fairly well. I better make sure I do all the extra credit she has available now.

        My work study teacher created a Midterm for her 4^th-6^th grade students. Unfortunately, the fifth graders are her homeroom class and they have the biggest Midterm. At least she wrote a nice little prayer on the bottom. I hope they aren’t as scared as I was.

        On a good note I finally finished my tutoring flyer, so I can turn that in for approval tomorrow. If the principal approves my flyer, it will go home with the students tomorrow and then tutoring will start the following week when they come back from break.

        The lady I spoke with from The Village of Redford contacted me today and said they were going to do my background check this week. She also said that because I was going into social work, she was going to connect me with their actual social worker so that I could get the hands on experience I need for my field. How do you like that?! I’m not even supposed to be in the field until next year. But the more experience I get now the easier it will be to get a job-especially since I don’t have a job anyway.

I really want to get out here and do things so I can make a little money, see the world and make a difference. One of these days I am going to be the best. Just like my kids love me and say I’m their favorite teacher’s assistant- I want the community to love me and say that I make such a big difference.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY

**Give someone a compliment for no apparent reason-just to make them smile. Do something nice for a stranger. It’s amazing how much of an impact you can have on someone else’s day.**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        Once you get to college it’s your responsibility to turn in assignments, make up missed work and gather notes that were given in your absence. However, if you connect with classmates on a friendly level they will help you keep up. I remember on one day I missed class so a classmate took notes and grabbed an extra set of handouts just for me. Ever since then I understood the importance of the bond you share with people even when you don’t really know them. We are taking the same classes and graduating at the same time. So we are connected through some imaginary bond. In some of my other classes I have associates who I call or email about assignments they have missed or will need to turn it. When I take notes I share them and I just converse with people because it can be a great networking tool. It’s not always what you know-it’s who you know.

        A lot of people come to college and they party and b-s as much as they can, while putting education on the back burner. I’ve been in and out of school now so I understand the importance of being focused. People don’t always realize what they have or how “lucky” or “blessed” they are. I have a classmate who opened up and told us about some of her experiences. Her husband was killed by a semi truck around ten years ago. Then her daughter was paralyzed in an auto accident about five years ago. Although people may have gone through even more traumatic things than that, when you see someone like that taking care of business, it makes you think you have to succeed. No matter what you have been through, if you want to make it-there is a way.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY…

**Relax. Simple as that. Take some time out for yourself. People spend so much time focused on money, work, school, family and everything else that they forget about themselves. There’s no point in running yourself into the ground trying to build everything else up, if you won’t be here to enjoy it…**

If you have any questions or comments or are interested in contributing to this page feel free to click on a post and comment below it or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~

        Imagine you had to plan out your life and tell what you wanted to accomplish before your demise. Professor Farris gave out an assignment and she asked us to create a mission statement for our own lives. It seemed fairly simple, but once you seriously start thinking about where you want your life to go, it can get difficult. This is what I came up with.

Mission Statement

My mission in life is to attain good mental, spiritual and physical balance as a productive member of society. Personal goals will include being joyful, educated, financially stable, business minded, ethical and acting in the manner most relative to the paradigm deeply seeded within my character. As a professional I want to be effective, efficient, genuine, competent, empathetic, common-sense minded, ethical and always behaving in a manner that will inspire others to reach their potential and become self-sufficient individuals. Uniting all of the aforementioned ideas will allow me to leave a positive lasting impression on the lives I touch, which will lead me to reach a level of success that can only be defined from within.

        I went and turned in my volunteer application on Monday. The lady was so nice and she thanked me for taking the time to go through everything necessary for the application process. It makes you appreciate putting time in at a facility when they treat you so nicely.

        Today was the first snowy day we have had this semester. I’m sure a lot of people wanted to stay home. Luckily, many of the teachers who had evening classes canceled them tonight. Hopefully, everyone made it home safely.

        I didn’t know Field Placement Applications were going to be due so soon. We will be maybe eight weeks into the semester at the end of the month and they have to be turned in for field placement next fall. Since they require a background check I will have to make time to go get that done sometime soon.

