Mentoring - ATID · Web viewMentoring. Opportunities for Learning, Inspiration and Integration....
Transcript of Mentoring - ATID · Web viewMentoring. Opportunities for Learning, Inspiration and Integration....
Mentoring
Opportunities for Learning, Inspiration and Integration
Dena Lehrman
Project Mentor:
Rabbi Ephraim Levitz
ATID Fellows
2002- 2003
Mentoring
Opportunities for Learning, Inspiration and Integration
Dena Lehrman
ATID Project 2003
Last year, my first year as an ATID Fellow, I worked with Steven Esses (ATID Fellow, 2000,
2002) on facilitating the design, development and implementation of multi-sensory workshops
within the Orot Etzion Girls School located in Efrat, Israel. We did so by drawing on the
hobbies, professional experiences and talents of the parent body to improve upon the school
curriculum.
Some of the goals included:
1 To identify the relevant subject material within the present curriculum that can be
supplemented by parent run workshops.
2 To identify parents of the student body who could design a workshop drawing on
professional experience, life experience or related hobby.
3 To help facilitate the implementation of the workshops.
4. To assess the success of the workshops by feedback received from the classroom
teachers and the parents themselves.
5. To encourage the administration to capitalize upon the success of the pilot
programs by making the workshops part of the permanent curriculum thereby
enabling the teachers to draw upon the resources that we have created and integrate
them into the school year.
This year I have implemented the second stage of the workshop project that is described
towards the end of this paper. As the workshops in the school were gaining recognition by the
staff, students as well as parent body, a new project started to simultaneously take form. The
workshops helped to incorporate relevant experiential learning within the context of the
curriculum. As I contemplated the goals and success of the workshops, I started to address
another aspect of the workshops – the relationship that is forged between a student and an
adult other than the school staff. The workshops did not lend themselves to developing a
meaningful relationship, other than a one off experience. As such, the idea of developing a
student/mentor relationship took form.
The idea was based on two premises. Firstly, that students should be offered the opportunity
to voluntarily explore a topic of interest for the inherit sake of asking questions and seeking
answers. Secondly, that students can grow academically and emotionally by the experience
of exploring a topic under the guidance of a personalized mentor as well as the support and
recognition of the school staff. Most of the school day is filled with assignments, tests and
research papers. All are graded and follow a set curriculum with defined criteria. The
mentoring project that was developed and implemented within the school was found to be
surprisingly refreshing for the students. The program was voluntary and while guidelines were
given to the students, the final project was not going to be graded. Students did not hesitate
to volunteer to be part of this unique experience.
The goals of the mentoring project include:
1. To develop and reinforce curiosity.
2. To transform a topic of interest to something vibrant, relevant and exciting.
3. To expose students to individual in the community who are impassioned about
knowledge and learning.
4. To provide role models of individuals who strive to see the relevance of Torah in
every aspect of the world and who are amazed by the greatness of Hashem
when exploring the world that He has created.
5. To help develop students who can formulate interests and be willing to seek
answers to their questions.
6. To provide the student with the opportunity to learn a topic of interest for its own
sake without being graded on the task.
7. To develop the cycle of learning – asking questions, seeking answers, receiving
positive feedback, viewing oneself as a “learner” and continuing the cycle all over
again.
As a result of the extensive legwork done to identify adults in the school community who had
specific talents or experience within a certain realm, I felt that we had easy access to
individuals who might be interested in functioning as a mentor within our educational setting. I
then sat down with the administration in the school and formulated the goals and framework
of the mentoring project. The driving principal behind the project was to foster curiosity within
the student, with the premise that once a student is hooked into a topic they will be more
eager to question and learn in other areas of their schooling. More importantly, they will view
themselves as seekers of knowledge, and receive feedback for initiating learning. Curiosity
seems to be a driving force that divides between those that are driven and explore and
individuals who become more passive or at times apathetic. The downward spiral towards
apathy is a frightening one which we see its results in our communities and our schools.
Fostering curiosity is therefore the underlying motivation of exposing students to adults who
model this enthusiasm, drive and interest. All mainstreamed students, regardless of their
academic functioning have a spark of curiosity within. It is the responsibility of the educators
to fan that spark as well as to inspire curiosity. The educators need to create an environment
in which curiosity can develop and learning can begin. One only needs to observe a young
child’s exploration of the world to know that curiosity is a gift from above. The following review
of the literature on the development and significance of curiosity was a constant source of
inspiration for the development and implementation of my ATID project.
Childhood as a Stage of Development
The Enlightenment period which occurred during the eighteenth century fostered a whole new
perspective on childhood. John Lock proposed his well known philosophy that at birth the
mind is a blank tablet known as a tabula rasa. It is the responsibility of the adults to fill the
slate with knowledge. He felt that all children had the potential to learn and developed a
program of apprenticeships for poor children. Lock and his followers viewed childhood merely
as a stepping stone into adulthood. Lock viewed literacy, education and reason as the
vehicles that transformed the unformed person into a civilized adult. In contrast Rousseau,
another great eighteenth-century intellectual influence on the concept of childhood, saw this
critical stage in development as important in it’s own right and not only as a means to an end.
Rousseau viewed childhood as a unique experience that most closely approximates to the
“state of nature”. He emphasized the childhood characteristics of purity, strength, joy and
spontaneity. The child innately possesses the capacity for understanding and curiosity,
however they are often deadened by the very things that Lock felt formed a person –
education, literacy and reason.
As the debate over childhood moved into the nineteenth century, two intellectual strains had
formed. One known as the Lockean, or the Protestant conception of childhood, and the other
the Rousseauian, or Romantic view of childhood. While most educational institutions adopted
the Lockean approach, the Romantic view was ever present in the vision of education.
