Mentoring

Opportunities for Learning, Inspiration and Integration

Dena Lehrman

Project Mentor:

Rabbi Ephraim Levitz

ATID Fellows

2002- 2003

Mentoring

Opportunities for Learning, Inspiration and Integration

Dena Lehrman

ATID Project 2003

Last year, my first year as an ATID Fellow, I worked with Steven Esses (ATID Fellow, 2000,

2002) on facilitating the design, development and implementation of multi-sensory workshops

within the Orot Etzion Girls School located in Efrat, Israel. We did so by drawing on the

hobbies, professional experiences and talents of the parent body to improve upon the school

curriculum.

Some of the goals included:

1 To identify the relevant subject material within the present curriculum that can be

supplemented by parent run workshops.

2 To identify parents of the student body who could design a workshop drawing on

professional experience, life experience or related hobby.

3 To help facilitate the implementation of the workshops.

4. To assess the success of the workshops by feedback received from the classroom

teachers and the parents themselves.

5. To encourage the administration to capitalize upon the success of the pilot

programs by making the workshops part of the permanent curriculum thereby

enabling the teachers to draw upon the resources that we have created and integrate

them into the school year.

This year I have implemented the second stage of the workshop project that is described

towards the end of this paper. As the workshops in the school were gaining recognition by the

staff, students as well as parent body, a new project started to simultaneously take form. The

workshops helped to incorporate relevant experiential learning within the context of the

curriculum. As I contemplated the goals and success of the workshops, I started to address

another aspect of the workshops – the relationship that is forged between a student and an

adult other than the school staff. The workshops did not lend themselves to developing a

meaningful relationship, other than a one off experience. As such, the idea of developing a

student/mentor relationship took form.

The idea was based on two premises. Firstly, that students should be offered the opportunity

to voluntarily explore a topic of interest for the inherit sake of asking questions and seeking

answers. Secondly, that students can grow academically and emotionally by the experience

of exploring a topic under the guidance of a personalized mentor as well as the support and

recognition of the school staff. Most of the school day is filled with assignments, tests and

research papers. All are graded and follow a set curriculum with defined criteria. The

mentoring project that was developed and implemented within the school was found to be

surprisingly refreshing for the students. The program was voluntary and while guidelines were

given to the students, the final project was not going to be graded. Students did not hesitate

to volunteer to be part of this unique experience.

The goals of the mentoring project include:

1. To develop and reinforce curiosity.

2. To transform a topic of interest to something vibrant, relevant and exciting.

3. To expose students to individual in the community who are impassioned about

knowledge and learning.

4. To provide role models of individuals who strive to see the relevance of Torah in

every aspect of the world and who are amazed by the greatness of Hashem

when exploring the world that He has created.

5. To help develop students who can formulate interests and be willing to seek

answers to their questions.

6. To provide the student with the opportunity to learn a topic of interest for its own

sake without being graded on the task.

7. To develop the cycle of learning – asking questions, seeking answers, receiving

positive feedback, viewing oneself as a “learner” and continuing the cycle all over

again.

As a result of the extensive legwork done to identify adults in the school community who had

specific talents or experience within a certain realm, I felt that we had easy access to

individuals who might be interested in functioning as a mentor within our educational setting. I

then sat down with the administration in the school and formulated the goals and framework

of the mentoring project. The driving principal behind the project was to foster curiosity within

the student, with the premise that once a student is hooked into a topic they will be more

eager to question and learn in other areas of their schooling. More importantly, they will view

themselves as seekers of knowledge, and receive feedback for initiating learning. Curiosity

seems to be a driving force that divides between those that are driven and explore and

individuals who become more passive or at times apathetic. The downward spiral towards

apathy is a frightening one which we see its results in our communities and our schools.

Fostering curiosity is therefore the underlying motivation of exposing students to adults who

model this enthusiasm, drive and interest. All mainstreamed students, regardless of their

academic functioning have a spark of curiosity within. It is the responsibility of the educators

to fan that spark as well as to inspire curiosity. The educators need to create an environment

in which curiosity can develop and learning can begin. One only needs to observe a young

child’s exploration of the world to know that curiosity is a gift from above. The following review

of the literature on the development and significance of curiosity was a constant source of

inspiration for the development and implementation of my ATID project.

Childhood as a Stage of Development

The Enlightenment period which occurred during the eighteenth century fostered a whole new

perspective on childhood. John Lock proposed his well known philosophy that at birth the

mind is a blank tablet known as a tabula rasa. It is the responsibility of the adults to fill the

slate with knowledge. He felt that all children had the potential to learn and developed a

program of apprenticeships for poor children. Lock and his followers viewed childhood merely

as a stepping stone into adulthood. Lock viewed literacy, education and reason as the

vehicles that transformed the unformed person into a civilized adult. In contrast Rousseau,

another great eighteenth-century intellectual influence on the concept of childhood, saw this

critical stage in development as important in it’s own right and not only as a means to an end.

Rousseau viewed childhood as a unique experience that most closely approximates to the

“state of nature”. He emphasized the childhood characteristics of purity, strength, joy and

spontaneity. The child innately possesses the capacity for understanding and curiosity,

however they are often deadened by the very things that Lock felt formed a person –

education, literacy and reason.

As the debate over childhood moved into the nineteenth century, two intellectual strains had

formed. One known as the Lockean, or the Protestant conception of childhood, and the other

the Rousseauian, or Romantic view of childhood. While most educational institutions adopted

the Lockean approach, the Romantic view was ever present in the vision of education.

