Tina Noel is the Experiential Learning Coordinator at the Renfrew County Catholic DSB. She is responsible for providing the students on her board with learning opportunities and hands-on experiences that will help them develop the skills they need to create the futures they desire.
She is also the board lead for the OYAP program - Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program - and spent many years working in the co-op department. Throughout her career, Tina developed three guiding principles that she believes are the cornerstones to a successful Career / Coop Placement.
One - Integrity
- In simplest terms - Integrity means doing the right thing even if nobody is watching.
- Do what you say and say what you do - your integrity and reputation are at stake!!!
Two - Own It!
- What went wrong, how can you fix it and what will you do to not let it happen again.
- Take responsibility for your actions. Do not cover up repetitive, bad behaviours with excuses. Understand the difference between excuses and reasons.
- Remember - mistakes are a part of life and are necessary for us to improve and change behaviours. If you keep making the same mistake - it is no longer a mistake rather it becomes a habit.
- Try to understand that parents, friends, teachers, supervisors and co-workers see through excuses!
Three - Choices
- Every choice has a consequence - can be good, bad or even ugly!
- Remember - only you know whether or not you can live with your choices. Some choices are very, very small but others can be life-altering. Take the time to make choices that you can live with.
- Begin to back away from peer pressure in making some choices that might negatively affect your success in your job or career.
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