The advent of the media which includes radio, television, computers and the internet affected
the phenomenon of childhood more than anything since the middle ages when children and
adults were considered equals. The media exposed children to information that was
considered private and only at the disposal of adults. While in the past, literacy allowed the
individual to be exposed to all sorts of information, it simultaneously created a gradation
between various age levels and stages of cognitive development. One needed to progress
slowly and sequentially in order to be able to grasp and understand more sophisticated and
mature ideas and experiences. In contrast the television viewer has no restraints of age,
cognition, financial or imagination. The child and adult alike experience a common moment. In
the past the adults were the source of authority as result of the knowledge they possessed.
Today with the vast access of information that children are exposed to on a daily basis, the
lines have blurred and the respect for authority has diminished. The gap closed between old
and young and everyone is considered part of the same generation.
Curiosity – A Prelude to Exploration
Curiosity is a natural part of childhood. The process of unraveling the mysteries of the world
leads to wonderment and further curiosity. This generally happens when there is a clear
distinction between the generations and part of the entry into adulthood is through questioning
and receiving more pieces of the puzzle. In our generation curiosity has been replaced with
cynicism.
The youth of today often feel that they have access to information at their disposal that easily
exceeds the knowledge that the teacher possesses. The student approaches the class with a
lack of regard for the authority of the teacher. The information that they learn using computers
and the internet is often technical in nature and does not enter the students world in a
meaningful way. They do not actively engage in uncovering that knowledge but acquire it in a
very passive and impersonal way.
In 1994 a headline in the paper read: Clinton Tells Educators Youths are not Getting Practical
Skills for Jobs. (New York Times, February 23, 1994, B7.) The article describes the need to
give practical vocational skills so that the students can more easily enter the work force. The
underlying assumption was that one who learns to be useful economically will be considered
an educated person. Neal Postman asserts that this is the wrong solution. Education is about
developing adaptable, open, curious and questioning people. Job training does not develop
that subset of skills. Costa and Kallick in Describing 16 Habits of Mind attributes curiosity,
wonderment and awe about the world as being fundamental to the development of passion
and enthusiasm about learning, inquiring and mastering.
In describing the end goals of education, Neal Postman emphasizes the centrality of the
questioning process in the evolving student. Everything that we know emotionally and
cognitively has its roots in a question. While questions are the principal intellectual instrument
available to people, few educational institutions examine in a systematic nature the
questioning process. It’s ironic that something so fundamental to the relationship between the
human race and the world around us is basically rarely addressed in elementary school, high
school or higher education. Teachers are known for presenting material and for asking
questions at the end of the lesson. Does the classroom framework ever allow for the self
directed questions of the student? Authentic questions often reflect the inner passion waiting
to be unleashed and harnessed. Tapping into those questions of a student and channeling it
in a healthy direction can have lasting impact not only on the related areas of study in school,
but in other aspect of the student’s life. The student who initiates exploration and pursues
answers, solutions and uncovers further questions, is a student who awaits the future and
takes an active role in its approach. Dr. Bruce Perry in his article Curiosity, The Fuel of
Development states, “If a child stays curious, he will continue to explore and discover…. For
too many children, curiosity fades. Curiosity dimmed is a future denied. … The less-curious
child is harder to teach because he is harder to inspire, enthuse, and motivate.”
Perry notes three common ways that adults crush the natural enthusiasm in a child.
1. Fear: Children who have been effected by war, natural disasters, violence, family
distress and a chaotic environment will avoid exploring new things in a positive
manner.
2. Disapproval: The negative comments of adults concerning the natural exploration
of the world around us including insects, mud, etc. impacts on the perceived
values of such interests on behalf of the child.
3. Absence: Children seek the shared discovery, and reinforcement by the
significant adults in their life. The presence of caring, invested adults provides
that support and encouragement. Children who do not have that adult figure will
turn away from exploration and unraveling the mysteries of the world. Instead of
branching outward they turn inward.
This paper addresses the third aspect of Perry’s assumption about the development of
enthusiasm in a child. – namely, the critical role significant adults play in the life of a child.
A child you has a teacher, parent or other adult to model and encourage exploration, will
impact on the level of curiosity that the child develops and utilizes in all facets of life.
Perry’s sequential stages of discovery from within and without:
Curiosity Results in Exploration
Exploration Results in Discovery
Discovery Results in Pleasure
Pleasure Results in Repetition
Repetition Results in Mastery
Mastery Results in New Skills
New Skills Results in Confidence
Confidence Results in Self Esteem
Self Esteem Results in Sense of Security
Security Results in More Exploration
What can we do today in our schools and communities to develop curious and questioning
people? How do we contend with a generation of students who have been bombarded with
technology? How do we facilitate inquisitiveness? How do we channel the vast amounts of
energy that teachers do not know how to handle within the classroom into a very productive
activity for growth and learning? How do we develop a student driven to a goal what ever that
might be?
Mentoring
The word “mentor” comes from Mentor, the name of the friend that Odysseus asked to look
after his son in Homer’s Odyussey. The word “mentor” is generally used to describe a one on
one relationship of an adult with a child. The definition has been expanded to include groups
of older individuals who have been matched up with a younger protege or “mentee”.
Goals and Benefits of Mentoring
Providing students with an up-close look at what a "real job" is like
An ongoing relationship with a caring adult: mentor, tutor, coach,
Safe places and structured activities during non-school hours for learning and
growing
Helping students see the connection between what they learn in the classroom
and what they will need to achieve their goals,
Showing students that they have choices in life, and
Motivating students to achieve.
Offer the adult the opportunity to give back to the community.
Using the community as an effective tool of education.
