As a student, my favorite thing about Summit Learning is Mentoring. My name is Jazmin Goodwin, and I am a 7th grader at Bailey Bridge Middle School in my second year of using Summit Learning. My student-mentor relationship helps me communicate with my teacher and helped me to finally realize who I am as a person.
Creating A Bond
Last year, I was struggling to pass one of my content assessments. So, I went to go talk to my mentor and teacher, Mrs. Jurgens.
I told her how I was feeling and she said, “Don’t stress too much; study a little bit at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself.”
After she told me that, I took a deep breath and broke my work into smaller chunks. I made goals on how I planned to get it done. Then, I followed my plan of action.
What Mrs. Jurgens said really inspired me, and I will carry what she said with me for the rest of my life. That’s how much of an impact her words made on me.
When I was in a traditional classroom environment, I didn’t form that type of bond with my teachers, or any kind of student-mentor relationship.
With Summit Learning, however, teachers have 1:1 time with me, and I am able to express myself freely without being judged.
I think with that kind of help in life, I will have higher self esteem, know how to handle things in the right way, and be prepared for challenges in life that come my way.
Learning to Ask For Help
I also learned that I have people I can talk to when facing a problem in life. Even if they do not know the answer to a problem, at least I can talk about it with them.
Meeting with my mentor feels like I have support from an adult who really cares about me. My mentor is always there for me and she enjoys talking to me. She does more than just keep me on track with my studies; she asks me how I am doing outside of school.
My mentor asks about my plans for the weekend, and the following week she asks how they went. I like this because I feel she will always be there for me, no matter what. She asks me about my extracurricular activities, family, and just how life is in general.
When I talk to my mentor, I know that she actually cares and wants to help with the things I’m going through, like when I’m feeling stressed or if I’m having problems with other students at school.
Growing as a Person
Mentoring has helped me grow as a person because it has shown me I can trust people, particularly my teachers, to help me when I need it.
When I look back to the beginning of my first year in Summit Learning, I can see the positive changes in my social and emotional skills. I like that I am more trusting with people and tell them how I feel when something is wrong.
My advice to any student coming into Summit Learning is to keep an open mind to a new way of learning, and enjoy the mentoring that is provided. If you feel nervous at all, take a deep breath and remember that your teacher and mentor are there to help. Enjoy your 20 minutes of mentoring each week. Trust me, it goes faster than you think.
Read more about student experiences with Summit Learning and how mentoring has helped them grow on The Summit Learning Blog.