Digital Commons Network^™

Building A Grassroots Learning Assistant Program, Katie V. Johnson, Lindsay A. Singh, Laura J. Frost

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduates who work in active-learning classrooms with students facilitating discussions and encouraging deeper thinking, while also receiving pedagogical training. We describe how we built an LA program at a regional comprehensive university starting as a grassroots STEM initiative to recruit teachers, and expanding into a campus-wide multi-disciplinary program focusing on student success in a variety of general education courses. Additionally, in the 2020-2021 academic year, we conducted a formative assessment to further understand the program's impact. Our findings revealed strong alignment among students, faculty, and LAs regarding the LA's role in student learning. Qualitative themes from …

Mentoring Matters! Designing Mentoring Programs For Misbehaving Black Boys, Tina D. Nelson-Jackson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Statistics indicate that Black males who continue to experience progressive disciplinary action in school eventually suffer academic failure, which inevitably leads to the school-to-prison pipeline. However, research proves that mentoring programs that are specifically designed for misbehaving Black males can be a viable option for improving behaviors, decreasing disciplinary occurrences, improving grades, and thereby increasing their chances of academic success in the classroom setting.

Rethinking The Mentor/Mentee Relationship: The Critical Mentoring Approach In A North Carolina Middle School, Kendra P. Alexander, Brianna Mccullough, Nikaizha Davis, Patrick Clifford

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

In this session, undergraduate and graduate students from North Carolina A&T State University describe the genesis and evolution of an internship-based, community-academic partnership grounded in the concept of critical mentoring. As mentors with the Nia Project, interns support middle school students in critical exploration of post-high school pathways. Along with the supervising instructor, students identify key concepts and prerequisites for successful implementation.

Igniting The Spirit Of Hope And Discovery In Our Youth, Thomas Peterson, Stephanie Love, Travis Thomaston, Sung Park, Ali Clark

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Trauma in our at-risk youth community is a growing concern and needs revisioning if we are to expect positive transformations. Our mentoring program is specifically designed to ignite hope and healing which is transforming youth that are on probation with the justice system. The outcomes are humbling and transforming, with youth better able to love themselves, connect with others, and find hope for their futures.

Healing Trauma In Our At-Risk Youth, Thomas Peterson, Tom Parmer, Stephanie Love, Jo Germanowski, Tyesha Harrison

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Trauma in our at-risk youth community is a growing concern and must be addressed if we are to expect positive transformations. We have developed a mentoring program that is specifically designed to bring healing that is transforming our at-risk youth that are on probation with the justice system here in Georgia. The outcomes are humbling and remarkable.

Black Stem Mentors Matter: A Qualitative Case Study Examining The Contextual Factors Of Mentoring Relationships In Stem At A Private Hbcu That Contribute To African American Student Persistence Within Stem Majors, Brittany Chambers

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continue to drive the nation forward, there remains a need for more diversified STEM minds. While there have been many interventions geared toward supporting minorities at predominately white institutions (PWIs), seldom do researchers investigate where African American STEM students experience the most success, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Therefore, this qualitative case study aimed to examine the contextual factors that make up mentoring relationships in STEM at a HBCU that contribute to African American student persistence in STEM. An exploratory, qualitative approach was utilized to focus on STEM students at a …

Struggling To Recruit Men Of Color Mentors? Come Learn Best Practices And Strategies To Recruit And Retain Men Of Color Mentors., Kwame Johnson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

1. Participants will leave the session with a blueprint to implement their own Mayors 100 Men to Mentors Challenge. The Mayors 100 Men to Mentors Challenge resulted in more than 200 men singing up to become mentors.

1. Participants will leave the session with practical strategies to better recruit and retain men of color mentors.

How To Build An Effective Mentoring Program, Antoinette Dunstan, Monica Seeley

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

While few students have been sick with COVID-19, education disruptions and national social unrest have impacted the social emotional stability of 56.4 million children. One resource bridging the student, the family and the community is a multi-tiered mentorship program. School/community/faith-based mentorship programs effectively addressing disparities by integrating cultural awareness curricula build our rising leaders. Attend this workshop designed to show how this is done effectively.