For example, the job shadowing experience has the potential to make a difference in the life
of a student by giving that student a new vision for their future. The impact of that inspiration
in immeasurable. A couple years ago, General Powell encouraged corporate America to live
up to their pledge of assisting today’s youth by stepping forward a future mentors. "It's going
to take more than one day to make the difference for many of our nation's children, but this is
a great way to get started. It can be the beginning of many long-term mentoring relationships
between adults from all walks of life and children who lack regular contact with a caring adult
in their lives," he said.
JD Hoye, Director of the National School-to-Work Office who sponsored Groundhog Job
Shadow Day, said that research indicates that the most effective lessons are those that foster
a connection between the classroom and the real world. The Scholastic Educational Web Site
recommends that parents and teachers talk to their children/students about their favorite
subjects to help make the school-career connection early on. Family activities should be
encouraged that connect with what is being studied in school to help emphasize this real-
world connections to academics.
John Dewey wrote: “Idealism must indeed come first – the imagination of some better state
generated by desire. But unless ideals are to be dreams and idealism a synonym for
romanticism and fantasy building, there must be a most realistic study of actual conditions….”
(John Dewey, Democracy and Education (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1916), p.59). This
notes Thomas Evans is the role of mentoring. (The New Mentor)
Defining the Mentoring Relationship
1. They function as a role model by teaching, assessing, demonstrating a certain
behavior, emotion, cognitive function or interest.
2. Serve as a sponsor for the mentee in assisting with networking and forging new
relationship for the student. The mentor might be instrumental in assisting the student in
finding a part-time job or internship. They counsel, protect, support, sponsor and
advocate.
3. To serve as a motivator to the student to develop and pursue dreams by setting the
necessary groundwork to achieve those goals. This aspect of mentoring has been
described by Summers-Ewing as the “psycho-social” mentoring functions. It is described
as the aspects of the relationship that enhances a mentees sense of competence,
effectiveness and identity. This motivation can help raise expectations in a realistic
context. It can help foster achievement in school and throughout other areas of life. The
mentor nurtures and encourages growth.
4. Parker Palmer describes the power of a mentor who can awaken a truth within the
student by listening and connecting in a way that most teachers find difficult. The mentor
inspires and empowers the mentee. Educational mentoring enables the student to be
exposed to multiple experts and to experience a relationship with an adult who is not
responsible for assessing the students academic level.
5. The learning that ensues from a mentoring relationship becomes an activity related to
the “real world” and not just an isolated experience in the classroom.
The literature describes two type of mentoring relationships – formal and informal. Often the
relationship remains a formal experience. The mentor and student meet during the specific
period of time and at the point the interaction ends. However, often what begins as a formal
experience will develop into an informal or natural relationship. Each style has the potential to
impact on the development of the student. The informal relationship has the ability to help the
student flourish as a result of the ongoing relationship that often ensues even upon the end
of a specific project. While mentoring relationships can develop spontaneously within a
community, a formal program involves a greater awareness of the goals and factors of
mentoring.
Very often when mentors were asked what motivated them to participate in a mentoring
project, they noted that someone had done something similar for them during their youth.
They felt the obligation to pass along the favor.
The Four Stages of a Mentoring Relationship
Stage 1
At this stage the mentor and mentee formally meet and clarify the goals of their relationship.
Often common interests, values and future goals and dreams are shared. The mentor and
mentee might initially feel an awkwardness and lack of communication. Sometimes it will take
several meetings in order to feel the comfort level to truly connect and feel a common bond.
At times, it is an indication that a different match between another mentor and mentee couple
might be indicated.
Some relevant points:
The mentor should give the mentee the confidence that he/she will follow through
on the agreed upon meeting times.
The mentor should model to the mentee how talk about ones dream and fears in
a non-threatening comfortable manner.
The mentor should use positive feedback.
The mentor should ask questions that can not only be answered by a simple
yes/no answer.
The mentor should help the mentee think about short-term and long-term goals.
Stage 2
During this stage the mode of communication includes more attentive listening, sharing and
confiding in one another. A game plan is set in motion once expectations and goals have
been further defined.
The mentor should encourage the mentee to formally outline the short-term and
long-term personal, social and educational goals.
The mentor functions as a facilitator to help the mentee decide for him/herself
how to achieve the goals.
Defining values, self-identity and future ideals will constantly need to be assessed
throughout the goal setting and refining process.
Stage 3
The mentor and the mentee begin to address the actual short term goals set for their joint
project. Objectives are met and progress is noted. Goals are constantly re-assessed and
redefined accordingly.
Stage 4
The target goals or finishing date arrives. The mentor and the mentee review the common
project and the relationship that ensued throughout their time together. There is closure to the
relationship and at times a plan in implemented to continue an ongoing relationship upon
completion of the official mentoring experience.
Training and Growth of the Mentor
Most of the mentoring programs that I reviewed briefly described a training stage for the
mentor. The Letting Education Achieve Dreams project recommended the following list of
questions as a guideline for the mentor before and during the mentoring project.
They include:
How do I perceive myself in the many roles a mentor plays?
How well do I understand the mentee’s overall expectations for our mentoring
relationship?
What is my objective in our meetings?
Does my objective meet the goal set by the mentee?
Am I rigidly trying to achieve a specific agenda or goal?
Am I flexible and open to changing the focus of our project?
What expectations do I have of the mentee?
Am I prepared for a different reaction on the part of the mentee?
Do I encourage the questioning process?
Do I listen and address the question that is being asked?
Do I try to uncover the underlying issue that I perceive the question is truly
addressing?”
I did review an interesting site at http://www.nwrel.org/mentoring/pdf/packfive.pdf that outlines
a well defined mentoring training program that includes sample activities for a series of
training sessions. The improvement of listening skills is one of the critical areas addressed to
help improve the communication between mentor and mentee. Other training programs
provide an hour to four hours sessions to describe the goals of their individual program as
well as to describe the population the mentors will be working with.
