Day 50: Lessons

1. To delegate a task:
• Demonstrate the task completely (I'm talking about filtering here so it is a simple task that will be repeated 30 times in a row) from start to finish, explaining each step as you go and explaining the context of the task (We are filtering for SRP, nitrate, and ammonium which requires 20 ml of water in the analysis. These are three of the nutrients we are really really interested in so it is crucial to get this!)
• Have the person you are teaching walk through the task from start to finish with you standing there! My mistake was walking away to do something else after the demo, doing things that I know have to be done, but without realizing that I didn't explain them, such as using a certain amount of water to rinse. When someone else walks through it, you can correct these slight differences from protocol that are actually really important.
• Keep walking through if the person still isn't comfortable with it! Get them to talk through each step as they do it. Talking and doing are different sometimes, especially with different learning styles. 
• Let them go on their own and trust them. You trust them then they will pay attention to the work and really try to do it right and catch their own mistakes. This doesn't mean dissappear. Be around for questions and....
• Come back every once in a while to check in. Not casually, "how's it going?" check in, but specifically, "which filter are you on? Is the pump still giving you trouble?"
• Be flexible for each person because each person is different. 
2. Tips for recording audio: (I listened to the audio from the researcher in action tour last night so I've learned a few things)
• Stand downwind of the speaker and away from the chattier members of the audience. 
• Cover the mic with fuzzy stuff or something to shield a bit of the wind noise.
• Hold it away from your own mouth and clothing - because you make a lot of sound that you aren't aware of - "Are you ok, Kaleigh? You're breathing really fast." "Was I?"
• Do not take pictures while recording the audio - click, click, click... Ask the speaker to pose again afterward or get someone on the other side of the audience to take the picture
• Do not record on a bus or in an echoing atrium where the slightest noise is picked up. Well you can, but you have to be much more careful about sound pollution!
3. Tips to get food from Rob (the chef):
• Do the dishes and then ask where the cookies are for a reward - having a cute little smile helps - I learned this from Kelly
• Help put away the food after lunch or dinner - there are so many leftovers that you can have your pic - I learned this from Fiona
• Come in before dinner when Rob or Ros is just finishing the dessert and getting ready to put it out - the key here is to look exhausted, kinda sad, and making puppy eyes at the dessert mumbling about how good it looks - I learned this from Krista and Celia
• Barely put any food on you plate when Rob is standing cross-armed at the back of the kitchen surveying his kingdom - he notices everything that everybody eats! I don't know if this will get you food though, but he has commented when I only had a small salad one day, it might work...
• I wonder if he would let me into the kitchen to cook my own food? I want to learn how to make bannock too!