The advent of the media which includes radio, television, computers and the internet affected

the phenomenon of childhood more than anything since the middle ages when children and

adults were considered equals. The media exposed children to information that was

considered private and only at the disposal of adults. While in the past, literacy allowed the

individual to be exposed to all sorts of information, it simultaneously created a gradation

between various age levels and stages of cognitive development. One needed to progress

slowly and sequentially in order to be able to grasp and understand more sophisticated and

mature ideas and experiences. In contrast the television viewer has no restraints of age,

cognition, financial or imagination. The child and adult alike experience a common moment. In

the past the adults were the source of authority as result of the knowledge they possessed.

Today with the vast access of information that children are exposed to on a daily basis, the

lines have blurred and the respect for authority has diminished. The gap closed between old

and young and everyone is considered part of the same generation.

Curiosity – A Prelude to Exploration

Curiosity is a natural part of childhood. The process of unraveling the mysteries of the world

leads to wonderment and further curiosity. This generally happens when there is a clear

distinction between the generations and part of the entry into adulthood is through questioning

and receiving more pieces of the puzzle. In our generation curiosity has been replaced with

cynicism.

The youth of today often feel that they have access to information at their disposal that easily

exceeds the knowledge that the teacher possesses. The student approaches the class with a

lack of regard for the authority of the teacher. The information that they learn using computers

and the internet is often technical in nature and does not enter the students world in a

meaningful way. They do not actively engage in uncovering that knowledge but acquire it in a

very passive and impersonal way.

In 1994 a headline in the paper read: Clinton Tells Educators Youths are not Getting Practical

Skills for Jobs. (New York Times, February 23, 1994, B7.) The article describes the need to

give practical vocational skills so that the students can more easily enter the work force. The

underlying assumption was that one who learns to be useful economically will be considered

an educated person. Neal Postman asserts that this is the wrong solution. Education is about

developing adaptable, open, curious and questioning people. Job training does not develop

that subset of skills. Costa and Kallick in Describing 16 Habits of Mind attributes curiosity,

wonderment and awe about the world as being fundamental to the development of passion

and enthusiasm about learning, inquiring and mastering.

In describing the end goals of education, Neal Postman emphasizes the centrality of the

questioning process in the evolving student. Everything that we know emotionally and

cognitively has its roots in a question. While questions are the principal intellectual instrument

available to people, few educational institutions examine in a systematic nature the

questioning process. It’s ironic that something so fundamental to the relationship between the

human race and the world around us is basically rarely addressed in elementary school, high

school or higher education. Teachers are known for presenting material and for asking

questions at the end of the lesson. Does the classroom framework ever allow for the self

directed questions of the student? Authentic questions often reflect the inner passion waiting

to be unleashed and harnessed. Tapping into those questions of a student and channeling it

in a healthy direction can have lasting impact not only on the related areas of study in school,

but in other aspect of the student’s life. The student who initiates exploration and pursues

answers, solutions and uncovers further questions, is a student who awaits the future and

takes an active role in its approach. Dr. Bruce Perry in his article Curiosity, The Fuel of

Development states, “If a child stays curious, he will continue to explore and discover…. For

too many children, curiosity fades. Curiosity dimmed is a future denied. … The less-curious

child is harder to teach because he is harder to inspire, enthuse, and motivate.”

Perry notes three common ways that adults crush the natural enthusiasm in a child.

1. Fear: Children who have been effected by war, natural disasters, violence, family

distress and a chaotic environment will avoid exploring new things in a positive

manner.

2. Disapproval: The negative comments of adults concerning the natural exploration

of the world around us including insects, mud, etc. impacts on the perceived

values of such interests on behalf of the child.

3. Absence: Children seek the shared discovery, and reinforcement by the

significant adults in their life. The presence of caring, invested adults provides

that support and encouragement. Children who do not have that adult figure will

turn away from exploration and unraveling the mysteries of the world. Instead of

branching outward they turn inward.

This paper addresses the third aspect of Perry’s assumption about the development of

enthusiasm in a child. – namely, the critical role significant adults play in the life of a child.

A child you has a teacher, parent or other adult to model and encourage exploration, will

impact on the level of curiosity that the child develops and utilizes in all facets of life.

Perry’s sequential stages of discovery from within and without:

Curiosity Results in Exploration

Exploration Results in Discovery

Discovery Results in Pleasure

Pleasure Results in Repetition

Repetition Results in Mastery

Mastery Results in New Skills

New Skills Results in Confidence

Confidence Results in Self Esteem

Self Esteem Results in Sense of Security

Security Results in More Exploration

What can we do today in our schools and communities to develop curious and questioning

people? How do we contend with a generation of students who have been bombarded with

technology? How do we facilitate inquisitiveness? How do we channel the vast amounts of

energy that teachers do not know how to handle within the classroom into a very productive

activity for growth and learning? How do we develop a student driven to a goal what ever that

might be?

Mentoring

The word “mentor” comes from Mentor, the name of the friend that Odysseus asked to look

after his son in Homer’s Odyussey. The word “mentor” is generally used to describe a one on

one relationship of an adult with a child. The definition has been expanded to include groups

of older individuals who have been matched up with a younger protege or “mentee”.

Goals and Benefits of Mentoring

Providing students with an up-close look at what a "real job" is like

An ongoing relationship with a caring adult: mentor, tutor, coach,

Safe places and structured activities during non-school hours for learning and

growing

Helping students see the connection between what they learn in the classroom

and what they will need to achieve their goals,

Showing students that they have choices in life, and

Motivating students to achieve.