Examples of Mentoring Projects:
Groundhog Job Shadow Day is a yearly even that takes place in the US that gets students to
spend the day with an adult in order to shadow scientists, firefighters, graphic designers,
mechanics, doctors, architects, teachers, government employees, and workers from hundreds
of other professions.
Partners for Youth is an organization that matches students up with mentors in order to
improve grades, assist the student in choosing classes and extracurricular activities and to
find a summer job in an area that interest the student. The administration hopes that these
interactions will help the student in setting up ambitious goals for their future. They also
provide the opportunity to meet with professionals from their fields of interest.
Another mentoring project that has taken off in many states in the US is The Computer
Clubhouse - Beyond Four Walls. Generally under-served youth are matched up with
teenagers or professionals to explore a scientific topic of interest. The youth is often pegged
as being troubled students who interfere in the classroom. Many are considered to be creative
and bright, but do not have the opportunity to channel their creativity in a positive way. The
Clubhouse experience empowers the students to explore and pursue their own interest while
exposing them to mentors and coaches who have common interests. Studies indicate that
interaction with adult professionals is one of the most important factors in determining the
path a student will pursue. However, unfortunately many of today’s youth have little
interaction with adults who are engaged in professional careers, who can encourage them to
develop their own talents and interests.
Within the Orthodox educational world, the only mentoring project that I heard about was one
that has been implemented at the Yeshivah of Flatbush under the guidance and vision of
Rabbi Joel Wolwosky and Rabbi Jonathan Kroll. The program, Tsei Ulmad, offers high school
students the opportunity to participate in various mentored independent study courses which
are taught by teachers, alumni or parents. These courses do not fulfill any course
requirements, however they are recorded on the student’s transcripts. Approximately 80
students participated in the program with positive results both in terms of the coursework as
well as the relationships that were forged as a result of the mentoring experiences. Several
other schools had utilized adults from the community as a vehicle to expose students to
potential career options.
The above mentoring organizations are just several from others like it in the US. Most of the
mentoring projects that I reviewed fell into the following categories.
1. Mentoring projects that function as a big brother/sister relationship, with its goal being
the emotional development of the student who generally comes from a background of
drug/alcohol addiction, minority ethnic groups, difficult family situations or other traumatic
experiences. The mentor will focus on activities that will foster social skills, improve self
esteem, civic duty and improve the student’s overall attitude to school, family and
community.
2. Mentoring projects that inspire academic success. Most commonly, students get
specific help in reading and math. There are specifically programs set up in inner city
communities, groups of at-risk students and programs for students with learning
disabilities.
3. Mentoring projects that offer youth the opportunity to explore various careers with the
hope that the exposure to the real world will help the students become more ambitious
within school to pursue a similar career.
4. Mentoring projects for people entering careers within the capacity of an
apprenticeship. Siements Stromberg-Carlson is an international company based in
Germany that has begun training 13,000 apprentices in 30 countries throughout the
world. The Siements model as been encouraged in the US as a functional system for
non-college-bound young people to integrate into the work force. Apprentices are
encouraged to pursue their college degrees simultaneously.
Successes of Mentoring
Various mini studies have been conducted to validate the positive effects gleaned from the
mentoring relationship. The New Mentor quotes the following successes in mentoring:
1. 98% of the at risk students participating in a mentor program stayed in school, as
compared to an 11% dropout rate in a parallel control group.
2. Students who were mentored showed a significant decline in violent acts when
compared to a control group within the same educational institution.
3. Students do not necessarily enter the field of choice that the mentor represents.
However the students are often more motivated to attend school more regularly, improve
their grades, and well as respecting their teacher and peers.
The following are the results of a Big Brother/Big Sister program:
63% reported an increase in school grades
56% said that relationships with families had improved
69% said peer relationships were better
66% reported more positive mentee relationships with teachers
86% said youngsters in the program experienced increased exposure to cultural
and educational services
85% of the respondents reported an increase in mentee self esteem
The Mentoring Project in Orot Etzion Girls
School, Efrat, Israel
As mentioned earlier, during the school year 2001-2002, I had implemented along with the
help of Steven Esses, another ATID Fellow, the design and implementation of experiential
workshops related to the curriculum by tapping into the talents, hobbies and experiences of
the parent body. The project was implemented at Orot Etzion. Orot Etzion, located in Efrat in
Gush Etzion, Orot Etzion was founded in 1989. Currently the school functions as a
semiprivate K-8 school system with over 1000 students in 5 different schools. The educational
philosophy of the school is firmly rooted in the Barkai method . As mentioned in “An Analysis
of the Implementation of the Barkai Mentod in the Orot Etzion School System”:
“The Barkai curriculum focuses on religious studies following the order stipulated by our
sages: Bible at the age five, Mishna at age ten and Talmud at age fifteen (Ethics of the
Fathers 5:21). At the same time, the program aims at achieving maximum integration of
secular and religious studies, broadening students’ horizons in all aspects of life”.
The Barkai program has been designed to provide for the educational needs of the modern
committed religious Jew by developing and implementing a holistic approach to education.
The curriculum is centered on Torah study, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The goals
are to make Torah relevant to every facet of life, especially to life in the modern world. The
basic conception is not to set up a dichotomy between secular subjects being studied as a
concession to the world on the one hand, and the ideal of spending one’s life behind the walls
of a Yeshiva on the other. The Barkai program’s view is that secular subjects are to be
integrated together with the wisdom of the Torah, in line with the ideas of the Rambam.
Orot Etzion was chosen as the experimental school to host the project as it had a unique
combination of variables that include:
- An educational vision that emphasizes experiential/interactive learning
- A parent body for the most part used to being involved in their children’s school.
- A strong school administration with tremendous vision, yet open to new ideas.
