Making a difference or just ditching work?
Every Wednesday afternoon I leave the office and drive myself over to the local middle school. I am a mentor to a 7th grade student. Typically, we work on homework in Algebra 1 or Geometry. The first few times were a real challenge for me but once I refreshed my brain a little bit it all came flooding back. My old math teachers would be so proud!
Last Wednesday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the temperature was up there in the 80’s. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck inside. I practically skipped out to my car when it was mentoring time because I was so happy to get out of the office. My student obviously felt the same way. When I met up with her she told me she had no work to do and wanted to go outside and chat. I knew better than to believe she had nothing to do but everyone needs a break every once in awhile, right? We found a picnic table to sit at with the sun shining down on us. I got a sunburn. Fair skin is just not meant to sit out in the sun.
Once we sat down my student pulled a teen magazine out of her backpack. We started reading through it and looking at all the hot guy celebrities (the ones in her magazine were all really young and most I’d never heard of…it made me feel old but I did my best to keep her from catching on to that). We turned the pages and happened upon some quizzes. You know how those magazine quizzes are…very girly and highly unscientific. We spent the rest of the mentoring hour taking quizzes. Does that make me a bad mentor? I tried to tell myself that I spent some quality time with my student and that’s just as important as helping out with homework. BUT finals are coming up and homework help probably would have done some good.
I’m sure my boss would love to know that I left work and sat outside in the sun taking quizzes. How productive!
Last Wednesday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the temperature was up there in the 80’s. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck inside. I practically skipped out to my car when it was mentoring time because I was so happy to get out of the office. My student obviously felt the same way. When I met up with her she told me she had no work to do and wanted to go outside and chat. I knew better than to believe she had nothing to do but everyone needs a break every once in awhile, right? We found a picnic table to sit at with the sun shining down on us. I got a sunburn. Fair skin is just not meant to sit out in the sun.
Once we sat down my student pulled a teen magazine out of her backpack. We started reading through it and looking at all the hot guy celebrities (the ones in her magazine were all really young and most I’d never heard of…it made me feel old but I did my best to keep her from catching on to that). We turned the pages and happened upon some quizzes. You know how those magazine quizzes are…very girly and highly unscientific. We spent the rest of the mentoring hour taking quizzes. Does that make me a bad mentor? I tried to tell myself that I spent some quality time with my student and that’s just as important as helping out with homework. BUT finals are coming up and homework help probably would have done some good.
I’m sure my boss would love to know that I left work and sat outside in the sun taking quizzes. How productive!
Next time you have the opportunity to go mentor with that girl, take her a Womans World magazine. You seemed to like those quizzes a lot.
Posted by
Anonymous |
4/28/2006 11:20 AM
Krista- I can't beleive I found you here. It's been forever since I've heard anything about anyone from high school, I guess that's what happens when you leave town and never go back! I'm glad you see you are doing well, I saw Tabitha's blog, that I found on Matt Thomas' (which is where I found you) and his I found from Kara (Sellers) Deal, anyways.... i say on Tabitha's pictures of all you girls from CCHS, its so crazy how fast time flies!!! Well, check my blog out if you want, I feel so disconnected sometimes from home because I've lost contact with almost everyone. :( Oh, and I say everyone needs to ditch work once in awhile, and every student can ditch studying...thats what makes the world go round. So glad to have found you!!
Posted by
Lisa |
4/28/2006 5:30 PM
I think one of the biggest parts of mentoring is bonding with them...building trust. I think it's perfectly okay to take a break now and then - as long as they're not flunking out of school in the process. =o)
Posted by
Stacey |
5/01/2006 11:31 AM