Offer the adult the opportunity to give back to the community.

Using the community as an effective tool of education.

For example, the job shadowing experience has the potential to make a difference in the life

of a student by giving that student a new vision for their future. The impact of that inspiration

in immeasurable. A couple years ago, General Powell encouraged corporate America to live

up to their pledge of assisting today’s youth by stepping forward a future mentors. "It's going

to take more than one day to make the difference for many of our nation's children, but this is

a great way to get started. It can be the beginning of many long-term mentoring relationships

between adults from all walks of life and children who lack regular contact with a caring adult

in their lives," he said.

JD Hoye, Director of the National School-to-Work Office who sponsored Groundhog Job

Shadow Day, said that research indicates that the most effective lessons are those that foster

a connection between the classroom and the real world. The Scholastic Educational Web Site

recommends that parents and teachers talk to their children/students about their favorite

subjects to help make the school-career connection early on. Family activities should be

encouraged that connect with what is being studied in school to help emphasize this real-

world connections to academics.

John Dewey wrote: “Idealism must indeed come first – the imagination of some better state

generated by desire. But unless ideals are to be dreams and idealism a synonym for

romanticism and fantasy building, there must be a most realistic study of actual conditions….”

(John Dewey, Democracy and Education (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1916), p.59). This

notes Thomas Evans is the role of mentoring. (The New Mentor)

Defining the Mentoring Relationship

1. They function as a role model by teaching, assessing, demonstrating a certain

behavior, emotion, cognitive function or interest.

2. Serve as a sponsor for the mentee in assisting with networking and forging new

relationship for the student. The mentor might be instrumental in assisting the student in

finding a part-time job or internship. They counsel, protect, support, sponsor and

advocate.

3. To serve as a motivator to the student to develop and pursue dreams by setting the

necessary groundwork to achieve those goals. This aspect of mentoring has been

described by Summers-Ewing as the “psycho-social” mentoring functions. It is described

as the aspects of the relationship that enhances a mentees sense of competence,

effectiveness and identity. This motivation can help raise expectations in a realistic

context. It can help foster achievement in school and throughout other areas of life. The

mentor nurtures and encourages growth.

4. Parker Palmer describes the power of a mentor who can awaken a truth within the

student by listening and connecting in a way that most teachers find difficult. The mentor

inspires and empowers the mentee. Educational mentoring enables the student to be

exposed to multiple experts and to experience a relationship with an adult who is not

responsible for assessing the students academic level.

5. The learning that ensues from a mentoring relationship becomes an activity related to

the “real world” and not just an isolated experience in the classroom.

The literature describes two type of mentoring relationships – formal and informal. Often the

relationship remains a formal experience. The mentor and student meet during the specific

period of time and at the point the interaction ends. However, often what begins as a formal

experience will develop into an informal or natural relationship. Each style has the potential to

impact on the development of the student. The informal relationship has the ability to help the

student flourish as a result of the ongoing relationship that often ensues even upon the end

of a specific project. While mentoring relationships can develop spontaneously within a

community, a formal program involves a greater awareness of the goals and factors of

mentoring.

Very often when mentors were asked what motivated them to participate in a mentoring

project, they noted that someone had done something similar for them during their youth.

They felt the obligation to pass along the favor.

The Four Stages of a Mentoring Relationship

Stage 1

At this stage the mentor and mentee formally meet and clarify the goals of their relationship.

Often common interests, values and future goals and dreams are shared. The mentor and

mentee might initially feel an awkwardness and lack of communication. Sometimes it will take

several meetings in order to feel the comfort level to truly connect and feel a common bond.

At times, it is an indication that a different match between another mentor and mentee couple

might be indicated.

Some relevant points:

The mentor should give the mentee the confidence that he/she will follow through

on the agreed upon meeting times.

The mentor should model to the mentee how talk about ones dream and fears in

a non-threatening comfortable manner.

The mentor should use positive feedback.

The mentor should ask questions that can not only be answered by a simple

yes/no answer.

The mentor should help the mentee think about short-term and long-term goals.

Stage 2

During this stage the mode of communication includes more attentive listening, sharing and

confiding in one another. A game plan is set in motion once expectations and goals have

been further defined.

The mentor should encourage the mentee to formally outline the short-term and

long-term personal, social and educational goals.

The mentor functions as a facilitator to help the mentee decide for him/herself

how to achieve the goals.

Defining values, self-identity and future ideals will constantly need to be assessed

throughout the goal setting and refining process.

Stage 3

The mentor and the mentee begin to address the actual short term goals set for their joint

project. Objectives are met and progress is noted. Goals are constantly re-assessed and

redefined accordingly.

Stage 4

The target goals or finishing date arrives. The mentor and the mentee review the common

project and the relationship that ensued throughout their time together. There is closure to the

relationship and at times a plan in implemented to continue an ongoing relationship upon

completion of the official mentoring experience.

Training and Growth of the Mentor

Most of the mentoring programs that I reviewed briefly described a training stage for the

mentor. The Letting Education Achieve Dreams project recommended the following list of

questions as a guideline for the mentor before and during the mentoring project.

They include:

How do I perceive myself in the many roles a mentor plays?

How well do I understand the mentee’s overall expectations for our mentoring

relationship?

What is my objective in our meetings?

Does my objective meet the goal set by the mentee?