- A community such as Gush Etzion with its unique pool of potential parents and community
resources which can be used to help enhance a Torah curriculum
The implementation of such a far reaching vision and facilitating a change of this magnitude
within an established educational institution requires time in order for it to become embedded
into the philosophy of the school. A good part of time was spent laying this foundation to get
the school committed to integrating our program into their educational milieu. Following the
successful implementation of the first stage of the project, I decided to continue overseeing
the workshop project while simultaneously developing the mentoring program.
The workshops helped to reinforce the learning in the classroom while enabling parents to
become instrumental partners in the student’s quest for knowledge. Parent involvement also
exposes students to adults who are impassioned about their area of knowledge and function
as a role model for the integrity of a Torah life style. Secondly, a side benefit for the teachers
on staff is the facilitation and the enrichment of Torah related hands on learning. These
modules can be copied by other teachers and implemented in other frameworks. The pilot
project was deemed a success by the administration and was implemented on a more wide
scale for the current 2002-2003 school year. While the further development and
implementation of the workshops in conjunction with the curriculum continued to be the focus
of my ATID project, a parallel but similar project evolved over the course of the year, which
became know as Tochnit Chemda.
Tochnit Chemda
Tochnit Chemda is a voluntary program launched for students in the 6th-8th grades to pursue a
topic of interest related to the “world around us”. The project was established to encourage
students to take an interest in any subject and to ask questions and pursue answers with the
assistance of the administration and mentors. These mentors were drawn from the same
parent body actively involved in the classroom workshops. Tochnit Chemda was a joint effort
on behalf of Simone Shiran (the supervisor of the development of the philosophy in the
school), Nurit Aharoni (the head of the science department) who spear headed the project,
Rav Kobi Dorenstein (the principal of the school), and myself. The program could not have
been implemented without the strong vision and commitment of the administration and the
charismatic individuals involved.
Teachers overwhelmingly describe their students as individuals who lack initiative,
inquisitiveness and a willingness to grow. I decided that it would be productive for students to
participate in a voluntary capacity to become “explorers in the pursuit of knowledge”. In order
to do so the following conditions were necessary.
Requirements
1. The involvement of the student should be voluntary.
2. The final paper/project would not be officially graded.
3. The administration would provide emotional and technical support.
4. The project would take place of a specified period of time.
5. Each student would have the opportunity to meet with a mentor with experience in the
chosen topic.
6. The group would be limited to around 12-15 students.
7. The students would meet as a group several times in order to provide support,
encouragement and a sense of accomplishment to the students.
8. The program would be accessible to all, not limited to students with a certain grade
level or academic capabilities.
The goals of the mentoring project included:
1. To develop and reinforce curiosity.
2. To transform a topic of interest to something vibrant, relevant and exciting.
3. To expose students to individual in the community who are impassioned about
knowledge and learning.
4. To provide role models of individuals who strive to see the relevance of Torah in
every aspect of the world and who are amazed by the greatness of Hashem when
exploring the world the He has created.
5. To help develop students who can formulate interests and be willing to seek answers
to their questions.
6. To provide the student with the opportunity to learn a topic of interest for its own sake
without being graded on the task.
The role of the mentors
1. The mentor can be an individual who works in a related field, is
knowledgeable in the topic, has a similar hobby or is someone eager to spend the
time learning about something knew. While other teachers in the school can
function as mentors, we chose to find individuals who are not part of the school
staff.
2. To assist the student in developing a list of relevant questions as a
stepping stone to then explore the topic.
3. To help fine tune the overall topic to something more focused and
manageable.
4. To assist the student in finding relevant material on the topic.
5. To energize the student by transforming the topic from something
distant and theoretical to something relevant and meaningful.
6. The focus of the process of the exploration more than the end result
of the paper/presentation.
7. If relevant, to informally discuss how the mentor became interest in
the topic and to relate to similar experiences of exploration in his/her own youth.
8. Wherever possible, to explain the material by demonstrating with
visual aids or an experiment (i.e. using a prism to explain about a rainbow,
demonstrating the dying process for Techelet).
Guidelines for mentoring project
1. Notify students in the 6th-8th grades of the opportunity to voluntarily participate
in a exploration project that would include choosing a topic of interest related to the
“world around us”.
2. Students could sign up and register for the program.
3. Twelve students could participate in the experimental launching of the
mentoring program.
4. The projects would be supervised by the head of the science department.
5. Each student would be matched with a mentor from the community with
expertise or interest in the given topic.
6. Students would need to meet with their mentors a minimum of two times.
7. Students would meet with the principal a couple of times over the course of
the project as a group to discuss the process of their individual projects. A critical part
of the experience would be contingent on the success of these joint brainstorming
sessions to foster enthusiasm and to develop a sense of pride in this select group of
students willing to invest extra effort and initiative to learn.
8. The mentoring project would take place over the course of a six week period.
The staff felt that this was a realistic amount of time to complete the research and to
maintain a level of commitment without loosing the initial momentum.
9. Each student would write up a paper and power point presentation as well as
prepare any relevant visual aids or models.
Results of the mentoring project in the Orot Etzion Girls School
There were 12 girls who participated in the project. Initially many more signed up for the
program, but dropped out over the course of the initial couple of weeks. The school was
eager to include anyone interested in participating, but I felt that it would be too difficult to
manage such a large group of students. Fortunately, the numbers naturally dropped and the
staff subsequently agreed that it would be best to keep the group to a maximum of around 12
students in order to attend to the needs of each student. Unfortunately, the group never
formally met with the principal. He did provide constant encouragement on an individual basis
to the students participating, but the brainstorming sessions did not take place due to
technical difficulties. The staff in planning next years program, has agreed to schedule these
meetings as they are a critical part of the growth process.
