HTMP I SY 2022-23
Article Reaction - May 11, 2023
Dr. Betances states that the most important thing a parent should uphold is learning throughout the summer as their child might experience summer learning loss. He supports this claim by referring to fifth graders who have second-grade or third-grade reading comprehension. The continuous loss of learning in the months when school is absent will accumulate and the children will not be at a proficient level of reading and writing when they go up a grade. School is taught by reading and it is important to teach kids this skill early so that they will understand the material they are given. Dr. Betances gives suggestions to solve this problem such as writing to their best friends, interviewing their grandparents, writing about something that ignites a fire within them, and many more.
Dr. Betances brings up good points and it makes me feel like I should be more prudent and maintain my intellect properly and well. It was sort of a wake-up call. I found myself agreeing with his points and understanding where the concern comes from. Usually, over the summer I would slumber or be immersed in my phone and other electrical devices. After reading this article, I plan to do more writing activities such as journaling and finally start reading the books I've been piling on my desk. This article made me realize that it is time I cultivate my mind and get back into good reading habits.
Professional Dress Day - March 16, 2023
On the 10th of March, our sophomore class could dress professionally to school. We had been notified of the upcoming day months prior, but I couldn't go out and shop for the necessary clothes due to some inconveniences. I wasn't discouraged when I had one piece for my outfit as my cousin is in the same program and has an outfit. I borrowed her black shoes and white shirt to complete the look. I wore a long-sleeved white shirt, a black skirt, and black shoes on Professional Dress Day. It is necessary to learn this skill because it makes you look and feel career ready. Dressing professionally makes you presentable for future jobs and job interviews. It creates a good impression on everyone.
When I dressed professionally to school, I was nervous. I liked my outfit, but walking down the school halls in a different attire felt nerve-wracking. However, I got a huge confidence boost throughout the day because classmates or students walking past me in the hall would compliment me. I felt well put together and confident. Seeing my peers in the program dressing professionally was a delightful time. Everyone looked so good, and they put on an intimidating aura. Intimidating, as in they looked too professional or busy to talk to, and I felt like I would be wasting their time. In other words, it's like they became a slightly different person. Being a part of this experience was very exciting, and I had a lot of fun.
"Service is not the same as Hospitality" by Anna Dolce - March 9, 2023
I watched the video: "Service is not the same as Hospitality" by Anna Dolce. I learned that the hospitality industry is losing its spark, its warmth. The industry is being overtaken by service; service does not hold any warmth or generosity; it's a transaction. If businesses in the hospitality industry don't put people first, their business is likely to fail. So what is the industry losing exactly? Well, I learned that the hospitality industry was losing hospitality. In the words of Anna Dolce, "service is a skill, hospitality is a spirit". When you lose that spirit, all you have is a transaction and the people are more likely not coming back to the business. People remember spirit, they remember generosity; they don't remember good service because good service without hospitality is a cold, even exchange. Service is done methodically while hospitality is dynamic. Putting people first while upholding the quality of your service is the way it should be. Hospitality goes before service, not the other way around. That is what I learned.
When I finished watching the video, I felt educated. At the beginning, I didn't know where it was going and it didn't have me hooked. Then as it went on, I started to understand more as Dolce delved deeper into the topic. It didn't occur to me that service and hospitality were two different things. I started thinking about my experiences in restaurants and found a distinction between when I received service and when I received hospitality. I enjoyed watching the video; it was a good learning experience for me. Now whenever I enter a restaurant I will be thinking about whether I will receive service or hospitality.
Tie-A-Tie - November 30, 2022
In this lesson, Mr. Chong taught us how to tie-a-tie in the time of one class period. We learned the proper way of tying it and the easier way of tying a tie. It was a fun lesson.
I was excited for this lesson because I'd never held a tie in my hands, let alone learned how to tie it. If I'm being quite honest, it was very confusing. I followed the instructions and demonstration to the tee, yet I still couldn't get it right. Eventually, after trial and error, I got it. Once I understood it, I could easily tie-a-tie as if I'd been doing it for years. It was very satisfying when I successfully tied it the right way; all of my frustration went away. This lesson will be very useful in the future.
Telephone Skills - November 4, 2022
We learned telephone skills over the course of a few days. Mr. Chong went over the importance of making good impressions through the phone and how to be professional. A phone call determines how to customer sees the business because it could be their first interaction with the establishment. I learned about the proper statements to use with a customer and to answer a call within three rings. It was an eye-opening lesson.
I had heard a lot about this lesson from other students, so I was looking forward to learning about it. I have to say that I was not disappointed. When a classmate would recite the proper statements on the telephone, I was amazed. It was really fun having the telephone that controls the rings and anticipating when my classmate would be ready to answer. When calling the hotels, Hotel Nikko was the one that checked all the boxes on the first call while Westin did not pick up. The hotels that did well on the second call were Tsubaki, Dusit Thani, PIC, and Westin. Overall, I had so much fun and learned a lot.
GCC Counselor Presentation - September 19, 2022
The GCC presentation provided in depth information about the CTE programs/classes. It went over what it's about, what's expected of us, and other programs that help students advance. A few of the many things I learned from the presentation were work experience, programs available in high school, benefits, expectations, and 3 good skills to have. Besides the topics listed in the previous sentence, we got to know our GCC counselor, Ms. Oliveros. A lot of things I didn't know were discussed in the presentation; it was enlightening.
When I heard that our GCC counselor, Ms. Oliveros, was going to be presenting to the class, I was intrigued. I didn't know what was going to be brought up, and although I knew a lot about the program already, I still wanted to know more. Every time the counselor went over something, I was intently listening. The counselor had a comfortable aura and she made a lot of jokes, so I was laughing and smiling the entire time. I was surprised about the topics I had no knowledge of and it made me think about my future a lot. It was an enriching presentation for first year HTMP students and I am happy to have been a part of it.