Am I rigidly trying to achieve a specific agenda or goal?

Am I flexible and open to changing the focus of our project?

What expectations do I have of the mentee?

Am I prepared for a different reaction on the part of the mentee?

Do I encourage the questioning process?

Do I listen and address the question that is being asked?

Do I try to uncover the underlying issue that I perceive the question is truly

addressing?”

I did review an interesting site at http://www.nwrel.org/mentoring/pdf/packfive.pdf that outlines

a well defined mentoring training program that includes sample activities for a series of

training sessions. The improvement of listening skills is one of the critical areas addressed to

help improve the communication between mentor and mentee. Other training programs

provide an hour to four hours sessions to describe the goals of their individual program as

well as to describe the population the mentors will be working with.

Examples of Mentoring Projects:

Groundhog Job Shadow Day is a yearly even that takes place in the US that gets students to

spend the day with an adult in order to shadow scientists, firefighters, graphic designers,

mechanics, doctors, architects, teachers, government employees, and workers from hundreds

of other professions.

Partners for Youth is an organization that matches students up with mentors in order to

improve grades, assist the student in choosing classes and extracurricular activities and to

find a summer job in an area that interest the student. The administration hopes that these

interactions will help the student in setting up ambitious goals for their future. They also

provide the opportunity to meet with professionals from their fields of interest.

Another mentoring project that has taken off in many states in the US is The Computer

Clubhouse - Beyond Four Walls. Generally under-served youth are matched up with

teenagers or professionals to explore a scientific topic of interest. The youth is often pegged

as being troubled students who interfere in the classroom. Many are considered to be creative

and bright, but do not have the opportunity to channel their creativity in a positive way. The

Clubhouse experience empowers the students to explore and pursue their own interest while

exposing them to mentors and coaches who have common interests. Studies indicate that

interaction with adult professionals is one of the most important factors in determining the

path a student will pursue. However, unfortunately many of today’s youth have little

interaction with adults who are engaged in professional careers, who can encourage them to

develop their own talents and interests.

Within the Orthodox educational world, the only mentoring project that I heard about was one

that has been implemented at the Yeshivah of Flatbush under the guidance and vision of

Rabbi Joel Wolwosky and Rabbi Jonathan Kroll. The program, Tsei Ulmad, offers high school

students the opportunity to participate in various mentored independent study courses which

are taught by teachers, alumni or parents. These courses do not fulfill any course

requirements, however they are recorded on the student’s transcripts. Approximately 80

students participated in the program with positive results both in terms of the coursework as

well as the relationships that were forged as a result of the mentoring experiences. Several

other schools had utilized adults from the community as a vehicle to expose students to

potential career options.

The above mentoring organizations are just several from others like it in the US. Most of the

mentoring projects that I reviewed fell into the following categories.

1. Mentoring projects that function as a big brother/sister relationship, with its goal being

the emotional development of the student who generally comes from a background of

drug/alcohol addiction, minority ethnic groups, difficult family situations or other traumatic

experiences. The mentor will focus on activities that will foster social skills, improve self

esteem, civic duty and improve the student’s overall attitude to school, family and

community.

2. Mentoring projects that inspire academic success. Most commonly, students get

specific help in reading and math. There are specifically programs set up in inner city

communities, groups of at-risk students and programs for students with learning

disabilities.

3. Mentoring projects that offer youth the opportunity to explore various careers with the

hope that the exposure to the real world will help the students become more ambitious

within school to pursue a similar career.

4. Mentoring projects for people entering careers within the capacity of an

apprenticeship. Siements Stromberg-Carlson is an international company based in

Germany that has begun training 13,000 apprentices in 30 countries throughout the

world. The Siements model as been encouraged in the US as a functional system for

non-college-bound young people to integrate into the work force. Apprentices are

encouraged to pursue their college degrees simultaneously.

Successes of Mentoring

Various mini studies have been conducted to validate the positive effects gleaned from the

mentoring relationship. The New Mentor quotes the following successes in mentoring:

1. 98% of the at risk students participating in a mentor program stayed in school, as

compared to an 11% dropout rate in a parallel control group.

2. Students who were mentored showed a significant decline in violent acts when

compared to a control group within the same educational institution.

3. Students do not necessarily enter the field of choice that the mentor represents.

However the students are often more motivated to attend school more regularly, improve

their grades, and well as respecting their teacher and peers.

The following are the results of a Big Brother/Big Sister program:

63% reported an increase in school grades

56% said that relationships with families had improved

69% said peer relationships were better

66% reported more positive mentee relationships with teachers

86% said youngsters in the program experienced increased exposure to cultural

and educational services

85% of the respondents reported an increase in mentee self esteem

The Mentoring Project in Orot Etzion Girls

School, Efrat, Israel

As mentioned earlier, during the school year 2001-2002, I had implemented along with the

help of Steven Esses, another ATID Fellow, the design and implementation of experiential

workshops related to the curriculum by tapping into the talents, hobbies and experiences of

the parent body. The project was implemented at Orot Etzion. Orot Etzion, located in Efrat in

Gush Etzion, Orot Etzion was founded in 1989. Currently the school functions as a

semiprivate K-8 school system with over 1000 students in 5 different schools. The educational

philosophy of the school is firmly rooted in the Barkai method . As mentioned in “An Analysis

of the Implementation of the Barkai Mentod in the Orot Etzion School System”:

“The Barkai curriculum focuses on religious studies following the order stipulated by our

sages: Bible at the age five, Mishna at age ten and Talmud at age fifteen (Ethics of the

Fathers 5:21). At the same time, the program aims at achieving maximum integration of

secular and religious studies, broadening students’ horizons in all aspects of life”.