The following is a list of topics that the students chose to explore.
Drugs
Jupiter
Techelet
Siamese Twins
Helium
Genetics
Rainbows
Geysers
Smoking
Malaria
Different forms of energy
The project took around two and a half months instead of the intended six week period. The
start of the project was postponed for several technical reasons and as a result the Pesach
vacation interrupted the continuity of the project. The staff has already discussed planning the
mentoring projects for two periods during the school year that fall between vacations (i.e.
between Sukkot and Chanukah, between Rosh Chodesh Shvat and Purim).
I met with the students who participated in Tochnit Chemda. All the girls who had committed
themselves to the project, followed through and handed in a final paper and presentation.
That in and of itself is a success as the program was voluntary. The students overwhelmingly
felt that the project was worthwhile and that it was interesting to research a topic that they had
entirely chosen. Many commented that it was their first experience in school in which they
were able to choose a topic from an unlimited pool. In the past, they had the opportunity to
choose a topic within a focused array of topics. The students felt that while many of their
friends did not understand why they had chosen to voluntarily “work extra” on an additional
assignment, they found that most of the comments from their peers were positive. While
interviewing one student, a student not involved in the project, stopped and asked if we were
talking about Tochnit Chemda. She then proceeded to say that she regrets not participating
and that she will sign up for next year. It was a sign that one of the main goals of Tochnit
Chemda has begun to take hold within the school – the willingness to engage in the pursuit of
knowledge for its own sake.
While the project as a whole was a success, the mentoring aspect did not occur across the
board. Around half the girls met with a mentor of some sort. Some of the girls did not meet
with their assigned mentor and found other individuals to fill that role – neighbors or parents.
Some of the girls who did not meet with their mentor mentioned that they felt shy to call
someone that they did not know. Others did not fully understand the role of the mentor. Of the
girls who did meet with their mentors, some of them also were initially hesitant to contact their
mentors, but nonetheless they initiated the contact and met once or twice.
The following is a compilation of their comments of the role the mentor played in the research
of their projects.
1. The students overwhelmingly were excited about given the opportunity to explore any
topic of interest. The additional components of being offered a mentor and having support
from the school staff was very encouraging.
2. The students felt that is was helpful to meet with an adult who knew a lot about the
material and was able to suggest other sources of information.
3. One student used the mentor to think through the format of the paper, formulate other
areas to research as well as to proofread the final paper.
4. Several students commented that their mentor sat with them and demonstrated an
experiment to highlight a specific piece of information. The students found that aspect of
their meeting very interesting.
5. Most felt comfortable contacting the mentor at a later stage if they were to further
explore the same or similar topic.
While I met with some of the students individually, Nurit and I held a joint meeting at the
conclusion of the program. We brainstormed together as to ways a mentor could have
helped them in further developing their individual projects. Those who met with their
mentors spoke about characteristics they value in a mentor – an individual who is
interesting, good with kids, can make the material fun, and easy talk to. They were
adamant that there is a difference between a teacher and mentor in the context of the
interest level and relevance. The vast majority would highly consider continuing in Tochnit
Chemda for next year and would be willing to meet with a mentor. In addition to public
recognition for the students commitment to the program, the school also treated the
students to a pizza lunch.
Nurit reviewed the projects that the participants had submitted and felt that they were
academically on a high level and reflected a real interest and commitment to the topic.
She was very pleased with the results of Tochnit Chemda and would like to actively
further influence and shape the direction it will take. We are considering displaying the
projects at the beginning of next year in conjunction with “meet the teacher evening”, as
part of the advertisement of Tochnit Chemda to the students, as well as to publicize and
market the program to the parents
Challenges that arose during the development and implementation of the project:
1. Finding students who can commit to a topic and follow through to the end. It was
frustrating that more students didn’t actually meet with their mentors. Nonetheless, the
mentors who did not meet with their mentees, will hopefully function as mentors for the
next mentoring session and the school has fully committed itself to the implementation of
the program for the 2003-2004 school year.
2. Students often approached the mentor before they had started to plan out their
project. A student do some initial research and develop a list of areas to explore as well
as to think of several critical questions as a starting point to meeting with the mentor. The
first meeting as a group can help in that stage of the process.
3. We managed to hand select individuals who could function as wonderful mentors. It
will not always be so easy to find appropriate people and that has to be taken into
consideration in planning the project. It might be necessary to approach individuals from
the community at large who are not affiliated with the school.
4. The mentor is a critical piece of the success of the mentoring relationship. It would
have been ideal to develop a workshop to prepare the mentors in working with the
students. Due to the time constraint of most of the participants, we opted to describe the
project over the phone and we sent home a letter (See Addendum) highlighting the goals
and guidelines of the project.
5. I would have wanted to interview each mentor to receive feedback as to the success
of the relationship.
Future Plans
Due to the initial success of the mentoring project, the mentoring staff and I have written up
the following guidelines in order to ensure the implementation of the project in Orot Etzion
during the 2003-2004 school year.
1. There will be two mentoring sessions during the upcoming school year.
2. One will take place immediately after Sukkot for a period of six weeks.
3. The second will take place from Rosh Chodesh Shvat until Purim.
4. A maximum of 12 projects will be matched with appropriate mentors. Students can
choose to work in groups of two if they so wish.
5. Students will be matched with an appropriate mentor by the supervisor of the project
with the assistance of representatives of the parent body (Vaad Horim).
6. A letter will be sent home to describe the expectations of the student and to enlist the
assistance of the parents in the technical challenges of having their child meet with their
mentor. The parents will also be encouraged to become an active participant in their
child’s exploration. (See addendum for sample letter written in Hebrew and used this
year)
7. A letter will be sent to the mentor thanking them for volunteering their time and to
highlights the guidelines and goals of the project. (See addendum for sample letter used
this year).
