jimmy_2k Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Hi all, Since this September, our school has decided to get as many staff as possible to be academic mentors. Basically each member of staff is a 1 2 1 mentor for students who are struggling to get good grades for GCSE's in YR11. The object of the game is for the student to have a 30min meeting per week with the mentor to discuss progress and encourage the student to study harder.. effectively. They also have 1 meeting with the students parents. A lot of staff (especially the caretakers/student supervisors) see themselves as wanting to work more closely with the students than they do at the moment and now have a mentee each. I turned it down initially due to being stupidly busy in school. My question really is, do any of you have students that you mentor or get on well with? I tend to find that all other techies I have met from other schools are scared of teenagers or perhaps scared of potential accusations. Anyone care to share their thoughts/experiences?
elsiegee40 Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 I tend to find that all other techies I have met from other schools are scared of teenagers or perhaps scared of potential accusations. Many techies do rather have a habit of hiding themselves away; however shutting ourselves away in windowless cells doesn't improve things. I've worked in IT for the last twenty-something years and know far too many IT people who communicate rather better through a keyboard than face-to-face. Rather than being scared of the teenagers, they need to emerge and let the kids get to know them... once you've established yourself as a face and a personality and the means of accessing things 'cool', rather than being the miserable git who only blocks proxy sites, there's little to be scared of. Mentoring is a means of getting to know the little darlings. You shouldn't be doing it without guidance such as meet one-to-one, but never in a place where others can't see what you're up to. It can however be both rewarding and enjoyable. Some of the students won't want to be mentored and won't co-operate, but half the fun is trying to break down the barriers. You've got nothing to lose; give it a go! Remember you're the one with the keys to all things IT... it has great potential for increasing your street-cred with the students!
jimmy_2k Posted January 17, 2011 Author Posted January 17, 2011 hehe well i'm glad I am not the only 1 who uses the phrase "little darlings". I have to say since I have worked in a Secondary School, I have found my interpersonal skills get used far more than my technical skills. I see myself as a member of the school community and as such I will engage in conversation with pretty much anyone and I am seen as more than just the IT Techie.
elsiegee40 Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 hehe well i'm glad I am not the only 1 who uses the phrase "little darlings". I have to say since I have worked in a Secondary School, I have found my interpersonal skills get used far more than my technical skills. I see myself as a member of the school community and as such I will engage in conversation with pretty much anyone and I am seen as more than just the IT Techie. "Little Darlings" applies best to the 9ft 8 hormonal lumps in secondaries, I find... quiet revenge!
jimmy_2k Posted January 18, 2011 Author Posted January 18, 2011 LOL yep. I have called them that in both the primary and secondaries i've worked in. Humm... not many other replies on here I guess the rest of EduGeek is hiding in the server room!
jcollings Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 Many of the non-teaching staff here are involved in working directly with students. As IT manager I have done lots of extra curricular stuff with them over the years and done some mentoring of the odd student. To me it's a very rewarding part of my job. I'm well known by the students and have good crack with lots of them. I write and direct a KS3 production each year along with a colleague - that gets me knowing some of them pretty well. I also go on a trip with most of year 7 (approx. 220) each year and work with them on drama and outdoor activities - again often making relationships that stand you in good stead when you are back in school. I also managed to get to Normandy with some Year 8s this year. I encourage my team to be involved where possible - the kids have even set a very complimentary facebook group up about one of them! To be honest it's one of the main reasons I do IT in education - all the extra stuff and relationships with students. I'd find my job pretty boring if I couldn't do all that. If you get the chance to be involved I would whole heartedly agree with elsiegee40 and get involved. Being known by the students and getting on well with them makes life much more enjoyable.
jimmy_2k Posted January 18, 2011 Author Posted January 18, 2011 Nice one. Well I did do speed and 1 2 1 interviewing with the students this year for careers day. Speed interviewing where they ask you questions about your job, career etc and then mock interviews 1 2 1. Was a good experience and a couple of the students who I was introduced to then say hi to me in the corridors since and I am getting to know a few of them now. The caretakers get involved, one of them has bike club where he teaches them to repair bikes and the other plays in the school band. They suggested to me I should do Computer Club and teach them to fix their own PCs but I don't know if i've got the time but I have taught before. As for mentoring; though I didn't volunteer for the academic mentoring there is a YR11 student I get on well with who is my pastoral mentee (best way to describe it) long story i'm not going to post on the forum. People I know outside of school do say I should just be the guy who fixes the computers and it does my head in. I like you guys am starting to enjoy being a part of the school community.
elsiegee40 Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 School is a very boring place if you only stick to your own job...
witch Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 School is a very boring place if you only stick to your own job... 15 hours a week in a 480 person school - no chance to do anything else!
elsiegee40 Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 15 hours a week in a 480 person school - no chance to do anything else! You know what I mean I know what you mean too
jimmy_2k Posted January 18, 2011 Author Posted January 18, 2011 lol yeah, I only get time to see my mentee because I have an ICT Apprentice whos full time. There are 1,453 students in my school!
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