Thoughts from week 1...
Guess one of the reasons I have this blog going is to kinda document what seems to work and what doesnt. Now this isnt a "how-to" on mentoring, more of a bunch of things that seem to hit home.
So here goes
Listen at your first meeting
Silence helps.. I talked a bit and then just waited, my mentee then opened up. Nothing specific just general things that he was willing to talk about. In most cases talking about school grades is easy, because he/she already know that you know about their grades. It also helped me find out what he liked... which leads me to
Find out what they like (and dislike)
My kid seems to be the kind that likes reading (interestingly he liked to read about religion and history) so Ive got some library sessions in mind. Finding out dislikes may be a bit tougher but I will get there soon
Allow them to interact and watch
We went to the office to pick up his shoes and was able to see what he was comfortable with. Some kids are introverts, and should be encouraged; mine really isnt and so it was nice to see him communicate with the folks at Bolder
Set your schedule up
Kids find it easier when they have a set schedule. Im in a process of setting up 2 days a week that we will meet. Once we have that schedule going I guess he wont have excuses to say that he didnt remember that I was going to be over.
Well thats all I have for week one ... lets see what week two brings

Met my mentee for the first time today. He's so mild-mannered and well behaved that its difficult to fathom why he got referred to the program. I prefer not to focus on his past but will concentrate on how he can have a better future.
Already started finding out what he would like me to help him with. I finally found somewhere to put my liking of math to good use. It seems that kids always seem to need help there. So thats one of the things we will work on.
We have scheduled our next meeting for Thursday, going to pick up a new pair of shoes. I didnt detect notice a smile on his face for most of the time I was at his place. I guess he is still sensing me out - kinda like a boxer in the first few minutes of a fight.
I hope I will be able to get him to see the nicer side of life and to start enjoying running and the time we work together
Only time will tell ...

Theres always a rush of emotions when you start something new, specially if you have done something like it before. Its almost like the first day of a new year at school.
So today when meet my new mentee that Bolder Options has matched me with, I go in with a bunch of questions, apprehension, anticipation and an optimism that we can make a difference.
I ask myself
- will my mentee like my presence?
- will I like my mentee?
- what can I bring to the relationship that will improve my mentees situation?
- Ive got no formal training - what qualifies me to offer mentoring advice to my mentee?
.... and then I say to myself, I did this once before and I didnt have the answers then, and we were a very successful mentor-mentee pair, so I can do this again.
Then I ask myself "so now that Ive been thru it once before, do I have all the answers to those questions?"
- and I say NO... I still dont have those answers.
But I know one thing though, and its from a little bit of advice that someone at Bolder Options gave me when I started mentoring two years ago
... believe that you can make a difference in your mentees life ... and you will
So join me on my mentoring journey as I tackle issues that most mentors face and try to make a difference ...