So far, I think the mentoring visits have gone well. I haven’t had a very hard time engaging with the students and making sure they hear what I have to say or what my teammates have to say. I’ve felt quite confident whenever we go to mentor; probably because I’ve convinced myself that it doesn’t really matter what a bunch of high school kids think about me in the long run. Of course, I get a little nervous at times on the way there; but never enough to stop me from doing any of the activities or getting my message across. I’ve tried very much to be open to ideas from my peers when it comes to making decisions on the fly, even if I don’t agree with them. I can’t say it’s not difficult, but I think I’m definitely getting better at it each week. Being the person that I am, I tend to judge quite easily, but it’s never usually serious or with much malintent. I think my openness and eagerness to interact with the students has made it easier for me to interact with some of them on a personal level. I already feel like there’s a couple of boys who are starting to feel comfortable with me.
I think I’m doing a good job of taking initiative and making sure activities get going and run smoothly. Sometimes, I try to take a step back and let my teammates lead rather than me doing all the talking; it doesn’t always pan out well, but its good exercise for me to step back and not feel like I have to lead all the time. One thing I could do a little better is maintaining attention for the duration of our time there. At times, especially near the end of our couple hours, I start getting tired and distracted by my phone as my social battery has run out for the day. I need to do a better job of being actively involved in the activities all the way through, and making sure I completely fulfill my responsibilities I accepted by taking part in the mentorship program.