On Top of It All
When you’ve worked through life’s pitfalls to achieve most of your goals, it is time to help someone else do the same.
mixed media on canvas/ wood frame/23″a x 19″ / $399
The Mentor
School does not bode well for those who find it difficult to sit still, and, from time-to-time, that’s the case for all students. I’ve listened to kids complain about academic subjects they say are boring and non-essential. They consider homework to be busywork that is irrelevant for their future, yet have no idea what that future might be. Permissive parents go along with their complaints and provide late notes when they sleep in or miss a day of school. According to Patrick Gabriel in an article for school superintendents, this attitude contributes to a poor work ethic. They drop out of school and are lackadaisical in their jobs, wondering why they don’t get the raise they assume they deserve. Many young people are confused and don’t want to put in hours of hard work necessary to meet graduation requirements. For those going for an advanced degree, the six-year graduation rate for full-time undergraduate students at a 4 year degree-granting program is only 60 percent according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Institutions with open admissions policies find that only 32 percent graduate.
There will always be children who enjoy a traditional curriculum, but many won’t. Some students become handicapped by never learning how to read. with ease. More than 30 million adults in the U.S. cannot read, write or do basic math above a third-grade level. Their children have a 72 percent chance of remaining at the lowest reading levels themselves.
Non-academic students might be better served by a more practical, vocational training approach. We need to do something different or we will continue to get students dropping out of school. Though federal data released in December, 2018 shows graduation rates increasing, fact checkers claim data is manipulated by state and local departments of education unwilling to include the poor statistics coming from charters, alternative and virtual schools. According to “Building a Grad Nation’s” annual report that tracks high school graduation rates, the number of schools with low graduation rates is actually growing. Twenty-five percent of entering freshman drop out of high school, most from poor neighborhood schools.
For democracy to succeed it’s important for everyone to be educated and hopefully enjoy learning for its own sake. To do so, a variety of teaching approaches need to be used that address the variety of ways students learn. In the hands of the right teacher, tactile and auditory methods can be just as effective as the written word. This calls for individualized attention and instruction which would be extremely expensive paid instructors were the only resource. There are other ways.
Last week, I received an email from a woman who told me of her mentor, a person extremely important to her professional and personal growth. Her comment reminded me that throughout my student years, I too had advisors to inspire and guide me. In elementary school, Ms. Dorothea, my dancing instructor filled that role. Not only did she show me the benefits to controlling how I moved, but she demonstrated the importance of doing so with purpose and grace. “Pretty fingers” she said to her class of ballerinas as we pranced around the studio acting like we belonged to the New York City Ballet.
Mrs. Lambert, my high school english teacher was the first of many mentors to inspire my love of literature. By letting us read books of our own choosing during class time, we read voraciously tales in every genre. We weren’t pressured to analyze and dissect our readings, but by devouring so many books we absorbed a craving for those that were well written. Classmates and I hovered around her desk after class, occasionally visiting her home, anxious to absorb bits of knowledge flung in our direction.
In college, I enrolled in anthropology classes and fell under the spell a female professor. It was the first time I came into contact with an adventurous woman who traveled fearlessly to out of the way places. My, how I wanted to be like her! She was accepted in primitive villages despite differences in customs and values, and she never imposed personal biases. This professor helped me understand that each person views the world from his or her own center. The way a society operates is complex and should not always be judged by western values..
When starting Impression 5 Science Museum in Lansing, Michigan, I sat next to a successful real estate developer at a luncheon for non-profit organizations. He advised me to not wait for everything to fall into place if I wanted to achieve my goal of starting a museum. He told me to look for cracks in walls and move through them without hesitation. “Grab the moment when it presents itself,” he said, “for it may never occur again. It’s not likely that everyone will be in agreement as you forge a new field. There are times when you have to take action to demonstrate the way forward.”
My mentors were generous with their time. They listened to my concerns and helped me achieve my goals. Now that I’m older, I make myself available to others who might benefit by my experience. I’ve assisted several women with their businesses, helped a boy overcome homelessness and assisted an immigrant adapt to life in the states. It’s challenging to listen to others without letting my biases take over. But, helping people achieve goals they set for themselves is what a good coach does. Mentors help them think through ways to solve their problems. They provide contacts, may open a new line of reasoning but above all help their mentee build self-esteem.
Considering how many youth struggle in traditional classrooms, I think that opportunities should become available to all students. All students, but especially those from dysfunctional families will benefit from individual attention. Parents can not be all things to their children. There are times when an aunt, uncle or stranger is well suited to step in.
Considering how many youth struggle in traditional classrooms, I suggest a mentor be assigned to every student. All children, but especially those from dysfunctional families, will benefit from individualized attention. No parent can be all things to each of their offspring. There are times when an aunt, uncle or caring tutor is well suited to step in.
If I was the potentate of schools and could wave a magic wand, I’d call on patriotism to establish an army of mentors.
I’d ask retirees and young adults to entice, tantalize and inspire at least one youth to work hard and take pleasure in learning. Carpenters, plumbers, bakers, electricians, auto mechanics, health professionals, artists, business men and women as well as those with an academic bent can play a role. Let’s rid ourselves of the notion that everyone learns in the same way and discover how each mentee thinks.
Lastly, mentors can not be thrown into the lion’s den and expected to survive. They deserve to receive training. The purpose of mentoring is to build basic life skills, self-confidence, academic success and resiliency and they will need help when there are bumps in the road. Please don’t imagine mentoring a student to be an entirely altruistic activity, for mentors usually receive as much as they give. They make lifetime friends with their students who in turn help them “think young” and stay tuned to the world as it evolves for the next generation.
References:
Gewertz.K 2019. There are Now More High Schools with Low Graduation Rates. Why? Education Week. retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/high_school_and_beyond/2018/06/there_are_now_more_high_schools_with_low_graduation_rates_why.html?
Education News (2018) Crisis Point: The State of Literacy in America. Concordia University. retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/education-news-roundup/illiteracy-in-america/
Wexler, N. (2018) Why American Students Haven’t gotten Better at Reading in 20 Years. The Atlantic. retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/04/-american-students-reading/557915/
Gabriel Jr. P. ( 2018) Has the Student Work Ethic Lost Its Way? The School Superintendents Association (AASA). retrieved from http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=17494
Selling,J. (2018) Why do So many students drop out of college and what can be done about it? Washington Post. retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/06/08/why-do-so-many-students-drop-out-of-college-and-what-can-be-done-about-it/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e4abb6903db0https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/06/08/why-do-so-many-students-drop-out-of-college-and-what-can-be-done-about-it/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e4abb6903db0
National Center for Education Statistics (2018) Fast Facts. retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=40
Art is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com
