Mentor Reflection

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For the past two weeks, I have gotten to know some wonderful high school students. Also, I have had the opportunity to work with mentors who have been extremely helpful and a presenter that inspires the students to work hard. However, there are a few things that I wish I had known before the institute began, like how to get students to open up, how to teach concepts that are foreign to them, and how to allow the students to have some freedom in the classroom. In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of CollegeFirst has been building relationships with the students. I have been able to see all of the students forming bonds with multiple mentors, and I think that is very important to not only the students, but also the mentors. One strategy that I have used to get to know students is genuine listening. From my experience, I can tell that each student feels like they are valued when one of the mentors asks them a question about a personal aspect that they previously shared. Another strategy that has caused students to open up is researching things that they are interested in and letting them teach you about it. For example, two girls that I have been working with have been interested in …show more content…

McDaniel and the staff trained the mentors well and equipped us to teach difficult concepts. They explained the importance of taking notes and being attentive during lecture, so that the students have positive actions to replicate. Fortunately, they also expressed to us that we would need to be able to write mathematical problems and explain verbally. Furthermore, I have found that it is also important to be able to explain problems to students with hand motions (For example: Using hand motions to describe graphs and axes). In the Calculus class, I have found that it is sometimes important to give the students a “brain break” and allow them to change their focus so that they are able to refresh themselves and begin to learn

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