Monday, the mentors and I discussed productive ways to talk with their mentees. Specifically, we focused on incorporating "we" language like "Let's work together to..." or "I'm sure we can find a way to..." in their conversations. Many mentors tend to utilize "you" language, which tends to be more accusatory and triggers their mentees' defenses. By working as a team with their mentees, our mentors will be better-equipped to deal with problems as they arise.
Tuesday was, as usual, spent working on core work. In the past, I've had to fight to get kids to complete their assignments. I'm proud to say the vast majority of our students understand why staying on top of their tasks is important and diligently focus on their assignments this year.
I was out of the building for part of Wednesday, so with the immense support of the administrative team and educators here, the students were able to accomplish some good things.
Thursday and Friday, we participated in a lesson about miscommunication. How does it happen? Why should we try to communicate effectively? How can we prevent miscommunication? The students dug deep and internalized bits of advice like these:
- Practice active listening
- Listen with your eyes, ears, and gut
- Take time to understand as you try to be understood
- Be aware of your perceptual filters - Understand that the way you see the world may not be the way everybody sees it
If you'd like to learn more about miscommunication, watch this awesome short video!
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