The Barkai program has been designed to provide for the educational needs of the modern

committed religious Jew by developing and implementing a holistic approach to education.

The curriculum is centered on Torah study, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The goals

are to make Torah relevant to every facet of life, especially to life in the modern world. The

basic conception is not to set up a dichotomy between secular subjects being studied as a

concession to the world on the one hand, and the ideal of spending one’s life behind the walls

of a Yeshiva on the other. The Barkai program’s view is that secular subjects are to be

integrated together with the wisdom of the Torah, in line with the ideas of the Rambam.

Orot Etzion was chosen as the experimental school to host the project as it had a unique

combination of variables that include:

- An educational vision that emphasizes experiential/interactive learning

- A parent body for the most part used to being involved in their children’s school.

- A strong school administration with tremendous vision, yet open to new ideas.

- A community such as Gush Etzion with its unique pool of potential parents and community

resources which can be used to help enhance a Torah curriculum

The implementation of such a far reaching vision and facilitating a change of this magnitude

within an established educational institution requires time in order for it to become embedded

into the philosophy of the school. A good part of time was spent laying this foundation to get

the school committed to integrating our program into their educational milieu. Following the

successful implementation of the first stage of the project, I decided to continue overseeing

the workshop project while simultaneously developing the mentoring program.

The workshops helped to reinforce the learning in the classroom while enabling parents to

become instrumental partners in the student’s quest for knowledge. Parent involvement also

exposes students to adults who are impassioned about their area of knowledge and function

as a role model for the integrity of a Torah life style. Secondly, a side benefit for the teachers

on staff is the facilitation and the enrichment of Torah related hands on learning. These

modules can be copied by other teachers and implemented in other frameworks. The pilot

project was deemed a success by the administration and was implemented on a more wide

scale for the current 2002-2003 school year. While the further development and

implementation of the workshops in conjunction with the curriculum continued to be the focus

of my ATID project, a parallel but similar project evolved over the course of the year, which

became know as Tochnit Chemda.

Tochnit Chemda

Tochnit Chemda is a voluntary program launched for students in the 6th-8th grades to pursue a

topic of interest related to the “world around us”. The project was established to encourage

students to take an interest in any subject and to ask questions and pursue answers with the

assistance of the administration and mentors. These mentors were drawn from the same

parent body actively involved in the classroom workshops. Tochnit Chemda was a joint effort

on behalf of Simone Shiran (the supervisor of the development of the philosophy in the

school), Nurit Aharoni (the head of the science department) who spear headed the project,

Rav Kobi Dorenstein (the principal of the school), and myself. The program could not have

been implemented without the strong vision and commitment of the administration and the

charismatic individuals involved.

Teachers overwhelmingly describe their students as individuals who lack initiative,

inquisitiveness and a willingness to grow. I decided that it would be productive for students to

participate in a voluntary capacity to become “explorers in the pursuit of knowledge”. In order

to do so the following conditions were necessary.

Requirements

1. The involvement of the student should be voluntary.

2. The final paper/project would not be officially graded.

3. The administration would provide emotional and technical support.

4. The project would take place of a specified period of time.

5. Each student would have the opportunity to meet with a mentor with experience in the

chosen topic.

6. The group would be limited to around 12-15 students.

7. The students would meet as a group several times in order to provide support,

encouragement and a sense of accomplishment to the students.

8. The program would be accessible to all, not limited to students with a certain grade

level or academic capabilities.

The goals of the mentoring project included:

1. To develop and reinforce curiosity.

2. To transform a topic of interest to something vibrant, relevant and exciting.

3. To expose students to individual in the community who are impassioned about

knowledge and learning.

4. To provide role models of individuals who strive to see the relevance of Torah in

every aspect of the world and who are amazed by the greatness of Hashem when

exploring the world the He has created.

5. To help develop students who can formulate interests and be willing to seek answers

to their questions.

6. To provide the student with the opportunity to learn a topic of interest for its own sake

without being graded on the task.

The role of the mentors

1. The mentor can be an individual who works in a related field, is

knowledgeable in the topic, has a similar hobby or is someone eager to spend the

time learning about something knew. While other teachers in the school can

function as mentors, we chose to find individuals who are not part of the school

staff.

2. To assist the student in developing a list of relevant questions as a

stepping stone to then explore the topic.

3. To help fine tune the overall topic to something more focused and

manageable.

4. To assist the student in finding relevant material on the topic.

5. To energize the student by transforming the topic from something

distant and theoretical to something relevant and meaningful.

6. The focus of the process of the exploration more than the end result

of the paper/presentation.

7. If relevant, to informally discuss how the mentor became interest in

the topic and to relate to similar experiences of exploration in his/her own youth.

8. Wherever possible, to explain the material by demonstrating with

visual aids or an experiment (i.e. using a prism to explain about a rainbow,

demonstrating the dying process for Techelet).

Guidelines for mentoring project

1. Notify students in the 6th-8th grades of the opportunity to voluntarily participate

in a exploration project that would include choosing a topic of interest related to the

“world around us”.

2. Students could sign up and register for the program.

3. Twelve students could participate in the experimental launching of the

mentoring program.

4. The projects would be supervised by the head of the science department.

5. Each student would be matched with a mentor from the community with

expertise or interest in the given topic.

