My Mentorship Experience

By: Samtina Kanu

 My name is Samtina Kanu. I am a junior in college studying biology. I recently had the opportunity to be a mentor at a local elementary school in Richmond, Virginia. Typically, when a visitor enters a school building, there is a sense of community that is palatable. Whether it is the electric energy given off by the students or the steady professional demeanor from the teachers, there is a sense of familiarity and safety that envelops a visitor. On the first day of the mentorship program I felt a separation between the students and teachers. The first thing I witnessed as I entered the school building was a teacher severely scolding their first-grade students in a manner that caused me alarm. It was quite the introduction and a foreshadowing of how stressful classrooms environments can be for both teachers and students. The following weeks were eye-opening. I would witness a student misbehave, and a teacher who seemed all too ready to send the student to the principal’s office without addressing the student’s underlying behavior. At one point, I witnessed a first grader punching a wall in anger during lunch in the cafeteria. Yet everyone ignored him as if it was a normal everyday occurrence.

 From the student’s perspective, imagine having a teacher scold you constantly at school. It makes the willingness to engage in enrichment activities less desirable. This disengagement is something I witnessed consistently with students in the classroom. Hearing statements such as “I hate school” being reiterated many times by the students. Student disengagement can lead to increased risk of school dropout. “Almost 4 million students start ninth grade every year. One in four won’t graduate. About half of those who drop out every year are black” (Sanchez 2011). Early signs of disengagement can be seen by academic underachievement, low scores on standardized tests, behavior problems, suspensions, and poor attendance. (Henry et al.) The students at this school live in a dangerous area in Richmond where they are exposed to trauma, crime, and violence. The students have a difficult time prioritizing school often times, because of problems they may be facing at home.

 In the mentoring room, the students seemed eager to please their mentors and stay out of trouble. This was starkly different from their behavior in the classroom. From my personal experience, in the classroom my mentee would always try to be the focus of attention – from picking on her classmates or walking out of line. In the mentoring room, my mentee was more reserved. She was engaged with reading and learning, talking about her day, and discussing topics of interest to her. Mentorship programs are important because of the 1:1 direct attention students receive and have the space to express their thoughts without retribution or judgement. School programs such as mentorship, are put in place so that students have an opportunity to learn how to express themselves in a healthy way and receive additional academic supports, as needed. Resources such as community and family involvement, professional development training for teachers and volunteers, extracurricular activities, and are important factors that lead to successful school environments for students.

Educators at the local elementary school have competing priorities while trying to manage classroom behavior, and effectively teach their students. Teachers may not have the capacity to form strong bonds with each of their students given class size and demands for their attention. During my time mentoring, the school did not have a permanent counselor, which means that the stress of dealing with a student’s behavior falls onto the administrators. Additionally, parents can also be incredibly occupied and not have time to address their child’s behavior in school. I felt that this mentorship program aided in fixing the gap in communication between the students and the teachers. I was able to academically and emotionally support my mentee, as well as be a role model for education and student success. I felt that I was able to advocate for my mentee and communicate with my mentee’s teacher about her behaviors and academic struggles. Through this mentorship experience I was able to become a part of this community and help support students who are at risk for becoming involved in the criminal justice system.