Discussion: Student Response

FaithHarris

Rapport and Relational Alignment

I will Remain Rapport with Brody by being supportive and keeping his mind focused on the Goal. One way That I would support him is by continuing to shift my disc-style in being more in line with Brody is by being gentle and understanding at all times. My “D” style in leadership can be very intense. While Brody’s “S” style can be easily offended and laid back. I would ensure to be clear and concise with him, but also be careful of the words I choose making sure he understands he is being heard and supported. Being that he has had time to adjust I will be sure to monitor the pace while also ensuring that he is navigating every hurdle with ease and motivation to prevent backsliding. The aim is for Brody to be transparent, but always willing to move forward even later on after he has become accustomed to counseling. The role is for Brody to commit to a process that will help to shift his vision which in turn will boost his confidence in his day-to-day life. To help him deal with the unhealthy patterns of communication by continuing to implement healthy strategies for everyday conversations. As well as support him in understanding the importance of healthy communication and self-acknowledgment.

Phase Four Distinctive Features

The goal is to facilitate support for Brody, while also motivating and building his self-assurance. We aim to help rebuild effective communication with him and his father while rebuilding their relationship. While also helping brody to maintain a self-image that isn’t built around codependency. Some techniques I would use in moving forward are using the TLC cards. This will teach him how to communicate effectively with others to not just hear them, but to be heard as well. A lot of Brody’s low confidence stemmed from support based solely on how another person viewed him( his mom). Although it made him feel good about his hobbies it quickly changed his attitude once it was no longer being received due to him not internally feeling like that about himself initially. I would help him to move forward in rebuilding the relationship with his father by facilitating healthy conversations about heavy situations which Peterson refers to as technique number 23( Peterson, James 2015).

Supportive Feedback Break

I would use the scaling technique. Now that Brody has been able to express himself effectively I feel he can move onto the next phase of counseling. He has also taken steps toward forgiveness. I would say Brody is at a level where he can openly discuss his feelings without feeling the need to be defensive or offended.

Phase 4 Marker

One Marker that marks that Brody is ready to be released from counseling is that now he knows how to find solutions to his problems. Lambert states that it isn’t the people who have solutions that need counseling. Now that brody has the tools to go forth and communicate efficiently even with those who might not see eye to eye with him will help him to remain strong in who God says he is.

Food for Thought

One scripture I would leave with Brody is “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Luke 12:6-7 NIV). I would leave this scripture with him because this is the scripture that got him through counseling sessions. Brody started off broken and afraid. Through seeing himself the way that God sees him, his Identity in who he is has been restored and it is only the beginning. I would also encourage him to join a community full of Faith filled thinkers to continue to facilitate love, peace and understanding of healthy relationships.

PACO 500

Discussion Assignment Instructions

The student will complete 4 Discussions for the Solution-Based Short-Term Pastoral Counseling Phases in this course. The student will post one thread of at least 450 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of the assigned Module: Week. The student must then post 1 reply of at least 150 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week. For each thread, students must support their assertions with a citation from each required PACO 500 course resource. T

here

should be 6 source citations (1 citation for each required course resource) in your initial post. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation. Your initial post and reply should follow current APA or Turabian standards.

This course utilizes the Post-First feature in all Discussions. This means you will only be able to read and interact with your classmates’ threads after you have submitted your thread in response to the provided prompt. For additional information on Post-First, click

here for a tutorial.

PACO 500

Discussions 1

PACO 500

Discussion Guidelines & T.I.P.S.

(To Insure Personal Success)

Due to the nature of these research-based discussions, these learning activities have something of a “paper~presentation-like” feel (i.e. higher word counts, evidence-based research, thoughtful analysis with examples, application, and specific structure and style). Consider these discussions as meaning-making opportunities. They are not designed to be opinion-based discussions but rather for the development and assimilation of pertinent material for your course’s cumulative learning experience. With this in mind, the remainder of this document provides basic parameters and an Addendum: T.I.P.S –To Insure Personal Success in these unique research-based conversations.

Basic Parameters:

· You will meet the first expectation of the discussions by posting a well-developed, evidenced-based discussion thread. Get this! Your initial thread sets the stage for a classmate’s contributions. All required sources and readings/-to-date must be meaningfully woven into the thread. That includes a citation for each required course resource (check your Syllabus for clarification on the required course resources) in each Discussion thread. Required sources and readings-to-date are delineated in the Course Schedule and emphasized in your Professor’s communiques.

