Tuesday, January 27, 2015
January 20th - 23rd
The mentors and mentees worked really hard this week on identifying some of their roles within the class. We followed lessons from the workbook to devise lists of what mentors and mentees should do, as well as what they should not do.
Additionally, the students completed personal coats of arms. I asked them to depict things like their family, their best friends, their future career, what animal best represents them, and two of their favorites (food, shoe, color, etc...). Their artistic abilities were surprising and I really enjoyed talking with the kids about their thought processes while completing this project.
Next week, we'll begin practicing mindful meditation with the mentees, which is something the mentors have been asking about for weeks. We will also be creating life maps!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
January 8th - 16th
This week was amazing! The mentors found out who their mentees are on Monday and began laying the foundation for a strong mentoring relationship throughout the rest of the week.
Courtesy of Community Reach Center and the A50 resource liaison, I was afforded an opportunity to meet with the mentors. During that time, we discussed who their mentees would be, as well as set some goals for the week. I challenged each mentor to learn three things about their mentees: hobbies, who they lived with, favorite things, etc... While I was doing that, Lila and Julia met with mentees and led a valuable discussion regarding the small group classes, which will occur each Monday for the next month.
Tuesday was spent working as small groups. The students had a chance to introduce themselves to their mentors/mentees during a lesson called "Let Me Introduce Myself." All the kids did a wonderful job, even though a few of them were nervous to participate.
Due to testing, the school was on an assembly schedule Wednesday and Thursday. Naturally, the kids had extra energy so I compensated for it by planning team building games. On Wednesday, the mentor and mentee pairs worked together to build spaghetti and marshmallow towers. Their goal was to create the tallest structure that was also strong enough to stand on its own. The teams came up with some really cool ideas and the tallest one from the whole day was thirty-nine inches!
On Thursday, we played a game I called "The Lumber Relay." Each mentor/mentee pair worked as part of a larger team to compete in a relay race. All pairs had to walk from one end of the room to the other while using 2"x4"s as skis. Once they reached the designated area, they had to perform tasks like popping balloons by sitting on them, creating paper airplanes, writing down what YESS stands for, and even eating a cup of applesauce without hands or utensils!
On Friday, we began to explore the role of mentors in the class. The students were very insightful about the things they want in their partners.
This week, we will continue to explore the various roles each student will play within the class. We'll also continue building a strong mentoring relationship by engaging in lessons like "Personal Coat of Arms" and "Life Map."
Courtesy of Community Reach Center and the A50 resource liaison, I was afforded an opportunity to meet with the mentors. During that time, we discussed who their mentees would be, as well as set some goals for the week. I challenged each mentor to learn three things about their mentees: hobbies, who they lived with, favorite things, etc... While I was doing that, Lila and Julia met with mentees and led a valuable discussion regarding the small group classes, which will occur each Monday for the next month.
Tuesday was spent working as small groups. The students had a chance to introduce themselves to their mentors/mentees during a lesson called "Let Me Introduce Myself." All the kids did a wonderful job, even though a few of them were nervous to participate.
Due to testing, the school was on an assembly schedule Wednesday and Thursday. Naturally, the kids had extra energy so I compensated for it by planning team building games. On Wednesday, the mentor and mentee pairs worked together to build spaghetti and marshmallow towers. Their goal was to create the tallest structure that was also strong enough to stand on its own. The teams came up with some really cool ideas and the tallest one from the whole day was thirty-nine inches!
This week, we will continue to explore the various roles each student will play within the class. We'll also continue building a strong mentoring relationship by engaging in lessons like "Personal Coat of Arms" and "Life Map."
Friday, January 9, 2015
January 5th - 9th
This week focused on bringing the mentees into the program. The counselors were great about ensuring there were equal numbers of mentees and mentors in each class, which made Tuesday go really well. Naturally, the first week of the semester led to quite a few schedule changes and none of the classes have equal numbers anymore. This is something that will be remedied next week.
Happily, the mentors and mentees are getting along really well. I've been encouraging the mentors to sit with different people each day and they've obliged, which has gone a long way in making the mentees feel welcome. A few mentees were hesitant to start the program, but the kindness and enthusiasm from the mentors has helped them come out of their shells.
Once I went over the history of the YESS Institute, the purpose of the class, and the rules, we played icebreakers and games this week. Two days were spent on interviews. Tuesday, the kids paired up: one mentee and one mentor. Each student took turns interviewing the other, which gave me an opportunity to see how various personalities worked together. The following day, after the interviews were complete, each pair stood at the front of the class to introduce his/her partner. It was endearing to see how well some of the partners bonded and encouraged each other. Today, we played two games. The first game was a team building exercise that required the students to balance on a piece of lumber while performing other tasks. The second game, Would You Like to Buy My Monkey?, was a silly game that allowed the kids to "sell" their monkey to other students.
Next week, we begin the mentor pull-out classes to provide on-going training for the mentors. The mentees will remain in the classroom to participate in an activity hosted by the Community Reach Center and Student Services Resource liaison. These weekly pull-out sessions will go a long way in making sure the mentors are successful with their mentees. I'll also be pairing up the mentors with mentees.
I've already witnessed some powerful bonds being formed between these students and I can't wait to see what will happen in the next few months!
Happily, the mentors and mentees are getting along really well. I've been encouraging the mentors to sit with different people each day and they've obliged, which has gone a long way in making the mentees feel welcome. A few mentees were hesitant to start the program, but the kindness and enthusiasm from the mentors has helped them come out of their shells.
Once I went over the history of the YESS Institute, the purpose of the class, and the rules, we played icebreakers and games this week. Two days were spent on interviews. Tuesday, the kids paired up: one mentee and one mentor. Each student took turns interviewing the other, which gave me an opportunity to see how various personalities worked together. The following day, after the interviews were complete, each pair stood at the front of the class to introduce his/her partner. It was endearing to see how well some of the partners bonded and encouraged each other. Today, we played two games. The first game was a team building exercise that required the students to balance on a piece of lumber while performing other tasks. The second game, Would You Like to Buy My Monkey?, was a silly game that allowed the kids to "sell" their monkey to other students.
Next week, we begin the mentor pull-out classes to provide on-going training for the mentors. The mentees will remain in the classroom to participate in an activity hosted by the Community Reach Center and Student Services Resource liaison. These weekly pull-out sessions will go a long way in making sure the mentors are successful with their mentees. I'll also be pairing up the mentors with mentees.
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