Education Elevators

1. Education Elevators Orientation and Training

2. AGENDA • Welcome and Introductions • Overview of Program • Common Ground: Education and Military Partners • What is an Education Elevator? • Commitments and Students Served • Logistics and Program Guidelines • Resources and Activity Ideas • Discussion & Questions

3. Overview of the Education Elevators Foundation Elementary Students matched with Volunteers. Enhance, Elevate and Enrich Student Success.

4. Education Elevators Foundation • Impetus – Recognition that in order for our communities to thrive, public schools must succeed. • Premise – For public education to succeed, more caring adults must spend one-on-one time with more kids. • Method - To provide mentors “Elevators” to work individual students one-on-one for approximately 30 minutes each week.

5. Mission Statement The Mission of the Education Elevators Program is to elevate the abilities and aspirations of students- to uplift the students and make them more confident in themselves and generally more receptive to learning.

6. Common GroundEducation & Military Partnerships • State level partnerships were formed in June 2011 with the State Board of Education and all branches of military serving in WV. • Common Goal To graduate all WV students from high school ready for college and/or careers. • This is not a recruiting effort, this is a joint education effort. • This is a dropout prevention effort beginning in elementary school, with programs K-12.

7. Mentoring Matters "When students and workers who had been in poverty (and successfully made it to the middle class) were asked how they made it out of poverty, the answer nine times out of ten had to do with a relationship  - a teacher, mentor, counselor or coach who made a suggestion or took an interest in them."

8. What is an Education Elevator? • An Elevator (mentor) is an adult who provides a young person with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive positive examples. • Elevators (mentors) are there to help uplift students, to inspire curiosity and motivation to learn, to instill a love for learning.

9. An Education Elevator is . . . . • A friend, confidant and advisor • A teacher, guide, coach and a role model • Caring and supportive • Patient and Encouraging • Open and willing to share time, experience and knowledge • Non-judgmental

10. An Education Elevator is not . . . • A parent substitute • A tutor • A therapist or social worker • A school guidance counselor • A savior . . . . . But an Elevator can supplement some of those relationships

11. Benefits Mentoring Impacts Children by: • Improving their sense of self and future • Improving relationships with parents teachers and peers • Improving attitudes toward school and academic performance • Improving overall academic performance • Strengthening communication skills • Improving attendance • Helping kids avoid negative behavior

12. Quote from a Mentor about a Student: "Mary* blossomed throughout the year.  She was one of the youngest in her class and was developmentally behind some of her classmates.  Her teachers worried they’d have to keep her behind.  By the end of the year, though, she finished in the top of her class. She came out of her shell and was much more willing to participate in class activities and challenge herself intellectually.  I, and her teachers, have been so excited by her improvement.  She left kindergarten winning several awards for academic achievement.   Quote from a Mentor about the experience: “I think I benefited as much as my student did from it - and I definitely gained a tiny friend through the process!" 

13. Elevator’s Commitment • Simply BE THERE FOR YOUR STUDENT • Elevators (mentors) must commit to spending 20-30 minutes per week with their student through the end of the school year. (Though many Elevators choose to stay with their student until their student graduates from elementary school). • During your time with your student you can do anything that is of interest to you or your student. (ie. arts and crafts, sports, puzzles, model building, playing musical instruments). • Elevators (mentors) can be “incubators of innovation”!

14. Elevators Commitment • If you cannot make a scheduled meeting with your student, it is imperative to let your student’s teacher/principal know. • When possible, please let your student know in advance that you won’t be able to make your scheduled meeting. (If you have time to plan ahead, ask your student to read a book to discuss at your next session or write down things they want to talk about in a journal). • If for any reason you have to end your relationship with your student before the end of the school year, you must let the point of contact and principal know and explain to your student why you cannot continue. (Consult the handbook for further direction on how to properly terminate the relationship).

15. Who we serve Tuscarora Elementary & Bunker Hill Elementary • Culturally diverse population • Ruralpopulation • High percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch • Highly transient population (if they transfer to a local school we would like to try to keep you together) • Lack of resources • Lack of value of education

16. Who we serve About the Students you will be matched with: • Kindergarten through Fifth Grade (early enough so you can still reach them) • Referred to program by their teacher/other educator because they believe that particular student would really benefit from having an Elevator • Most likely are not receiving other educational services or do not have an adult in their life to teach the value of education. (parent is a dropout or being raised by other than a parent) For most of the students in the program, time alone with an adult is a luxury so the 20-30 minutes per week you spend with them really makes a difference!

17. Becoming an Elevator • Attend a training • Fill out an Elevator Profile (today) • Read and Sign Mandated Reporters Acknowledgement • Complete the Background Check (waived) • MOU’s signed with business partner and school • Paired with a Student (hopefully by the end of the month) • Create a Notebook to use during your meetings • First Student Meeting • Student Agreement

18. Teacher/Elevator Communication • Once we have paired you with a student your school point of contact will make arrangements for your first visit. Ask your student’s teacher/principal or your point of contact the best way to contact them (ie. email, cell) in the event you need to reschedule a session with your student. • We encourage you to talk to the teacher/principal to find out any information they are willing to share about your student (ie. things the teacher would like your help with, strategies for working with that particular student, information on family issues/problems at home, student strengths or weaknesses etc….discuss confidentiality) • Communication between you and the teacher/principal should continue throughout your mentoring relationship.

19. Initial Meeting with Your Student • Start by introducing yourself (your background, hobbies, job etc.) • Fill out the “Getting to Know You” Form in your packet. (Make sure to share your answers as well). • Tell them that you have been assigned to be their Elevator and talk a little bit about what that means. • Fill out the “Student Agreement” in your folder and discuss things the two of you would like to do together over the next year.