8. The students will meet with the principal and the supervisor of the project briefly
during week 1 and then for an hour during the third and fifth weeks.
9. A form will be filled out during the meetings with the principal, to identify the questions
that the student is exploring. It helps the student, mentor and supervisor to keep track of
the development of the project. (See sample form written in Hebrew, that has been
developed).
10. The school paper will describe the overall project and identify the current participants.
11. An event will be scheduled in which the project can be presented to specific groups or
as an event for the entire school (i.e. science fair).
12. Questionnaires will be given out to both students and mentors participating in the
project to help identify successes, challenges and areas to change. (See addendum for
sample questionnaires.)
In addition to planning the next stage of the mentoring project within Orot Etzion, a local high
school has contacted me to help them formulate a similar mentoring project in their school. A
meeting was held with a couple members of the Parent Committee to lay the foundation for a
mentoring program. Negotiations are currently underway with an experienced educator who
would like to be part of developing the mentoring program within the community. He has
begun to outline a business plan to submit to a potential financial backer of the project.
Guidelines for implementing a mentoring project in other schools
and communities
1. Identify the targeted age group that you will be addressing.
2. Determine the goals of the mentoring project (i.e. educational, social). Decide if it is
necessary or beneficial to give a general structure to the topics to be chosen. Evaluate the
benefits and drawback of allowing students to choose any area of interest versus the real
challenge of finding mentors appropriate for each topic.
3. Determine the duration of the mentoring project (short term, a semester, the school year)
and the resulting commitment of both mentor and mentee.
4. Form a committee that should include individuals from the school administration/staff and
representatives from the parent body. Divide up responsibilities. It is recommended that a
school staff member present the project as a whole and be willing to meet with the students
as a group and individually to track the progress of the projects. Parents from the student
body can be used to identify the resources in the community and to make the match between
mentor and mentee.
5. Present the overall project to the students. It is critical that the individual understand the
goals and reflects the underlying enthusiasm and spirit of the program.
6. Allow students to sign up voluntarily and to identify an area of interest or a question they
want to explore.
7. Have the person who presented the project or another capable staff member, sit with
each applicant and fine tune the area they want to explore. It is preferable that the session is
used to list questions to help fine tune the topic. It also helps to find an appropriate match as
well as to give some direction to the future mentor.
8. Compile the list of topics to be addressed during the mentoring experience. It is
recommended that the committee simultaneously begin to identify individuals from the
community or parent body who would function well as mentors. The school paper could be
used as a vehicle to publicize the program to help find additional mentors as well as to notify
the community of the project once it has been implemented.
9. The school staff or the appointed committee should then make the match between mentor
and mentee, keeping in mind that some of the matches might need to be changed at a later
date depending on the progress of the relationship and project.
10. Once the mentor and mentee are paired off, a letter should be sent to both the mentor
and the family of the mentee to describe the goals and expectations of the project. (See
addendum for sample Hebrew letter).
11. It is essential that a staff member meet weekly with the group of mentees to assess the
progress of the projects. It is recommended that the sessions provide the participants with an
opportunity to brainstorm together while creating a dynamic community of learners. A sample
form (in Hebrew), can be found in the addendum, which can be used to help the student
monitor the progress of their individual project.
12. Mentors should stay in touch with the staff member or committee head to give feedback
regarding the progress of the project/relationship. Email is highly recommended. At an early
stage both mentor and mentee should be contacted to determine the success of the
relationship. Sometimes it might be necessary to find a different match if one of the partners
does not feel that the relationship is helpful in reaching the set goals.
13. The participants of the mentoring project should be recognized for their initiative and
efforts especially is a situation that the mentoring experience is to help foster curiosity and the
pursuit of knowledge.
14. An event marking the closure of the mentoring project or the end of the mentoring
relationship is essential. It is important the participants feel a sense of accomplishment.
In order to optimize the success of the project, it is critical that a staff member has a minimum
of several hours a week to help supervise the program and to help maximize the development
of each individual project.
Workshops
While my ATID project from 2002 (See “Expanding the Horizons: The Use of Experiential
Workshops to Enhance a School-Wide Torah Curriculum: The Parent Participation Factor in
Achieving Integrative Success”), focused on the development of the mentoring project, it also
addressed the continuations of the parent run workshops within the classroom that was set in
motion during the 2001-2002 school year under the auspices of my previous ATID project.
The goals of the workshop project included using parents as instrumental partners in the
students quest for knowledge, by using their knowledge of various disciplines (astronomy,
physics, engineering, botany, crafts work etc.) as educational tools to reinforce the learning in
the classroom. Parent involvement also exposes students to adults who are impassioned
about their area of knowledge and function as a role model for the integrity of a Torah life
style. A side benefit for the teachers on staff is the facilitation and the enrichment of Torah
related hands on learning. These modules can be copied by other teachers and implemented
in other frameworks. See addendum for a letter (in Hebrew) to the parent body describing the
workshop program and a chart that can be filled out with an area of expertise or interest that
they are willing to help design into a workshop.
Each grade benefited from a workshop this year. A good part of the meeting towards the ends
of the year focused on mapping out the curriculum for the upcoming year to plan workshops
that were successfully implemented the past two years, as well as the design additional
workshops. A chart was designed to analyze the subject matter being covered each month for
each grade. Workshops were then plugged into the curriculum accordingly. See addendum
for the initial workshops that have been scheduled and planned for the upcoming school year
2003-2004. The chart can be used as a model for the implementation of similar workshops
within other schools.