· After posting the discussion thread, you are required to post a well-developed, evidence-based reply to at least 1 of your classmate’s threads. Make sure to noticeably support all assertions/claims, etc. (i.e., School of Behavioral Sciences students use current APA standards and School of Divinity students use current Turabian Form). Complete in-text citations or footnotes and a References or Bibliography section are required.

· An annotated outline format (see end of document) is required to provide organizational clarity, easily viewed material, and to align with the course’s connected, collaborative, cumulative research/writing approach. As a live, evolving document, it then can be easily provisioned with insights from your degree’s learning journey. Make sure to build every post from a x document. This file could become a resource for future counseling sessions. If you have a related discussion question, “raise your hand” in the Question & Answer Center.

· Unless otherwise stated, the discussion thread must be at least 450 words. Unless otherwise stated, threads are due on Friday 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final discussion has a different rubric as it focuses on a specific module’s content.

· Unless otherwise stated, the discussion reply must be at least 150 words. Unless otherwise stated, replies are due on Sunday 11:59 p.m. (ET).The final discussion has a different rubric as it focuses on a specific module’s content. The final discussion also has different due dates. Please check the Couse Guide for more information.

· Your Professor’s feedback will assess according to these guidelines and as delineated in the Discussion Grading Rubric.

The overarching goal of each discussion is to promote critical thinking within the classroom and to produce knowledge that is essential for the completion of subsequent learning activities. This is achieved by satisfying two directives.

· Remain noticeably connected to all of the readings by integrating what you have already learned into the current discussion (cite/reference accordingly). In this course, all learning activities lean and connect in your unique final project – see first four discussions (Phases 1-4). This means assignments will have varying levels of freshly synthesized redundancy.

· Do not disconnect; continue to push supporting truths, insights, and techniques FORWARD!

· For example, each discussion thread must noticeably integrate at least 1 pertinent insight from each required course resource/readings-to-date. Each discussion reply must noticeably integrate at least 1 pertinent insight from a required resource/reading to date.

· Pertinent material from all required readings-to-date should be synthesized weekly (see Course Schedule) and integrated into subsequent learning activities.

· Develop an atmosphere for learning in every post by “digging deeper” and “exercising striking influence.” In other words, do not hesitate to respectfully challenge and/or resource weaknesses in a classmate’s posts (cite accordingly). This is NOT opinion-based interaction; make assertions that noticeably connect with verifiable truth (i.e., create a path of investigation via appropriate citation).

· State areas of agreement (dig deep). Perhaps this already comprises the bulk of your response to classmates’ posts. However, simply reiterating what has already been said or stating “I agree” does not help you or your classmates learn. Instead, dig deeper into the readings/presentations and noticeably “contribute and/or “add to” the developing conversation, especially with assertions/affirmations/arguments grounded through appropriate citations/footnotes and References/Bibliography.

· State areas of disagreement (i.e., exercise striking influence) with your classmate’s post; cite accordingly. Your instructor is not suggesting that you should launch into offensive attacks (we can disagree agreeably) but to demonstrate an influence that probes what is said and challenges thinking. You can make statements such as “While I agree with…I tend to disagree with . . .” (then state why and noticeably support the rationale). You can also say “I was intrigued with your statement that. . . but I’d like more explanation. What can you tell me about. . . ?” Or, “I’d like to explore your concept of . . . further. My question is. . . “. NOTE! When you pose a question or leading statement, continue with sufficient insight from the readings to help the reader track with your thinking about the matter in question.

Disagreement is perfectly acceptable within a discussion if it is offered respectfully and substantively, as a well-thought out and supported response (cite accordingly) within assignment parameters. For interaction to truly flourish, critical thinking and respectful challenges should influence every conversation.

· The following foundational axiom is essential to meaning-making:

Without timely and sometimes “striking” interaction, there is no significant growth!

Inspiration supports this premise: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Pro. 27:17, NKJV). “Digging deeper and exercising striking influence” will add to our collective growth and development.

By way of illustration, think about gardening. Visit a nursery and ask a gardener how to plant azaleas. You may be shocked to hear that the root ball must sliced before planting. Sounds detrimental to the health of the plant, doesn’t it? Actually, cutting the sides of the root ball allows the roots to make a fresh connection with life-giving earth. If this does not occur, eventually the roots will continue to grow inward rather than outward, causing the azalea to languish and eventually die. Likewise, the use of striking influence empowers growth and development by challenging root-bound ideologies.

