NCJ Number
179376
Journal
Reaching Today’s Youth Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 1999 Pages: 46-50
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Teacher-student mentoring programs can provide the support and direction that marginalized students need, particularly during the difficult transition into a new school; in this article, three Canadian high school students and their mentors describe their experiences in a successful mentoring program.
Abstract
The mentoring program at Bev Facey Composite High School identifies at-risk students in incoming classes by consulting with counselors at feeder schools. Students who have a history of absenteeism or isolation, or who are otherwise deemed at-risk, are invited to participate. Those who express interest are given a one-page questionnaire in the fall to assess how negatively they perceive school and themselves. Those who score highly are candidates for the mentoring program. Mentors are chosen with similar care. All faculty and staff at Bev Facey are informed of the program. Those interested in participating are trained and then matched in interests with student participants. In the program, the teachers respond to the individual needs and concerns of the students, and the students learn that teachers are caring, concerned persons rather than detached and intimidating authoritarians. The three case studies describe the particular dynamics, activities, and experiences of Bev Facey mentoring relationships. Program coordination activities are also outlined. A list of 18 related resources