The classroom teachers were interviewed to receive their reflections on the implementation of
the workshops. They found the workshops to be stimulating, interesting and relevant to the
students. Some of them commented on the challenge of having a presenter who did not have
full command of the Hebrew language. Nonetheless, most teachers felt that the students were
captivated and interested by the experiential aspect of the workshop. Teachers felt that the
students listened, were attentive and referred back to the experience at a later date. Many felt
that having an outside person come in was an essential in the success of the workshop. The
teachers were eager to continue the workshops and initiated a discussion of when and how
the workshops run to date should be implemented in future years. They also recommended
topics for other workshops.
Summary
This paper has addressed the vision and implementation of an experimental mentoring
project within an Orthodox Girls Elementary school (Torani). Mentoring projects are very
uncommon within the Orthodox community. The Yeshiva High School of Flatbush has a
mentoring project that offers students the opportunity to replace a formal class with an
independent study guided by the mentor from the school or community. To date, I have not
identified an Orthodox elementary school that has implemented a mentoring project along the
scale of the one outlined above.
Mentoring is an invaluable tool to expose students to role models of individuals who are
impassioned about knowledge and inspired to grow religiously. It gives students the chance
to explore a topic of interest, gain self confidence, while developing a potentially meaningful
relationship with an adult within their community. The above mentioned mentoring project not
only exposes the students to outstanding individuals, it also give them the opportunity to
recognize areas they are interested in while connecting with an adult who has a common
interest. It helps the students identify themselves as learners and explorers of knowledge.
Finally, those same students can be transformed into sources of knowledge when at the end
of the project they are given the opportunity to present the material in an interactive way
before a class. Mentoring can be appropriate in a variety of educational and communal
settings. Plans are underway to continue expanding the mentoring project within Orot Etzion,
with possible additional projects being launched for high school students in the Gush Etzion
area.
In addition to incorporating the mentoring project, Orot Etzion has fully implemented the
parent run classroom workshops into the curriculum for the upcoming school year. They have
embraced the value of utilizing the talent of the parent body within the classroom. The school
and community have joined forces to help transform the classroom material into something
meaningful and relevant. The mentoring and workshop projects are really two sides of the
same coin. They tap into the talents and passions of individuals who can demonstrate the
relevance of learning while modeling the passion to learn, grow and explore. Under the
guidance of my mentor Rabbi Ephraim Levitz, ATID has offered me the opportunity to
formulate a vision and guide me in implementing that vision within an existing educational
institution.
References
Bardach, E (1996) The Eight-Step Path of Policy Analysis: A Handbook for Practice, Berkeley
Academic Press, Berkeley.
Computer Clubhouse Programs (2002) http://www.computerclubhouse.org
Costa A, Kallick B (2000) Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series, Alexandria, VA.
Esses S, Lehrman D (2002) Expanding the Horizons: The Use of Experiential Workshops to Enhance a School-Wide Torah Curriculum: The Parent Participation Factor in Achieving Integrative Success, http://www.atid.org
Esses S, (2000) An Analysis of the Implementation of the Barkai Method In the Orot Etzion School System, http://www.atid.org
Evans, T (2000) The New Mentors, The Mentor Center, Teachers College Record Volume 102
Number 1, p. 244-263. http://www.tcrecord.org
Hopkins, G (1998) Letting Education Achieve Dreams, www.uhv.edu/lead/Relationship.htm.
LEAD (Letting Education Achieve Dreams, The Four Stages of a Mentoring Relationship,
http://www.uhv.edu/lead/Relationship.htm.
Mentor Making Connections, Project-based Curricula, http://www.imentor.org/what/project.jsp.
Middle grades Science Mentoring Program, http://www2edc.org/cse/work/mentoring/default.asp.
Models of Mentoring, http://www.norcol.ac.uk/create/guides/mentoring/M4models2.htm
Miller, A, Mentoring Students and Young People: A Handbook of Effective Practice. Sterling:
Stylus, ISBN: 0749435437
Models of Mentoring, www.norcol.ac.uk/create/guides/mentoring/M4models2.htm
News Corporation (2003), Job Shadowing, http://www.jobshadow.org/
Palmer, P (1998), The Courage to Teach, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.`
Perry, B, Curiosity, (2001) The Fuel of Development, Scholastic Inc.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/curiosity.htm.
Postman, Neil (1994) The Disappearance of Childhood, Vintage Books, New York.
Postman, Neil (1995) The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School, Vintage Books, New
York.
Simon-McWilliams (2001) Training New Mentors,
http://www.nwrel.org/mentoring/pdf/packfive.pdf
Summers-Ewing, “Mentoring: A Vital Ingredient, p.4
Tutor Mentor Connection (2000),Committee on Community Service, Princeton University,
http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/
Sample questionnaire to give to students who have participated in a mentoring project:Was the mentor helpful in identifying relevant questions to help focus the research?
How would you describe the relationship with your mentor?
Was the mentor helpful in identifying material and sources of information relevant to
the subject matter?
Did the mentor recommend other people to talk to or places to go learn more about
the topic?
Did the enthusiasm of researching a topic that interest you grow or wane over the
course of the project?
Did the project inspire you to want to continue to find out more about the topic?
Itemize three things you found to be positive in the opportunity to meet with a
mentor?
What would you have done differently in researching the topic or in your meetings
with your mentor?
Would you approach your mentor if you happened to see him/her out and around in
the community?
Would you be interested in participating in this project again this year?
Would you choose a similar or different topic?
Would you be interested in meeting with the same mentor?
Sample questionnaire that can be given to mentors following a
mentoring project.
Now would you describe your experience working with a student?
How many times did you meet with your mentee?
Would you recommend fewer or more meetings?
Did you find that the student was an active partner in the relationship?
Did the student inspire you to think of the topic from a different perspective?
Do you feel you managed to make the material relevant to the student, and if so,
how?
How would you describe the qualities of a good mentor?
Would you recommend the mentoring experience to a friend?
Would you be interested in mentoring again?