Addendum
With these basic parameters and axiom in mind, the following Discussion T.I.P.S. will amplify guidelines and equip you to satisfactorily complete assignment expectations. Redundancy is intentional to reinforce expectations.

TIP 1: It is very important that you refer to the Discussion instructions and rubric frequently, become attentive to each discussion’s prompt, and ask a specific question(s) when unsure of how to proceed! Do not post a Professor-related question in the Discussions. Instead, “raise your hand” in our Question & Answer Center.

· Each discussion requires 1 initial thread and at least 1 reply to a specific point of reference within the classmate’s thread. The completion of this discussion engagement is not dependent on receiving a classmate’s response to your thread but upon
your
initiative to interact with at least 1 classmate’s thread. Though not required, it would be helpful to interact further with those who respond to your thread.

TIP 2: Good form invites the reader into the flow of your thoughts!

· Each discussion thread must be thoughtfully developed with sufficient organizational clarity so that the most inattentive reader can easily “get-thoughts and verify claims” (i.e., create an itch the reader is invited to scratch – Acts 17:11). For example, if a discussion prompt poses 3 questions, identify the questions and then carefully proofread your corresponding answer. Bullets and bold may be used to clearly present questions.
· Similarly, each discussion reply must noticeably relate to what is being addressed. For example, that Reply,
must strengthen
another’s thread. In some way, point out the statement or missing element you would like to challenge and/or clarify further, then substantively respond with freshly cited material from the readings. Do not merely reiterate or affirm what a classmate has stated; add to!!

· Proofread carefully and eliminate distractions such as misspellings, poor word choices, and awkward syntax. Develop posts on a x document. Correct spelling and grammar errors that are highlighted by the x’s red and green squiggly underlining. Follow current APA standards or Turabian form.

TIP 3: Remain noticeably connected to the readings!

Each central assertion should offer thoughtful analysis grounded in an assigned reading, assessment, handout, or power point presentation with an appropriate citation and meaningful example. For example, if one of your assertions uses notions from Nichols (2017) and a Rice (2018) Solution-based, Short-term Pastoral Counseling Handout, then 2 intext citations/footnotes and a References or Bibliography section are required. As mentioned earlier, School of Behavioral Sciences students follow current APA standards and School of Divinity students follow current Turabian Form. Support the assertion with a pertinent example to make sure the most inattentive reader gets your thought. Never assume the reader understands what you are writing or knows the source of your assertion. Every reply should follow the same pattern.
· Anchor assertions first in the required materials, assessments, lectures, and then integrate insights from secondary sources (e.g., Bible, recommended texts and articles, etc.).

TIP 4: Each reply should noticeably strengthen a Classmate’s thread!

Make every effort to noticeably strengthen or add to assertions, especially if a classmate’s post is unclear, shallow, or unsupported. If a classmate did not satisfactorily address a particular point, then provide what is needed. Do not state what was missed without filling in the “blank”! Avoid affirmation as it is too easy to add nothing substantive to the discussion. Make every effort to offer additional substantive thoughts regarding a classmate’s thread (i.e., more than just “I like this student’s idea.”). It should explain why you like the idea (or not) through a well-thought out and grounded response.
· Consider these action verbs as you seek to strengthen a classmate’s thread: point out, identify, explain, describe, illustrate, compare, examine, relate, compose, propose, prepare, evaluate, revise, value, assess, etc.
· Anchor assertions first in the required materials, assessments, lectures, and then integrate insights from secondary sources (e.g., Bible, recommended texts and articles, etc.).

TIP 5: Make every effort to form Christ in our research-based conversation with each other (i.e., Gal. 4:19; 2 Peter 1:1-15).

In other words, treat each discussion as a F.A.I.T.H. Gym.
Seek to Find Additional Information That Helps exercise and develop Christlikeness (i.e., life; Lk. 21:19), under the authority of the Word of God, through the person and work of the Wonderful Counselor, and within the midst of healthy relationships. Make every effort to pursue and invite the imitation of Christ (i.e., like Paul, pursue imitation and influence imitation; Eph. 5:1; 1 Cor. 11:1).
Page 2 of 5