{"id":678,"date":"2017-01-26T03:04:55","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T03:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/exemplar\/?p=678"},"modified":"2017-01-26T03:04:55","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T03:04:55","slug":"exemplarhighlightswave7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/exemplar\/exemplarhighlightswave7\/","title":{"rendered":"Exemplar Highlights Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the Exemplar Highlights Project! <\/span><\/h1>\n

Hello! My name is Nicolette Apraez, and I am a Level 2 Judge from the Atlanta Metro area in Georgia (USA-Southeast Region). A little over a year ago, I made the decision to start a temporary series called #KeepingitLit on my Facebook page. I had some experience with Exemplar prior to that, but was not particularly active and hadn’t thought much about the program and why it existed. Reading through the recognitions of judges in (and out of) my region made me proud to know and call those judges my friends, mentors, and colleagues. I wanted to share that feeling with those around me, and point out what great examples those judges were setting for the other judges in the community. However, it’s not just the USA-Southeast region that is kicking behinds and taking names! There are judges around the world doing great things, and I want to increase the visibility of those exemplary behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, Welcome to the Exemplar Highlights Project! Before we get into this Exemplar Wave\u2019s article, I wanted to give everyone a little more information on what you can expect from this project, and what my goals for this project are. For more information on how to help your region, or join this project, just keep reading. I’d say skip to the final section, but that would be sad and you’d miss all the fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have three main goals for this series:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Highlight the exemplary behaviors that judges around the world are exhibiting<\/span>
\n2. Encourage others to start their own Highlights Blog in their area\/Region<\/span>
\n3. Give readers examples of and clues to what are considered \u201cgood\u201d recognitions<\/span><\/p>\n

So what makes a recognition \u201cgood\u201d?<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you haven\u2019t read it, Bryan Prillaman put out a wonderful guideline on how to write recognitions. You can find it <\/span>here<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0While it goes into deeper explanation of the qualities and has a ton of examples (Seriously, consider re-reading it before each wave, it\u2019s a great resource to keep you on track), the jist of the advice is:<\/span><\/p>\n

Be Specific<\/strong>
\nMake Sure it’s Praiseworthy<\/strong>
\nBe Relevant<\/strong>
\nRepresent the Judge Community in a Positive Light<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another thing to note is that Wave 8 closes January 31st . If you haven’t done so already, submit your recognitions now<\/strong>. Well, go read his article, then come back and finish this article, then<\/em> go submit your recognitions!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s get started! In this article, I\u2019m going to be paying tribute to a few of those judges who currently highlight Exemplar recognitions through blogs or posts in their own areas. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"Alex<\/a>
Alex Smith (L2, Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alexander Smith<\/b> runs the Exemplar Spotlight on the USA – Great Lakes Blog Page. Want to check it out? You can find his latest installment <\/span>here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Ben Sturtz’s (L2, Ohio) recognition of Alexander Smith (L2, Michigan) in Wave 7:<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/a>
Ben Sturtz (L2, Ohio)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Alex, our discussion of my handling of our SCG Regionals deck check team was very honest and thoughtful. I appreciate your advice on differentiating simply completing required tasks versus doing so while leaving a lasting impression for a given team or event. Your honesty and advice were catalytic in my identification that I should be developing my own personal leadership style. Thank you!”<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s great about this recognition?<\/span><\/h3>\n