Mentoring the Mentors Again

SWA got some new students, so on Friday I went to both 2nd and 4th period to teach the new students what to do when they go to DYE to mentor their 3rd graders. I began by telling them why it is important, why they will have fun doing it, and the importance of being a positive role model for younger students. Then we took it step by step so they would know what to do when they sit down one-on-one with their 3rd graders on Wednesday. Another important step I focused on was having them memorize and practice reading strategies: model reading, choral reading, shadow reading, and independent reading. I also gave them pointers on how to assist the 3rd graders if they had a difficult time finding the answers to the questions in the student magazine. I told them it was good to point out a specific paragraph and guide them to the sentence that tells the answer. I told them that if the mentee is talking more than the mentor, that means the student is comfortable and learning what he/she needs to learn. I also told them to try to relate these topics to their everyday lives if possible. At the end, I quizzed the small group by going around the circle to see if they remembered the order of the session and the reading strategies. We go to DYE on Wednesday. This will be their 4th session out of 10.