Patricia Ramirez: School Counselor
1. Why might the mentors be seen as examples of coping models?
The mentors in this scenario are clear examples of coping models. The mentors all came from the same neighborhood and faced similar challenges as the students in the probation program. The mentors are able to share their experiences and how they worked hard to overcome certain obstacles in order to be successful. Since there are face to face meetings, the mentors can even show some of the strategies they used to solve a problem, especially academically. For example, the mentor might be able to help students who struggle with math come up with ways that will help them solve a particular problem. By not showing them how to solve the problem, but instead teaching them how to find ways to solve it that works for them, critical thinking skills are reinforced and self-efficacy for learning is instilled. The students are more likely to appreciate the results of hard work when they hear relatable stories, apply what they learned, and then achieve success themselves.
2. B. F. Skinner, a famous behaviorists, suggests that effective instruction should be specific about what it is trying to teach, teaches first things first is a logical sequence, and should not require students to all progress at the same rate. How are these ideas built into the on-line credit recovery system?
The on-line credit recovery system discussed in the narrative is a support service designed for students who
bond that helps both the parent and juvenile. Lastly, therapeutic intervention fosters social bonds where juveniles are mentored and receive life-building skills to help them build necessary skills for self-esteem, conflict resolution, financial responsibility, nutrition and exercise, employment, education and teen or gang prevention. Not only do juveniles gain knowledge and understanding of ways to better their life, but they are also able to learn from models; the behaviors of mentors who are available to assist throughout the program and in many cases after a juvenile has completed the diversion program. Ultimately, the goal is to foster relationships that reach beyond a few months of treatment. For example, the Adolescent Diversion Project is a model program in Michigan that has been found to curtail recidivism rates among juvenile delinquents by half.
Coaching and mentoring are not about learning to do something the right way, but are about helping to lead an individual to find their own way of doing it practically and efficiently. Coaching and mentoring sessions are guided with theoretical models, which help focus both the coach and the coachee in attaining desired outcomes for problem situations. However, even with the aid of theoretical models not everyone can coach another person. The first and far most important attribute of a coach is the ability to build relationships with the coachee
The level of attention given by the counselors to each person is critical to their success. By aggregating as much data on the offender in their care, counselors are able to get a better picture of the person they are trying to help. This level of attention is possible with the appropriate level funding as demonstrated by the case load levels of probation officers today. By knowing so much about the offender, it creates a level of trust unfamiliar to many of the students. Students like Ronnie, who removed from the chaos at home and was ready and willing to share his experiences in a place he felt safe. Students like Ronnie crave attention and feel comfortable sharing stories of neglect and abuse because they finally have an attentive audience; since no one has listened to him before, students like him don't get to listen to themselves (p. 68). That level of attention is a key way to establish trust and build a working relationship with students who have had to grow up and survive in sometimes nightmarish conditions.
Criminologist James Fox of Northeastern University predicts that murders committed by teens will skyrocket as the population of kids 10 and under is higher than population of 21st century teens by 20%. (Stephens) Mentoring is the act of helping out someone that isn't as knowledgeable or experienced in different areas. The goal is to make them leaders. (Patterson)
This study is limited to the freshman mentor program at one high school in a 30 high school district located in Maryland. Data was collected from a representative group of mentors. Interviews were limited to discussion of the role of the mentor in working with the freshmen mentees. Although many high schools have freshmen mentor programs, each school develops a unique program to fit the needs of the students feeding into their school. Data was collected from a small representative group of mentors and they were all
Over the course of a person's career, it is likely that there will be many people who positively impact and make a significant difference in a person's life. Sometimes, these people may even surface before a person begins their career and may appear in the form of teachers, coaches or even parents.