20. Mentoring Notebooks • We encourage Elevators to start a folder/ notebookwith their students to help document the relationship. • The Elevating notebook is meant to be a record of your time together. • Ask your student to write or draw (depending on age and interests) about him/herself on your first visit or at anytime during your relationship. (ie. What do they want to be when they grown up? What are their dreams? What makes them happy/mad/sad? How are they feeling on a particular day?) • Keep projects or pictures of projects you work on or lists of things you want to do together in the folder.

21. We encourage you to write notes in the folder/notebook at the end of each session. (it could be a compliment or comment about your activity, but it doesn’t need to be elaborate and it isn’t meant to be burdensome).

22. Mentoring Goals • Establish a positive personal relationship • Be a good role model • Enhance social skills and emotional well being • Help build self esteem • Inspire curiosity and motivation to learn Research shows that if students are reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade they are more likely to graduate from high school.

23. Five C’s of Positive Youth Development • Confidence: internal sense of overall positive self worth, identity and belief in future • Competence: positive view one’s skills and abilities, including academic, social, cognitive and vocational • Character: recognition of societal and cultural rules, a sense of responsibility and accountability for one’s actions • Caring: A sense of sympathy and empathy for others • Connection: positive bonds with people and institutions, including peers, family, school and community

24. Establishing a Positive Relationship Show up every week. • Simply being there for your student is the most important thing you can do as an Elevator. • Many of the students in the program have never had an adult they can depend on. To earn their trust, they must be able to depend on you. (If you can’t make a scheduled visit you MUST let the student’s teacher know in advance). • Being consistent and dependable will help your student learn to trust you.

25. Establishing a Positive Relationship Practice effective communication • Be aware of both verbal and nonverbal body language (including your own – if you are having a bad day, let your student know that so they don’t think you are crossing your arms because you are mad at them). • Ask open ended questions (ie. Tell me the three best things/worst things about your week) • Use a full and rich vocabulary when talking to your student (exposure to words is one of the best things you can do for your student’s language skills).

26. Establishing a Positive Relationship • Be an active listener • Ask permission before giving advice. • Encourage your student to tell you more (ie. Can you tell me more about that? How did that make you feel?) • Bring up things your student told you before to show you are listening (ie. You mentioned that you were interested in airplanes, have you ever thought about being a pilot?)

27. Establishing a Positive Relationship Be respectful and encouraging of your student’s ideas. • Decide together or take turns deciding what activity you will engage in during your meetings. Have fun and focus on friendship first! • Studies show that the most successful mentoring relationships are those where the focus is on friendship rather than on a particular goal like tutoring.

28. Ways to Help Build your Student’s Self Esteem • Always listen and acknowledge your student’s thoughts and feelings • If they fail at something, point out and help them see their successes • Teach them that mistakes can be a learning experience (share stories about your own mistakes and failures) • Help them identify their strengths and build on them • Give your student compliments • Most importantly – expect your student to succeed and share your expectations!

29. Role Modeling • Remember that you are always role modeling. • Teach your student the value of a firm handshake and good eye contact when meeting someone new. • Qualities that you can intentionally role model include:  honesty, integrity, compassion, dependability, high standards and values. (Simply seeing the way you treat them and others can impact the way your student treats others.) • Just talking about work and goals teaches children that they can have goals too. "A positive role model can give us an example of our potential. They point out what is good about us--our strengths and abilities--and affirm our dreams for who we could be.”

30. Note on Values Differences • It is likely/possible that your student is living at or below the poverty line, that he or she comes from a single parent family, and/or one or both of your student’s parents did not graduate from high school. (These are all “risk factors” that increase the likelihood that a student will not graduate from high school). • The way your student views certain things (like possessions, education, and time) may be very different from the way you do.

31. Logistics-Guidelines • You must always sign in and out at the school office and wear an ID when meeting with your student.  • Meetings with your student must only occur on school grounds, during school time. • Do not transport your student under any circumstance. • Please do not bring food into the school. • Buying gifts for your student in general is discouraged but making crafts together is appropriate.

32. Logistics-Guidelines cont. • Do not allow your student to sit on your lap and do not engage in tickling, wrestling or excessive hugging. (A side hug or quick pat on the back is okay) • If your student tells you something or does something that makes you uncomfortable, contact the school guidance counselor. • If your student confides in you information regarding abuse (substance or physical abuse), hurting himself or herself or someone else, suicide or homicide or carrying weapons, you MUST report it to the guidance counselor.

33. CONFIDENTIALITY • Your relationship with your student is intended to be a confidential one. You should tell your student in the beginning of your relationship that for the most part things you discuss together or that your student shares with you, you will keep confidential. • However, let your student know that you are responsible under the law for sharing certain information with the guidance counselor if you feel that he or she may be in danger.

34. Tips for Difficult Situations • Don’t panic- most important thing is just to listen • Use common sense and the best available information • Ask questions to get a better idea of the situation • Always feel free to consult your student’s teacher/principal or the guidance counselor for advice

35. What Every Mentor Needs to Know • Be patient– strong relationships and trust take time to develop. • Don’t take things personally. • Know that there will always be challenges and you won’t always have the answer. • Know that you are making a difference -the little things can and do make a BIG difference! Being an Elevator can be challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding and fulfilling!

36. Resources and Activity Ideas • Go to the Activities in your Notebooks • Review Notebook Resources

37. Questions Success Stories

38. “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead