Week 1, Post 2

The office environment:

1)      What are your work hours; how are you supervised.

a)      I have alternating work hours based on whether or not I am working that evening at my paying job. This week, I worked 9-5  on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and 9-2 on Tuesday and Friday. Next week it will be the same, but different for week 3. Mona and I work in close proximity. She’ll delegate a task to me, and once I’m done it to my satisfaction, I’ll print it, stamp DRAFT on it, and let her review and make corrections as needed.

2)      Describe your work area.

a)      I have the desk that closest to the door. I have a phone that I have not been given leave to answer, and a modern computer that doesn’t have DivorceMate or any of the other legal programs. I have the necessary tools ie. StickyNotes, highlighters, pens, stapler, paperclips etc. all within easy reach.

3)      Describe your daily routine.

a)      I’m in the door by 8:45 am. If I have nothing I’ve been working on since the day before, then I will file any paperwork that’s in the tray on Mona’s desk. After that, I do whatever is delegated to me.

4)      How is work initiated? Is it dictated, written out in longhand, sent to you by email or do you write your own correspondence, emails, etc.

a)      So far, Mona will just randomly ask me to do something. If it’s something new (like the disclosure) then she’ll give me some extra instructions. Most of the tasks she gives me is filing, scanning, and copying aside from whatever client I’m working on.

5)      Have you done anything this week you particularly enjoyed or did not enjoy.

a)      I did enjoy going through the huge Respondent’s disclosure because I handled a lot of different documents and, basically, I was given leave to be as creative with the Excel Worksheet as I wanted. I did not particularly enjoy copying and scanning that smaller disclosure simply because it was a very frustrating hour or so.

6)      Do you check voicemail?  Do you record your own voicemail greeting?  Do you answer the telephone?

a)      Because of the way the computers are set up, there really is no reason for me to answer the phone because 98% of the phone calls are clients trying to book appointments, and since I can’t view Amicus on my computer, I wouldn’t know what availability Heather had. I have no separate phone line, so I couldn’t record my own voicemail.

School-related reflection:

1)      In some courses, in place of exams, you have had quizzes, tests and portfolios. These were often completed outside of class, allowing you the opportunity to review your textbook and other resources.  Upon submission, you received instant feedback.  Would you have preferred an exam instead of the smaller, more frequent tests/quizzes/portfolio?  Did the quizzes/tests/ portfolios assist you in learning the theory?  Explain your answer.

a)      I prefer the smaller tests because you’re not trying to cram half a semester’s worth of information into your head only to forget half of it once the pressure of completing the exam gets to you. I enjoyed making the portfolios because it forces you to be as correct as you can be when creating the document, thus making the theory you learned apply more than if you just learned it and not done anything with it.
 

2)      Was it helpful to have answer keys on the bulletin board?

a)      Yes, because I was able to look at the answers I had wrong, see the correct answer and have a lightbulb go off that says ‘I actually did know that answer, I just second guessed myself and used a different answer.’ I don’t know if that applies for everyone else, but that’s how my brain works.