TU Tuesday Guest Speaker

Kristi Gustafson Barlette
Poise: Gustafson Barlette seemed very comfortable talking in front of us. She stood tall with her shoulders back. She was able to answer every question with an answer that wasnt just a yes or no question, she gave us detail and that helped us learn more about her. One example of this is right when she got into the classroom she took front center of the classroom and proudly told us her name and occupation.

Clarity: Gustafon Barlette had a very good vocabulary but she also used words that we could understand. Gustafon Barlette sopke clearly so we could all hear her and what she had to say (even though she talked super fast). She also seemed very prepared which helped her when it came to answering questions and the way that she should answer them. Also the answers to our questions were straight forward, and we got the answer that we wanted/ needed.
Gustafson Barlette got asked if there were times that she wanted to move to a different occupation, and instead of telling us no (to get us to like journalism) she told us the truth, she told us that when she was first beginning she hated it and the criticism that came along with any piece she wrote, but she said that it began to get better and she got stronger as not only a writer but a person.

Volume: She had a nice loud voice, she projected her voice and looked at us when she talked which always helps. Gustafon Barlette wasnt afraid to answer any question, and even when she got embarassed for swearing, she kept speaking loud so we could hear her instead of getting embarassed and suddenly shy.

Information: She gave us a lot of information on her day to day schugel and her life as a writer. We didn't ask too many questions about her writings in specific but the questions that we did ask, she gave very good responses that fully answered our questions, and more. She did give a lot of details that maybe we all didnt need to know but I don't think she went over board inorder to mosy her way around an answer.
She told us about her favorite experience, and also she said things about her worst email shes ever gotten, but it was a question asked so she had to.

Organization: I think sometimes she had random thoughts going from talking about how much she loved cows to how she is on the radio. Fly 92.3 in the mornings. I think that she would have had good transition if she wasnt answering all of our questions.

I asked a few questions and so did my classmates, I was worried that it was going to be silent and no one was going to ask questions. but i was pleasently suprised. Everyone talked and had for the most part good questions that related to writing and her job at the times union. I would have asked more questions but i had become prepared wiht questions about her writing and not about her other life so  I couldnt get too many in. I asked her why a quarter back that wears a ring makes an article and I also asked her if she always got to write about things she was passionate about. She repsonded saying that in her blog, yes but sometimes she is given assignments that she isn't excited about but she still has to do a great job with it.

I think this was a good experience it teaches us to kind of "research" her a little to get prepared for the discussion. It also teaches us about the day in the life of a times union writer and what she gets to do. I think it may get some students more interested and excited to write when they are older. I think you should invite someone back in so we get a different perspective.