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Answers From The Teacher
My sixth-grade son has been in some trouble in school recently, and a child study team suggested that he be included in the mentor program at school. We’re new to the area and don’t know a lot of people. How does the mentor program work? Would you recommend it? Yes, I would recommend a mentor program for any student who may benefit from it. If the child study team has suggested it, then it would make sense give it a try. Mentor programs connect students and adults within the school community. Usually mentors meet with students during the school day on school grounds. Perhaps your son will eat lunch with his mentor or spend some time during his study hall with the mentor. Mentors could be teachers, principals, librarians, or anyone else in the school community who might have an interest in working with kids. Be sure the mentors who may work with your son have participated in some sort of formal training program. Your child’s guidance counselor or the school principal will be able to give you the particulars of the mentor program at your son’s school. If your son is struggling in school, perhaps a few minutes a week with a trained mentor may help him adjust to his new environment. Being involved in a mentor program is another way for your son to become a member of the school community. If just one adult knows him little better through the mentor program, then your son will have that relationship to fall back on if he needs to. A mentor can help with homework or just be a friend who can discuss things that are going on in school. The time he spends with his mentor will be time well spent. My fourth-grade daughter has a book report due every month, and every month she’s late handing it in. Last month she didn’t hand one in at all. The teacher is upset that my daughter’s not taking the book reports seriously, but I don’t know how to make her do it. My daughter is handling everything else in school rather well. She just can’t get the book reports done. Any hints? You or the teacher should model for her what you want her to do. Break the task down into small, doable parts, and then assign a time line to the entire project. In my experience, when students don’t hand in work it may be because either they find the task too overwhelming or they don’t have a clear understanding of what to do. First, your daughter needs to read the entire book, not just the book jacket. She should be reading an average of thirty minutes a day. If she’s not finishing the book on time, then she needs to choose books that are more within her capabilities. Next, she needs to follow the format that the teacher has given for the book report. If she’s lost the handout, then she needs to get another copy so she knows what to do. She needs to follow the time line you have set up and complete the tasks one by one. Finally, don’t allow her to leave anything to the last minute. Have her write the report, print it out, and get it in the backpack the night before the day it’s due. By teaching her how to handle the things she struggles with at school, you will be teaching her the lifelong ability to look at her problems and find solutions. Send questions to: Answers from the Teacher, P.O. Box 54, South Egremont, MA 01258. Questions may also be emailed to ateacher@bcn.net.
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