Goals:
1. Remember Names
a. Something I struggle with doing is remembering people’s names. It has always
been a challenge for me, but I continuously try to be better about it. Although I do
a better job recalling someone’s experiences and stories, knowing a mentee’s name
is just as important. As a mentor, I believe it would be crucial to remember all the
mentees’ names because it can show that I’m actively taking the time to actually
know them. I hope to do better this semester!
2. Build Interest & Curiosity
a. One thing about highschoolers is they will not care about something unless they
believe it will benefit them in some way. My goal is to be able to offer
resources/activites that the mentees can build some type of interaction with. As of
right now I plan on doing something with resumes, so I guess what I need to think
about is how I will explain its usefulness in the world and get them to want to
learn more about it.
Environment Analysis:
1. Exterior
a. On the outside the Boys and Girls Club looks like an ordinary building. It’s
surrounded by a fence and I believe the entrances all have cameras to provide
security. One safety hazard I notice is how when drivers are leaving they have to
go through the area where the kids play, which can be dangerous. Although I
don’t live in the neighborhood I get a sense that it’s not the safest, but I also don’t
think it’s the most dangerous.
2. Interior
a. The space has lots of rooms to promote different activities. There are some things
that could use some TLC, but overall I think it’s in great condition considering the
audience they take care of. I like how the kids are broken up into age/grade
groups to make sure they are all given the right amount of care and observation.
Partners Analysis:
1. I think the people at the Boys and Girls Club are all welcoming for the most part. I would
say we as mentors need to do a better job of introducing and explaining ourselves for
being there. Overall I don’t foresee any problems especially since we’re all adults and are
there with the job to look out for these youth.
Obstacles/Barriers:
1. Building trust and gaining respect
a. The mentees will not listen to us or do what we ask if they don’t know us. Once
we find a way to connect with them then the trust and respect should follow.
2. Having a clear final goal
a. As a mentor the goal isn’t always clear, and that could create a learning problem
for mentees if we can’t explain the purpose of everything.
Adjusting and Adapting:
a. I think the main idea to keep in mind is that the mentorship program is still new and we
as mentors are inexperienced in this field. As long as we are flexible with what’s
expected from us I think we should be fine. Keeping in mind that the mentees’ are young
and have their own lives should help us understand how to do things