        Sometimes it seems like I have a never ending cycle of homework and reading. Then again, what kind of professional would I become if I didn’t fill my head with as much knowledge as possible? For some strange reason, ever since I have come back to school-life is much more peaceful. I have learned so much about me and my personality. At times it seemed like I was unhappy when I should have been happy. After a few English, Human Service and Ethics classes, I realized I wasn’t happy because I wasn’t being myself. The world will have you being something you aren’t chasing things that will leave you unfulfilled. There can be a teacher, a class or just a moment when you realize you want to change to make yourself happy. That is one thing I have accomplished in school and it has made me a better person to be around.

MY ADVICE FOR TODAY

**Know the difference between what you think you hear and what is actually being said. People will occasionally say things and leave the message vague and open to interpretation. It’s safe to say that we know what happens when you assume. So if you assume then the only person you leave uninformed is self. Listen Carefully. When in doubt-Ask Questions…**

                Okay now I know this may sound a little weird, but do you drink coffee? I really don’t drink it. Except I find myself having one to two cups per day whenever I have work study. I don’t know if it because of the kids or because I hate mornings.  

     The gift and the curse of working with children is that they love me and I love them so we grow attached to one another. Sometimes I feel bad because I know the type of things they go through at home and there is nothing I can do about it, but try to make them smile when they are at school with me. It amazes me how much I can learn about a student, but some of the same things I discreetly learn while talking to them, parents might know if they spent the time talking with their children. They cry out for the attention at school that they miss at home. It makes me feel bad when I have to discipline one of my students because I call them my babies. I just hope that I can impact them in a positive way.

      On a happier note…Today was the best work study day ever!! Well I was excited because I had the opportunity to teach for a whole hour unsupervised because my teacher had a conference with a parent. I had fun teaching the social studies lesson with a twist, but it was hard to get them quiet. I put a few students out of the class before the time was over.  For some reason, when I became upset with the class and fussed at them, they acted as if I just started my monthly cycle, but they did nothing wrong. Overall, it was fun though because I love being with my kids!

       Being a novice blogger and an avid computer junkie made a good combination because I was determined to figure out how to make it interesting enough for others to want to read. Since this is the introduction you will just get to know a little bit about me and what I think, so you can understand the posts I type in the future. I promise they will be more interesting as time goes on.

     Welcome to my house- feel free to take off your shoes, kick your feet up and open your mind. Since you have graced me with your presence it’s only polite I introduce myself before we go along this journey together.

          I am Erica Grier, a 24 year old junior at U of D. I do not have any children and since I was laid off I have plenty of free time (when I am not studying). I commute to campus Tuesday’s-Thursday’s this semester from my apartment that’s right outside the city. In my spare time I enjoy shopping (yet I have no money), being a Facebook Junkie, nature, texting and reading. People describe me as funny, flirty, sweet, crazy, honest, loyal, smart, hard-working etc. You get the point. I’m a nice girl. I am addicted to technology. My cell phone and digital camera are always with me. The laptop is never too far behind; it’s just too big to fit in my purse.

          My major is Social Work so I will definitely give you every element of the experience I possibly can. As part of my work study commitment I am a teacher’s assistant at the Catholic School across from U of D. Hopefully, I will be able to start up this after school tutoring program for my babies- I call them that because I love them like my own. I am currently also in the process of trying to volunteer at a juvenile delinquent facility. As part of the service learning requirement for many of the classes I will also be briefly working with the homeless and working with senior citizens. There is so much to do and so little time. I LOVE WHAT I PLAN TO DO IN THE FUTURE!  

          Previously, I was also listed as majoring in criminal justice, psychology and human services. A few reasons I considered changing my major were:

       Criminal Justice- I changed my major before I even enrolled in classes.

       Psychology- Science is not one of my best subjects and it requires a substantial amount of scientific knowledge.

       Human Services-Human Services is a good field, but Social Work and Human Services are practically the same fields-EXCEPT a Social Worker is licensed and qualified to do more and handle more responsibility. More responsibility means you have the opportunity to get better positions and more money!

**One of the best pieces of advice I can give to anyone in/near this field of study is to READ material other than textbooks in your spare time. Self-reflection leads to growth and development, which will only make you better at what you do**

Now that you know a little bit about me I hope that you come back often and read the posts. If you have any questions or comments feel free to  post them or email me grierec@udmercy.edu

Social Work

Junior

~Miss Erica Grier~