Middle School Learning Center

 
 

Middle School Learning Center

Mentoring Program Guidelines



OVERVIEW
        The students that are referred to the Middle School Learning Center typically have problems with parents, teachers, school staff, and/or any other adult with which they have much contact.  They have developed an antagonistic attitude toward all adults, and, by extension, the world.  These students think they know all about the ìreal worldî and can live, thrive, and survive in the world as they are with no help from anyone.  They have, in short, decided to ignore all advice, instruction, and help from adults and do things the way they want them done.  This leaves the student not only in trouble with the home, school, and community, but angered at the adults who make up that home, school, and community.

    While some of this may be chalked up to puberty and its effects on sixth, seventh, and eighth grade children, it cannot be the entire answer.  If so, all children aged 11 to 16 would be in an alternative school program.  Other factors encourage the child to react negatively to the world around them and become barely controllable.  A troubled home life, poor academic achievement, and low self-esteem contribute heavily to a studentís frustration and anger at a world around him or her that seems to have no answers.  All of these factors must be addressed if that student has any hope to pull out of the downward spiral life has become.

        The Middle School Learning Center mentoring program is designed to help students:

  1. •Develop positive attitudes

  2. •Relate academic skills to occupations in the real world

  3. •Develop positive relationships with adults

  4. •Learn and use conflict-resolution techniques and skills

  5. •Demonstrate effective listening and communication skills

  6. •Recognize school and community needs

  7. •Reflect on peer and social challenges


OBJECTIVES
        From the sessions and from role models and speakers, students will learn the importance of staying in school; the importance of personal skills and attitudes toward life roles; and how planning and volunteering can help not only the community, but the student as well.  By developing positive relationships with role models and community speakers, students will learn to see their community leaders not only as adults, but as a friendly and approachable individual that can and will help them improve themselves if only given the chance.

METHODS
        Role models and speakers visit a class and discuss the importance of staying in school and getting at least the basic high school education.  These speakers generally tell the students about their life and the role academics played in their getting to the place they are today.  Speakers, from backgrounds similar to the studentsí own, share their personal paths to success, including the pitfalls and high points of their lives.
        The speakers do not talk at length about what they do, but rather discuss how they got into the work they do and how school and school subjects prepared them for their particular jobs.  The role models also stress the importance of planning for the future and staying in school.
        Students are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the speakers.  Bonus points might be given for participation.

SPEAKERS/ ROLE MODELS
        Generally, different speakers are brought in one or two times a week, at varied times according to the speakers schedule and appointment calendar.  Past speakers have included:

  1. •Darnell Mee-- professional basketball player

  2. •Everett Lasley, general manager of Papa John’s in Bowling Green, KY

  3. •Detective B. B. Davis, of the Bowling Green Sheriff Department

  4. •John Washington, a Western Kentucky University senior and education major

  5. •Dan Rudloff, attorney at law

  6. •Officer Brett Hightower, Gang Task Force

  7. •Dr. John Moore, Education Professor at Western Kentucky University


UNIT OUTLINES

  1. •Introduction to the Middle School Learning Center Mentoring Program:  Students receive an overview for the program.  They learn why it is important to start planning their future in the real world.

  2. •Ethical Decision-Making:  Students learn to recognize how they think and feel in situations at home, in school, and with their friends.  They learn that a value is something held as important in ones’ life.

  3. •Assessing Personal Habits and Ongoing Change:  Students learn to recognize the habits and changes in their lives as important in identifying who they are and who they hope to become.

  4. •Identifying Changes:  Students learn to interpret and identify ongoing changes and ways to enhance them positively.

  5. •Personal Appearance:  Students learn how personal appearance impacts the way others view them.

  6. •Personality Traits:  Students learn to identify their own personality traits and how those traits affect themselves and those around them.

  7. •Personal Strengths:  Students learn how to build upon their own strengths as individuals and how those strengths can help them in life both professionally and personally.

  8. •Personal Views:  Students learn about they see themselves and how those views can affect the way others see them.

  9. •Job Traits:  Students learn to match their personality traits and interests with a specific job cluster and learn of the importance of education in any employment field.

  10. •Role Model Discussion of Traits and Skills:  A role model helps students relate to the personal skills needed for a successful career.

  11. •Making Decisions:  Students learn that they are responsible for their own lives, no matter past or present situations.  Students learn to accept that responsibility and make decisions for themselves that are conducive to society’s needs.

  12. •Body Signals:  Students learn to recognize the signals their bodies send out and how to deal with the situations they identify.

  13. •Your ìFutureî Decisions:  Students begin to understand that things they do now will affect them in the future.

  14. •Roadblocks:  Students are taught plans for a successful life, both personally and professionally, can be short-circuited by substance abuse, teen pregnancy, peer pressure, and cultural influences.  They learn how to recognize such obstacles and examine their own dreams and plans.

  15. •Role Model Discussion of Planning:  One or more adults speak to the class about their past, present, and future.

  16. •Personality:  Students learn to identify personality traits as positive or negative behaviors.

  17. •Occupations and Career Clusters:  Speakers talk to the class about the varied career opportunities available to young people.  They observe career cluster organization that makes selection within certain categories (i.e., health fields, educational fields, law enforcement, etc.)

  18. •Identifying Aptitude:  Students learn to identify their own vocational choices based on aptitudes.

  19. •Aptitudes vs. Jobs:  Students learn to identify aptitudes and their relationships to vocations.

  20. •Aptitudes and Job Performance:  Students learn how aptitudes are measured.

  21. •Improving Personal Aptitudes:  Students identify need areas for themselves.

  22. •Jobs:  Students consider both traditional and nontraditional career clusters that interest them.

  23. •Role Model Discussion of Job Selection:  Students learn techniques of meaningful and thoughtful job selection and the importance of staying in school.

  24. •Goals:  Students see how volunteering and hobbies help them prepare for future employment.  Students also learn to set realistic short-term and long-term goals, and learn more about making career choices.

  25. •My Attitude:  Students learn that by improving their attitude they also build self-esteem and improve their chances to do well in life.

  26. •Personal Actions: Students learn to see their own actions and how those actions influence others to see them.

  27. •Service Project:  Students learn to share themselves and develop humanitarian skills through participation in a service project.  Academic subjects are connected to this project.

  28. •My Problems:  Students learn to identify and cope with everyday problems they face.

  29. •Relationships:  Students learn to identify and cultivate positive friendships instead of negative relationships.

  30. •Interpersonal Family Relationships:  Students are taught family dynamics and ways to improve them.

  31. •Labeling:  Students learn labels affect the way others see them and the way they see the world.

  32. •Communication:  Students learn the benefits of two-way communication.

  33. •Communication Styles:  Students identify behaviors typically associated with different communication styles.

  34. •Discriminating Messages:  Students identify verbal and nonverbal ways of communication and the behaviors associated with them.

  35. •I/You Messages:  Students learn and refine usage of effective communication.

  36. •Role-Play:  Students learn interactions with others and practice communication.

  37. •Problem Ownership:  Students learn to identify the owner of a problem.

  38. •Working Through a Problem:  Students learn to effectively work through problems.