Power Mentoring w/Jen Part 3

The recent mentor meeting I had with Jen went well. We brought out another concern she was having that was making her anxious about her upcoming switch to the new high school.

I was sort of surprised by her concern this time, but understand how she might be feeling in this regard. Jen has worked in this lower-income area for 6 years now, the duration of her teaching career. In this time, she has built a great deal of relationships and fears that leaving with make her feel the "baggage" as she referred to it, of betrayal. She will feel guilty, essentially, for leaving behind what needs more attention and care for something that may come easier to her.

While she is not leaving to get away from the kids she works with, the administration is trying on her. She has gone through multiple administrators and superintendants that most teachers in their 6th year should and do not have to endure. The district is disorganized and seems to be fraying at the seams.

We discussed how she can still involve herself in collaboration with other teachers from the school and possibly still have a foot in the door for assistance, or relationships with students who really value her as a mentor. A bit of "pay it forward" mentoring, if you will.

I brought some thoughts to her about my insecurities with my job future. We talked about ways to market myself and how I may best show my assets to other districts if they time arises where this may occur. She is really supportive and gave me great interview tips that she's used in the past too.

Power Mentoring w/Jen Part Deux (really 3... but can't remember the 1st title)

Jen and I have been really busy and she's been out of town (oh life!) but she shot me an email and we've conversed about a few things going down in our lives. Here's the summary:

Another concern on the horizon is learning how to deal with a new kind of student. Many non-educators probably haven't experienced this dynamic... but when the demographics, area, languages change, so do the students. The needs and difficulties of students in the projects are far different than the tragedies seen in Beverly Hills. Jen is going from an urban school to a school with a mixture of both urban kids and yuppies. It's not to the extreme, but it's certainly a change. Now, parents will speak English (no parents did previously) and are involved. It may also be difficult for Jen to see how to meet these needs because they are so diverse.

I feel a connection to this because I have experienced working/volunteering at a variety of schools recently and seeing the dynamic change. The major connection I bring to the table when lending a helping hand and mentoring in this situation is knowing HOW to deal with the "other" demographic that Jen is not as familiar with. I understand much of what parents are looking for and I have coping strategies for parents who are ultra-needy. She may even run into parents who are doing the homework for the students and then in class the child is failing... it definitely happens.

The great news is that I will be moving in July directly across the street from the high school she is going to be teaching at. I can maintain our mentoring relationship until the framework has been set.

Other than that, she has been incredibly busy as have I. All is well!