6. Students would need to meet with their mentors a minimum of two times.

7. Students would meet with the principal a couple of times over the course of

the project as a group to discuss the process of their individual projects. A critical part

of the experience would be contingent on the success of these joint brainstorming

sessions to foster enthusiasm and to develop a sense of pride in this select group of

students willing to invest extra effort and initiative to learn.

8. The mentoring project would take place over the course of a six week period.

The staff felt that this was a realistic amount of time to complete the research and to

maintain a level of commitment without loosing the initial momentum.

9. Each student would write up a paper and power point presentation as well as

prepare any relevant visual aids or models.

Results of the mentoring project in the Orot Etzion Girls School

There were 12 girls who participated in the project. Initially many more signed up for the

program, but dropped out over the course of the initial couple of weeks. The school was

eager to include anyone interested in participating, but I felt that it would be too difficult to

manage such a large group of students. Fortunately, the numbers naturally dropped and the

staff subsequently agreed that it would be best to keep the group to a maximum of around 12

students in order to attend to the needs of each student. Unfortunately, the group never

formally met with the principal. He did provide constant encouragement on an individual basis

to the students participating, but the brainstorming sessions did not take place due to

technical difficulties. The staff in planning next years program, has agreed to schedule these

meetings as they are a critical part of the growth process.

The following is a list of topics that the students chose to explore.

Drugs

Jupiter

Techelet

Siamese Twins

Helium

Genetics

Rainbows

Geysers

Smoking

Malaria

Different forms of energy

The project took around two and a half months instead of the intended six week period. The

start of the project was postponed for several technical reasons and as a result the Pesach

vacation interrupted the continuity of the project. The staff has already discussed planning the

mentoring projects for two periods during the school year that fall between vacations (i.e.

between Sukkot and Chanukah, between Rosh Chodesh Shvat and Purim).

I met with the students who participated in Tochnit Chemda. All the girls who had committed

themselves to the project, followed through and handed in a final paper and presentation.

That in and of itself is a success as the program was voluntary. The students overwhelmingly

felt that the project was worthwhile and that it was interesting to research a topic that they had

entirely chosen. Many commented that it was their first experience in school in which they

were able to choose a topic from an unlimited pool. In the past, they had the opportunity to

choose a topic within a focused array of topics. The students felt that while many of their

friends did not understand why they had chosen to voluntarily “work extra” on an additional

assignment, they found that most of the comments from their peers were positive. While

interviewing one student, a student not involved in the project, stopped and asked if we were

talking about Tochnit Chemda. She then proceeded to say that she regrets not participating

and that she will sign up for next year. It was a sign that one of the main goals of Tochnit

Chemda has begun to take hold within the school – the willingness to engage in the pursuit of

knowledge for its own sake.

While the project as a whole was a success, the mentoring aspect did not occur across the

board. Around half the girls met with a mentor of some sort. Some of the girls did not meet

with their assigned mentor and found other individuals to fill that role – neighbors or parents.

Some of the girls who did not meet with their mentor mentioned that they felt shy to call

someone that they did not know. Others did not fully understand the role of the mentor. Of the

girls who did meet with their mentors, some of them also were initially hesitant to contact their

mentors, but nonetheless they initiated the contact and met once or twice.

The following is a compilation of their comments of the role the mentor played in the research

of their projects.

1. The students overwhelmingly were excited about given the opportunity to explore any

topic of interest. The additional components of being offered a mentor and having support

from the school staff was very encouraging.

2. The students felt that is was helpful to meet with an adult who knew a lot about the

material and was able to suggest other sources of information.

3. One student used the mentor to think through the format of the paper, formulate other

areas to research as well as to proofread the final paper.

4. Several students commented that their mentor sat with them and demonstrated an

experiment to highlight a specific piece of information. The students found that aspect of

their meeting very interesting.

5. Most felt comfortable contacting the mentor at a later stage if they were to further

explore the same or similar topic.

While I met with some of the students individually, Nurit and I held a joint meeting at the

conclusion of the program. We brainstormed together as to ways a mentor could have

helped them in further developing their individual projects. Those who met with their

mentors spoke about characteristics they value in a mentor – an individual who is

interesting, good with kids, can make the material fun, and easy talk to. They were

adamant that there is a difference between a teacher and mentor in the context of the

interest level and relevance. The vast majority would highly consider continuing in Tochnit

Chemda for next year and would be willing to meet with a mentor. In addition to public

recognition for the students commitment to the program, the school also treated the

students to a pizza lunch.

Nurit reviewed the projects that the participants had submitted and felt that they were

academically on a high level and reflected a real interest and commitment to the topic.

She was very pleased with the results of Tochnit Chemda and would like to actively

further influence and shape the direction it will take. We are considering displaying the

projects at the beginning of next year in conjunction with “meet the teacher evening”, as

part of the advertisement of Tochnit Chemda to the students, as well as to publicize and

market the program to the parents

Challenges that arose during the development and implementation of the project:

1. Finding students who can commit to a topic and follow through to the end. It was

frustrating that more students didn’t actually meet with their mentors. Nonetheless, the

mentors who did not meet with their mentees, will hopefully function as mentors for the

next mentoring session and the school has fully committed itself to the implementation of

the program for the 2003-2004 school year.

2. Students often approached the mentor before they had started to plan out their

project. A student do some initial research and develop a list of areas to explore as well

as to think of several critical questions as a starting point to meeting with the mentor. The

first meeting as a group can help in that stage of the process.

