A priority for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ volunteer program is to ensure student safety in the school environment, and volunteer screenings are a key component.
Before visiting discuss your regular visiting time with your mentee, it is important that the time be a good time for both of you, to ensure your work schedule and their required class schedule are not negatively impacted. If possible, make it the same time every week. On the day you plan to visit your mentee, you should contact the school to ensure the student is present before driving to the school.
Mentoring is not easy. It can be difficult establishing a relationship with a mentee, especially if that individual has had poor relationships in the past. You may encounter challenges and this is normal. It is important that you seek assistance, rather than giving up. Many of your peer volunteers may have had the same challenges; you can always reach out to them or a school captain for assistance. Difficult CircumstancesMany students in CMS schools may have serious and difficult situations in their home life situations. If you become aware of some problem or abuse taking place or any other information regarding a situation you may not be equipped to handle, it is important that you reach out to your school contact or school captain. They are here to support you in these types of situations.
One way to frame learning styles is to talk about learners in terms of: Auditory, Visual and Tactile/Kinesthetic
How to spot one: tells jokes, tells interesting stories, knows all the words to songs, remembers names and not faces, talks constantly, interrupts, willingly contributes to conversation.
How to teach one: teach him/her to talk through tasks, encourage him/her to spell out loud, play rhyming games, provide audiotapes and record lessons, pair him/her with a visual learner, create study groups
How to spot one: likes to look at books/pictures, loves to look at orderly things, finds objects other have lost, sees details, find place in a book readily, likes to work puzzles, watches the teacher’s face for cues, remembers faces and forgets names, has difficulty understanding oral directions
How to teach one: give visual directions and demonstrations, play matching games, provide charts and graphs, use maps and map legends, color code information, use dictionaries, teach with rulers and number lines, make flashcards
How to spot one: explores environment, needs concrete objects as learning aids, like to be physically close to others, wants to touch/feel everything, enjoys doing things with hands, writes everything out, moves constantly
How to teach one: use manipulative, use writing, write on large surfaces like chalkboards and sidewalks, allow movement during learning, take frequent movement breaks, and provide concrete objects for counting/sequencing/categorizing, break things into steps/stages
ESL students vary widely in their English proficiency and their knowledge of America cultural norms, depending upon a multitude of factors:
While it is good to learn as mush as we can about other cultures, it is important to keep in mind that there is a lot of variation within and between groups. It is best to avoid making assumptions and to treat each child as a unique individual.
Use a translator if student is not proficient in English. Check to be sure the student understands you speak slower and more clearly, not louder. Avoid using slang and idiomatic expressions. Help the student understand American cultural norms by asking about their culture and discussing similarities and differences with American culture
