March 14th-16th. Phew, did this week fly by quick! Almost felt like I blinked twice and it was already Friday!  While we flew by this week unseemingly quick, we continued to work on our usual progress; the mentors and mentees continued with their regularly scheduled programming. On Tuesday, we tutored. Now that conferences are over, the students are re-energized and ready to work on their assignments. Keep in mind, we kept our focus on meeting our mentees needs. Therefore, we went over class and homework priorities. With that focus, we were able to get a lot done in both our after school sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, in addition to addressing many students’ stress and worrisome over grade falls. But not to worry! We continually asked questions to see where they would fall and see where we could push them to deliver some of their worries and slide falls. But, last not least lancers still arise strong!

Happy March!

This week up as we approach early March, we continued to work intensively on grade checks and introduce a new game activity in our program.

Tuesday, we went over homework and class reports. With that, my mentees and I started to examine very closely with their grades with each class and their grade percentages. By examining each of their grade percentages and potentially what assignments are downing their grade or missing in the grade book, I sat with both of my mentees, followed along with a new mentee into my group, Diana Solto, we did a verbal step by step plan to improve those grades even higher than their B or A streak. Additonally, I followed up giving them advice about what habits they want and don’t want to keep for the next following year in order to keep themselves productive and top of their work. Later during their conversation, they asked me how I was able to maintain and be persistent with my schedule. With that, I told them “For me, it is honestly learning how to manage and being consistent with your work. Like myself, I learned to set my values and worked my schedule around what was important and if they matched up to my values.” I added on, “Sometimes I found myself overwhelmed with the commitments I had, but I told myself that it would all be worth it in the end if what I was doing matched matched my values as a person.”

Shifting to Thursday, our team came up with a new lesson plan called “Life with the Wright Family”. The objective of the game is listening story where one person will read out a story. Within this story, you will hear a repetition of “left” and “right”. Everytime you hear, a certain direction, you will pass the object (in this case, we used pins ) in that direction. Regardless if many students messed up or not, the lesson of the plan is similarly in life, we have many obstacles and distractions that will pull us “left” and “right”, however we should remember to focus on one thing in life, in this case, it was to listen very closely not only for directions but the plot of the story. In the end, Mr. Medina was able to ask them question to reflect on their communication, teamwork and listening skills both individually and as a whole group. While, many of the members enjoyed the activity. Many of whom took this time to reflect on very essential things like listening and communication skills in life. In the end, we wrapped our last 15 minutes on beautiful homework!

Coming to a closure of February, we decided to continue the progress with our mentees not only to get them more merely concentrated on their classes and homework, but to also initutate the idea to push them even harder around this time of the year in second semester. Because not only do we see the downward trend in student engagement and motivation in students all across the world around this time, but students often happen to drop their attendance in this time as well in statistical manners. By addressing this type of concern, we also try to make sure to have individual conferences with our mentees going over class grades and overall attendance rates and keep them on track in their progress after the 6 week mark of report cards. With this, we were able to have them focus on homework, meanwhile pulling half of our mentees out one by one to go over these report cards. While, the other half were left in Thursday to go over grades. But with this all, I especially want to give my biggest recognition and gratitude to all our mentees this year. With that being said, as well as the staff. Our YESS team at Lincoln are proud that we have a group of unbelievably strong and amazing mentees who come in everyday ready to conversate and ready to push themselves in academics with our vital support.

By Thursday after school, we started to actually have some conversation with our mentees about very serious events happening around the world. Although, this is a scary topic to address, it is a very vital topic to discuss and ensure that there is vastness around the building and adults to talk to. For myself, I was able to offer my support and assertiveness of being there and also being supportive in the lives of my own mentee and others. In the end, we realize that academics is very important to keep on with to ensure a ideal future for yourself, however it is as much as important to also make sure that we love in a safe environment by initiating and constantly reminding them that we are one and always one to keep them safe and free of violence from all events happening. To that, we are making moves to express that we are one and that we always look after each and every one of them.