In the literature, mentoring programs are often advocated as an effective intervention in helping young offenders in fostering one-to-one relationships (a young offender with a caring adult) and in connecting them to promising education and employment opportunities upon their release Supporters of this view highlight that positive relationship with caring adults strengthens the protective factors which help young offenders to overcome structural and institutional hurdles to having healthy and productive lives. Keating,
An advantage of mentoring is that it helps to acclimatise less successful workers to the job and organisational requirements. By having a "go to" person to ask questions, discuss scenarios and generally learn the nuances of the company, the mentee can become a productive member much more quickly and never feel that he has nowhere to turn for help. The mentee can gain the sense of achievement that comes from the mentor's feedback and assessment of his progress. The mentee's quest to gain the mentor's approval can serve as a motivating force to continue to improve his performance. The mentor can gain satisfaction from knowing that she is helping an individual and can take a measure of pride in her accomplishments. For a mentor that has already achieved a great deal of success, she can look at the process as a way of "giving back”.
Mentoring has arguments both for and against its effectiveness in relation to at-risk youth. These programs have been known to help in areas of self-esteem, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, grades, attendance and disciplinary problems in school. Although, the scope of at-risk youth can be quite narrow, if administered correctly it can be inclusive of all teens with emotional and behavioral problems. These programs should not be considered a quick fix to such a large problem, but it can be used as a means to an end.
Mentors instill self confidence and empowerment in the people they train.
One thing I believe is a necessity in growing up is having a mentor. Having a mentor is, not only, beneficial for the mentee but also the mentor. Being a mentor is a learning experience for everyone participating, it helps people grow as a person and friendships are created when a bond if formed. Some people might think it's a waste of time for a child or that it'll never work out for a troubled delinquent but based on the research I've done, I have proven them wrong. Through-out this paper I will provide the pros and cons of mentoring and how they affect both mentor and mentee. To back up my proposal that mentoring is supporting, I will supply examples to answer the question: Is mentoring really important?
The Closing Bell Speaker Series “Iron Sharpens Iron”: Why Mentoring Matters So Much was presented by Forest Harper. Forest Harper is the current Chief Executive Officer and President of INROADS Inc. Harper grew up in a poor neighborhood in Fort Pierce, Florida. In high school, Harper was a star athlete in his high school’s Army ROTC program. He attended Morgan State University on a football scholarship. His plan was to become a professional football player. He suffered two knee injuries that ended his football career. He graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Work. After graduation, he joined the Army and served as a Lieutenant. He spent six years in the Army and rose up to the position of Captain. After the Army, Harper participated in the Executive Leadership Training program at Harvard University. Before becoming the president of INROADS, Harper worked at Pfizer for twenty-eight years. He started as a pharmaceutical sales representative and later became the Vice President of Capability Development in Worldwide Public Affairs and Policy. He was the only African American in his division. This fact inspired him to join INROADS and become a mentor to minority college student. His goal is to help get as many minority college students into the industry they choose. Harper’s own mentor is his uncle Walter Crenshaw, the oldest documented Tuskegee Airman.
Although school based mentoring is more cost efficient over community based programs, involving less frequent support for mentor-mentee matches and shorter assessment processes, they may block some capacity of the organization to develop solid, long term school-based matches. In contrast to MODEL, BBBS youth are referred only through their parents, and mentors meet with youth only about two to four times a month to play the role of friend and guidance provider. MODEL believes a one-on-one relationship needs to connect more consistently than a few times a month and should be more actively involved in their academic life. A mentor that meets their mentee at least a couple times a week can have a greater impact and connection they develop. MODEL hopes to do more than meet the basic needs of youth development. It hopes to promote more guidance and support in all areas of a young person’s life in order to help them reach their
The concept of how to encourage all students to gain fully from the education system has always been a personal philosophy of mine and since gaining at least a C grade in maths has become a given, for most employment and further education, I wanted to research how mentoring intervention could assist in this goal.
This quarter’s course of “theories of counseling” felt like a whirlwind of theories, theorist, therapeutic techniques, and proper application of theoretical framework to help counsel students. As the course continued each new theory and therapy style I learned about seemed more appealing and useful than the last. In deciding which therapy styles I would favor using I have to take into account the general demographic of the students and communities I wish to work in. I plan to work with middle school to high school students that are from urban low social economic status and are recent arrivals to the country. Some of the characteristics of obstacles these students and families face daily are, single parent home/income, past/recent trauma, history of low family education level and legal trouble. I am fortunate to live in the community and society I want to help and that I have grown up in. I am equally blessed to be raised and have the opportunity to give back to my community and society the best way I know how by giving back in a positive manner.