3. We managed to hand select individuals who could function as wonderful mentors. It

will not always be so easy to find appropriate people and that has to be taken into

consideration in planning the project. It might be necessary to approach individuals from

the community at large who are not affiliated with the school.

4. The mentor is a critical piece of the success of the mentoring relationship. It would

have been ideal to develop a workshop to prepare the mentors in working with the

students. Due to the time constraint of most of the participants, we opted to describe the

project over the phone and we sent home a letter (See Addendum) highlighting the goals

and guidelines of the project.

5. I would have wanted to interview each mentor to receive feedback as to the success

of the relationship.

Future Plans

Due to the initial success of the mentoring project, the mentoring staff and I have written up

the following guidelines in order to ensure the implementation of the project in Orot Etzion

during the 2003-2004 school year.

1. There will be two mentoring sessions during the upcoming school year.

2. One will take place immediately after Sukkot for a period of six weeks.

3. The second will take place from Rosh Chodesh Shvat until Purim.

4. A maximum of 12 projects will be matched with appropriate mentors. Students can

choose to work in groups of two if they so wish.

5. Students will be matched with an appropriate mentor by the supervisor of the project

with the assistance of representatives of the parent body (Vaad Horim).

6. A letter will be sent home to describe the expectations of the student and to enlist the

assistance of the parents in the technical challenges of having their child meet with their

mentor. The parents will also be encouraged to become an active participant in their

child’s exploration. (See addendum for sample letter written in Hebrew and used this

year)

7. A letter will be sent to the mentor thanking them for volunteering their time and to

highlights the guidelines and goals of the project. (See addendum for sample letter used

this year).

8. The students will meet with the principal and the supervisor of the project briefly

during week 1 and then for an hour during the third and fifth weeks.

9. A form will be filled out during the meetings with the principal, to identify the questions

that the student is exploring. It helps the student, mentor and supervisor to keep track of

the development of the project. (See sample form written in Hebrew, that has been

developed).

10. The school paper will describe the overall project and identify the current participants.

11. An event will be scheduled in which the project can be presented to specific groups or

as an event for the entire school (i.e. science fair).

12. Questionnaires will be given out to both students and mentors participating in the

project to help identify successes, challenges and areas to change. (See addendum for

sample questionnaires.)

In addition to planning the next stage of the mentoring project within Orot Etzion, a local high

school has contacted me to help them formulate a similar mentoring project in their school. A

meeting was held with a couple members of the Parent Committee to lay the foundation for a

mentoring program. Negotiations are currently underway with an experienced educator who

would like to be part of developing the mentoring program within the community. He has

begun to outline a business plan to submit to a potential financial backer of the project.

Guidelines for implementing a mentoring project in other schools

and communities

1. Identify the targeted age group that you will be addressing.

2. Determine the goals of the mentoring project (i.e. educational, social). Decide if it is

necessary or beneficial to give a general structure to the topics to be chosen. Evaluate the

benefits and drawback of allowing students to choose any area of interest versus the real

challenge of finding mentors appropriate for each topic.

3. Determine the duration of the mentoring project (short term, a semester, the school year)

and the resulting commitment of both mentor and mentee.

4. Form a committee that should include individuals from the school administration/staff and

representatives from the parent body. Divide up responsibilities. It is recommended that a

school staff member present the project as a whole and be willing to meet with the students

as a group and individually to track the progress of the projects. Parents from the student

body can be used to identify the resources in the community and to make the match between

mentor and mentee.

5. Present the overall project to the students. It is critical that the individual understand the

goals and reflects the underlying enthusiasm and spirit of the program.

6. Allow students to sign up voluntarily and to identify an area of interest or a question they

want to explore.

7. Have the person who presented the project or another capable staff member, sit with

each applicant and fine tune the area they want to explore. It is preferable that the session is

used to list questions to help fine tune the topic. It also helps to find an appropriate match as

well as to give some direction to the future mentor.

8. Compile the list of topics to be addressed during the mentoring experience. It is

recommended that the committee simultaneously begin to identify individuals from the

community or parent body who would function well as mentors. The school paper could be

used as a vehicle to publicize the program to help find additional mentors as well as to notify

the community of the project once it has been implemented.

9. The school staff or the appointed committee should then make the match between mentor

and mentee, keeping in mind that some of the matches might need to be changed at a later

date depending on the progress of the relationship and project.

10. Once the mentor and mentee are paired off, a letter should be sent to both the mentor

and the family of the mentee to describe the goals and expectations of the project. (See

addendum for sample Hebrew letter).

11. It is essential that a staff member meet weekly with the group of mentees to assess the

progress of the projects. It is recommended that the sessions provide the participants with an

opportunity to brainstorm together while creating a dynamic community of learners. A sample

form (in Hebrew), can be found in the addendum, which can be used to help the student

monitor the progress of their individual project.

12. Mentors should stay in touch with the staff member or committee head to give feedback

regarding the progress of the project/relationship. Email is highly recommended. At an early

stage both mentor and mentee should be contacted to determine the success of the

relationship. Sometimes it might be necessary to find a different match if one of the partners

does not feel that the relationship is helpful in reaching the set goals.

13. The participants of the mentoring project should be recognized for their initiative and

efforts especially is a situation that the mentoring experience is to help foster curiosity and the

pursuit of knowledge.

14. An event marking the closure of the mentoring project or the end of the mentoring

relationship is essential. It is important the participants feel a sense of accomplishment.

