YOUR IDENTITY

After successful completion of  Values Week of FY101, students will be able to:

  • Consider their highest rated values
  • Reflect on how their values rate to others
  • Determine if their values are in alignment with a current decision-making process

Values Week Outline:

    Values

    This is a conversation based class. Begin by introducing the fact that they are going to be talking about some deeper things today and it will be most engaging/enjoyable if everyone participates to the best of their ability. Think about making it feel more conversational by making a circle and having the instructor and peer mentor join the circle to get on their level.

    You can find a google doc outline here and Google Slides that go along with this outline here (make a copy of the slides and edit the examples for your own use)

    Potential Warm Up:

    Forced Choice Activity- Have students choose different sides of the room to show their preference for the various options:
    Chocolate vs Vanilla
    Mountains vs Ocean
    Music vs Sports
    Strength vs Beauty
    IQ vs Humor

    Intro:

    We are talking about values today.
    Why? Because there are so many decisions you are making in college- major, time spent on extracurriculars, jobs, internships, etc, and you will make the best decisions for yourself if you are in touch with your values- they can help guide you. We’ll do some pair shares, some individual activities and some group conversation to help you dig deeper into your values and think about how they relate to current decisions you are making at BU.

    What are examples of values?

    Peer Mentor and Instructor share some examples of values and how they may guide your lives. Give students 2 minutes to think of values they hold and share them via a wordcloud (make a free account on Slido for students to use) https://www.slido.com/features-word-cloud

    What do these values mean?

    Put up the values that the class had identified as important to them (either via Wordcloud or on a dry erase board, etc). Have them share what those values mean to them and how they show up in their lives in pair shares, small groups, or as a full class.

    So what are values?

    Definition we will use as a class (try to relate back to what they said): “Values are foundational beliefs that guide our lives. They are highly personal and can be conscious or subconscious.” Give an example?

    Values Sort- 10 mins 

    Print out the Values List in advance. Have the students circle their top 8 values (they can always add values to this list if needed).  Once everyone circles their top 8, have them cut those down to their top 5. Once they select their top 5, have them reduce them to their top 3.

    Values Sort Pair Share–

    Once they are done (or nearly done) sorting, have them share their top three (and what they mean to them) with a partner. Additional follow up questions: How did it feel to choose only eight values? How did it feel to reduce to just three? Where there any that were harder to eliminate than others? 

    Values Mismatch Examples

    Instructor shares some of their top values and a time when they made a decision (i.e. internship, job, major, relationship, etc) that didn’t align with those values, Ex. In undergrad Stacy thought she would embark on a career in Public Relations. She interned at Burston Marsteller, a fancy PR firm in NYC. Turns out she felt socially out of place, the environment was stiff and the goal was making money. Her values of authenticity, community and social justice did not align with this experience and that made her change her career goals.

    After Instructor shares, Peer Mentor shares.

    Values Alignment Examples

    Instructor shares a time when they made a decision (i.e. internship, job, major, relationship, etc) that did align with their values. Ex. Stacy’s first job out of college was working at an Outdoor Science School where the work and the people were all focused on authenticity, community building and social justice for students from low income backgrounds.  This was an amazing professional fit (for a year).

    After instructor shares, Peer Mentor shares.

    Pair Share Alignment/Mismatch- In pairs, students consider their own current value alignment and mismatches at BU (with friends, extracurriculars, majors, etc)

    Additional Discussion Questions– In pairs, small groups or large groups, consider engaging in some additional discussion:

    • How do your values align or mismatch with your family’s values?
    • How have your values been impacted by the pandemic?
    • How have your values changed since coming to BU? Since coming to the U.S.? Since coming to Boston?
    • How are your values impacted by your gender? By your religion? By your class? By your race?

    Self-Reflection- Encourage students to consider the following on their own (this week and periodically as they are charting their path through college):

    1. Think about the values of your family and friends. (Those who have a voice in your life) How have they aligned with your values? How might there have been a mismatch with your values? What does that mean for you?
    2. Review your top values and your academic + extracurricular interests.  Do your top values align with these interests? How so? Are they any mismatches? How so?

    Closing- Thanks so much for your participation. It’s important to continually reflect on your values and if they align with what’s going on in your life. Hope you continue to do so. And this is related to discussions we will have in our next class, Identity and Action. Looking forward!

    Show FY101 Letter to Myself Video