In a previous journal entry I talked about the ACT WorkKeys class I am taking for ReEntry purposes. Upon receiving the platinum rating and testing our of the beginning coursework, I have moved on to the second portion of the course. In this portion, called the Tessera program, I am reading six other books that cover a variety of subjects.
I have since complete three of the book that dealt with Customer Service, Working in Teams and Business/Interpersonal Communication. I am currently studying the book titled Problem Solving and Critical Thinking and have two more books still to read: Work Discipline and Financial Literacy.
I thought now would be a good time to talk about the Problem Solving and Critical Thinking book since many of the things I’m learning in this book are also things that Mr. Santos teaches throughout his workbooks: analyzing an obstacle and finding the best solution to resolve the problem. It goes in depth about all the ways to analyze problems that do not present easy solutions but the underlying theme is resilience and determination. One must be determined to solve the problem and be resilient enough not to let obstacles stand in their way; one must be determined to find the proper way to solve the problem and resilient enough to try different solutions if success is not immediate; one must be determined to follow through when unintended consequences present themselves and resilient enough to continue working towards resolution in spite of new challenges.
This textbook breaks down all the ways to analyze problems, it teaches techniques to think critically to find the best solution, and many of them mirror the same things Mr. Santos uses to help the justice impacted think about their future/release plans. And all of the techniques and methods are the same ones that we, as the justice impacted, to begin dealing with the problems we face inside the prison system. We must be careful not to confuse correlation with causation, or allow the halo effect to cloud our vision of the real problem. When dealing with prison routines these are easy traps to fall into and not see the real problem or the best solution.
I look forward to completing the other two books and taking the final “test”. It isn’t a test with right or wrong answers. It’s more of a personality assessment that will then aid an employment agency in placing me at a job better suited for my skills and abilities. I will have to answer questions about Work Ethics, Resiliency, Creativity, Integrity, Collaboration, and Leadership. Once I’ve answered these questions, the ACT organization will score my answers and give me a matrix that informs for what type of jobs I am best suited. I am hopeful that this is one more step in preparing for success after prison so I can gain meaningful employment.
