Cross post from Bb

Generally, once I write something one place I'm a bit hesitant to simply copy it to another location... feels a bit like a cop-out to me. But - I'm getting over it. I'm finding more and more that observations and reflections from each of my courses (of course) also apply in some way (direct or indirect) to other courses and to life in general. I shouldn't be surprised by this; my whole life has been about looking for the connections between things, people, ideas, philosophies, etc. I could digress here to a discussion of physics or world mythologies...hehehe. So - time to get over myself and not be concerned w/ cross-posts... even verbatim cross-posts. I need to trust the the path and my progress on it.

So - here is a cross post from my latest mentor entry on Blackboard - I recognized as I wrote the final part of this entry that it was reflective and appropriate for a blog post. I have decided post (here) the plan, the question from Doc G, and then my response so that the complete context is preserved for later reflection on my part.

==================================================

Mentor Plan (still early in the journey):

Specific:
She has several things she wants to accomplish in the next 4 months. These include passing the written test for her driver's license, organizing and successfully hosting a school prom and/or graduation dance (the first one ever organized for this particular school), completing the credits she has remaining to graduate (1/4 history, 1/4 math, 3/4 elective, 1 English). She also has some less specific goals such as: becoming more familiar and adept at using a computer (internet, word processing, etc.), making some decisions about future path (college or other education beyond HS, career, etc.), work in the community (volunteer w/ community or just help family).

Measurable:
The specific goals related to school (organizing dance, earning credits, graduating) are easily measurable, as is the goal to pass the written driver's test and earn her driver's license. Other goals are perhaps less easily measured (computer use, decisions about future, etc.) but are not completely immeasurable.

Some forms of measurement include:
1. Pass written driver's test and earn license.
2. Successfully plan and host school dance.
3. Each individual credit (earned by 1/4) earned.
4. Graduate
5. Increased comfort and proficiency with the computer and the available applications on the computer.

Action Oriented:
As she accomplishes each of these goals she will move toward more self-confidence and empowerment. She will also move through several "rites of passage" from "child" (or "teenager") to adult (drive on her own, plan and execute a large community event, graduate).

Realistic:
I see my role as providing support and guidance toward accomplishing her goals. Initially our time together has consisted of us getting to know a little more about each other and me listening carefully to what she wants to accomplish and then providing some additional information that might help her achieve those goals. She does not appear to need "tutoring" but does seem to be interested in alternate paths and sources of information. I tend to ask a lot of questions about what she is doing and how she is approaching the various tasks she has set for herself - then I occasionally suggest where she might find additional information or resources. I'm also trying to help her set some dates by which she wants to accomplish certain stages toward her goals rather than just a final date (such as "graduation day").

Of course, her teachers and advisor at school and her grandmother are helping her achieve her goals as well - and there is a great deal of work she will need to do herself. As a way of both gaining proficiency and comfort with the computer and earning some additional English credit, I've suggested that she looking to staring her own "editorial" blog. She loves to write (although she doesn't care for formal English class) - so we've discussed (with her advisor) the possibility of her creating a topical (topic oriented) blog where she would post at least weekly (but more if she is inspired to). This would be a "public" place - so she would not post things overly personal or inappropriate for public consumption. I've also suggested various local theater and dance organizations (as she is currently taking both drama and dance and is very interested in pursuing both beyond her HS courses).

Timely:
The time allocated is reasonable. Although my own mentoring class ends on April 15, I will stick with her until either she finishes her needed credits or graduation day (early May) arrives (whichever comes first... although if we end sooner I will still attend her graduation). Some of the more specific goals (other than the final one of "graduation") can be accomplished long before my own class ends. We have lots of small goals along the way that will eventually lead to the big goal of graduating and hopefully making some decisions about the first few steps beyond graduation. We do not have specific dates for the smaller goals yet - we're going to look at some of those the when we meet again later this week.

Clarification question from Doc. G:
Sue,So your role is someone who interested in helping her meet her goals? She has established several, and your assistance will vary depending on her needs? Do you anticipate and obstacles?


My response/reflection on the questions:
Yes - I see my role as helping her to meet her goals... and also helping her to keep her goals in focus as she is presented with all the various distractions that come when one is 18, in a new city, meeting new people, and yet... still living w/ a parental figure. The more I meet with her, the more I come to realize that she needs a positive supportive adult who is interested in her goals... rather than the goals they might have for her (if that makes sense). Being an attentive listener has been very important so far and I believe will continue to be so.

With some of her goals - my assistance will be much more of the "guide on the side" (the school dance is a good example of that) - with others I may be more directly involved in helping her find and use the resources she needs to accomplish them (creating a blog for English credit and helping to negotiate that with her advisor and teacher, overcoming her anxiety about the written drivers test).

I hate anticipating obstacles because I feel like I might be setting the scene for them.... but I do think there are some distractions (such as a new boyfriend and the extra independence that might come when she does earn her driver's license) that might prove to be quite powerful. I'm also concerned that if she finds too much resistance (either from other students or from teachers and other adults) for the dance, she may give up on it and allow the disappointment to color how she approaches her other goals. I am encouraged though that she is not trying to organize the dance completely on her own (she has involved several other students and a teacher).