In order to optimize the success of the project, it is critical that a staff member has a minimum

of several hours a week to help supervise the program and to help maximize the development

of each individual project.

Workshops

While my ATID project from 2002 (See “Expanding the Horizons: The Use of Experiential

Workshops to Enhance a School-Wide Torah Curriculum: The Parent Participation Factor in

Achieving Integrative Success”), focused on the development of the mentoring project, it also

addressed the continuations of the parent run workshops within the classroom that was set in

motion during the 2001-2002 school year under the auspices of my previous ATID project.

The goals of the workshop project included using parents as instrumental partners in the

students quest for knowledge, by using their knowledge of various disciplines (astronomy,

physics, engineering, botany, crafts work etc.) as educational tools to reinforce the learning in

the classroom. Parent involvement also exposes students to adults who are impassioned

about their area of knowledge and function as a role model for the integrity of a Torah life

style. A side benefit for the teachers on staff is the facilitation and the enrichment of Torah

related hands on learning. These modules can be copied by other teachers and implemented

in other frameworks. See addendum for a letter (in Hebrew) to the parent body describing the

workshop program and a chart that can be filled out with an area of expertise or interest that

they are willing to help design into a workshop.

Each grade benefited from a workshop this year. A good part of the meeting towards the ends

of the year focused on mapping out the curriculum for the upcoming year to plan workshops

that were successfully implemented the past two years, as well as the design additional

workshops. A chart was designed to analyze the subject matter being covered each month for

each grade. Workshops were then plugged into the curriculum accordingly. See addendum

for the initial workshops that have been scheduled and planned for the upcoming school year

2003-2004. The chart can be used as a model for the implementation of similar workshops

within other schools.

The classroom teachers were interviewed to receive their reflections on the implementation of

the workshops. They found the workshops to be stimulating, interesting and relevant to the

students. Some of them commented on the challenge of having a presenter who did not have

full command of the Hebrew language. Nonetheless, most teachers felt that the students were

captivated and interested by the experiential aspect of the workshop. Teachers felt that the

students listened, were attentive and referred back to the experience at a later date. Many felt

that having an outside person come in was an essential in the success of the workshop. The

teachers were eager to continue the workshops and initiated a discussion of when and how

the workshops run to date should be implemented in future years. They also recommended

topics for other workshops.

Summary

This paper has addressed the vision and implementation of an experimental mentoring

project within an Orthodox Girls Elementary school (Torani). Mentoring projects are very

uncommon within the Orthodox community. The Yeshiva High School of Flatbush has a

mentoring project that offers students the opportunity to replace a formal class with an

independent study guided by the mentor from the school or community. To date, I have not

identified an Orthodox elementary school that has implemented a mentoring project along the

scale of the one outlined above.

Mentoring is an invaluable tool to expose students to role models of individuals who are

impassioned about knowledge and inspired to grow religiously. It gives students the chance

to explore a topic of interest, gain self confidence, while developing a potentially meaningful

relationship with an adult within their community. The above mentioned mentoring project not

only exposes the students to outstanding individuals, it also give them the opportunity to

recognize areas they are interested in while connecting with an adult who has a common

interest. It helps the students identify themselves as learners and explorers of knowledge.

Finally, those same students can be transformed into sources of knowledge when at the end

of the project they are given the opportunity to present the material in an interactive way

before a class. Mentoring can be appropriate in a variety of educational and communal

settings. Plans are underway to continue expanding the mentoring project within Orot Etzion,

with possible additional projects being launched for high school students in the Gush Etzion

area.

In addition to incorporating the mentoring project, Orot Etzion has fully implemented the

parent run classroom workshops into the curriculum for the upcoming school year. They have

embraced the value of utilizing the talent of the parent body within the classroom. The school

and community have joined forces to help transform the classroom material into something

meaningful and relevant. The mentoring and workshop projects are really two sides of the

same coin. They tap into the talents and passions of individuals who can demonstrate the

relevance of learning while modeling the passion to learn, grow and explore. Under the

guidance of my mentor Rabbi Ephraim Levitz, ATID has offered me the opportunity to

formulate a vision and guide me in implementing that vision within an existing educational

institution.

References

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Sample questionnaire to give to students who have participated in a mentoring project:Was the mentor helpful in identifying relevant questions to help focus the research?

How would you describe the relationship with your mentor?

Was the mentor helpful in identifying material and sources of information relevant to

the subject matter?

Did the mentor recommend other people to talk to or places to go learn more about

the topic?

Did the enthusiasm of researching a topic that interest you grow or wane over the

course of the project?

Did the project inspire you to want to continue to find out more about the topic?

Itemize three things you found to be positive in the opportunity to meet with a

mentor?

What would you have done differently in researching the topic or in your meetings

with your mentor?

Would you approach your mentor if you happened to see him/her out and around in

the community?

Would you be interested in participating in this project again this year?

Would you choose a similar or different topic?

Would you be interested in meeting with the same mentor?

Sample questionnaire that can be given to mentors following a

mentoring project.

Now would you describe your experience working with a student?

How many times did you meet with your mentee?

Would you recommend fewer or more meetings?

Did you find that the student was an active partner in the relationship?

Did the student inspire you to think of the topic from a different perspective?

Do you feel you managed to make the material relevant to the student, and if so,

how?

How would you describe the qualities of a good mentor?

Would you recommend the mentoring experience to a friend?

Would you be interested in mentoring again?