Mentoring In A Cooperative Learning Classroom, Jacqueline Gilbert

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

This manuscript introduces an experiential model of cooperative learning, and a public/private partnership between industry and higher education—one that included mentors as an integral part of the classroom experience. Each of thirty-seven students in a Principles of Management Experiential Learning class was assigned an experienced executive/professional who served as their mentor. These individuals had experience congruent with students’ career goals and aspirations, and they were able to help them craft a reflective end-of-term paper. Interview data from mentors illustrates the type of career guidance and advice they offered to their mentees, and why they thought that mentoring was important for …

The Retention Of African American Male College Students In East Georgia State College, Larry R. Braddy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused upon the perceptions of twenty African American male students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at East Georgia State College regarding retention initiatives, student support services, and student engagement inside and outside the classroom. Previous research of Black male college achievement addressed almost exclusively the extent to which students were disengaged and underrepresented among college students. Utilizing an anti-deficit framework, I examined the participant’s perceptions of their pre-college socialization and readiness, including the influence of their families, peers, and educators upon their college enrollment. Also, I presented in this research the findings from the perceptions of staff, …

Working Together: Building K-12/College Mentor Partnerships To Support Students With Learning Differences, Tammy J. Graham, Renee N. Jefferson, Koy Mai, Christopher "Gage" Russell, Ashley Cannon, Mary Taylor

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

In an interactive discussion with audience members, presenters will share ideas for developing positive mentor-mentee partnerships between K-12 schools and colleges; discuss the impact of two recently established mentor partnerships, as well as perspectives from college student mentors and K-12 teachers of student mentees with learning differences; collaboratively examine data to discuss potential program adaptations; and provide mentoring activities that audience members can utilize.

‘Working With Kids At Risk And Making A Difference, On The Street’, Jim C. Taylor Mr., Briana A. Burney, Kianna M. Reid, Derrielle M. Brown

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

If you are an educator, a teacher, a student or a community leader you need NOT to miss this presentation. Learn how a group of Georgia Southern students are changing the lives of children at risk in their town, Statesboro, Georgia.

Why Peer Intervention Is Viable, Cynthia L. Morton, Antoinette Dunstan, Candice Anderson, Monica Seeley

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Welcome to the "Age of Indifference". Unfortunately, our culture is so busy looking at our own problems and issues that we have systematically stopped caring about others. However, if our culture would embrace a system based on collaboration and compassion, we may lessen many social and psychological issues that impact youth today.

Novice Teachers' Perception Of Mentoring And Teacher Retention, Alissa Sasser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acclimating to the field of education, particularly during the first five years, is significantly challenging for novice teachers. In order to ease the transition into the field with the hopes of supporting retention, novice teachers are usually assigned a mentor. Typically, mentors are veteran teachers who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency as an educator and are assigned to the novice teacher in order to provide technical support in areas such as classroom management and lesson planning, as well to provide social and emotional support to novice teachers. An abundance of research exists to support the effectiveness of mentoring …

Students Taking A Right Stand – Male Youth Violence Prevention Through Positive Development And Role Modeling, Katie Dight, Rolanda Patrick, Corey Graham

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Cabarrus STARS is a comprehensive program designed to promote positive youth development for minority male youth through a combination of system-, group-, and individual-level services. Program staff will discuss the successes and challenges they experience in working with a variety of schools, students, and families. Ideal for student support staff and community-based organizations focused on adolescent health.

Identity And Integrity: The Conduit Of Vulnerability Between High-Risk Youth And Mentors, Thomas Peterson, Mildred Rabun

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Presentation will share SPARK Mentoring program’s journey of letting go of traditional behavioral models in working with youth from high-risk settings, and provide evidenced-based insight into creating a community of acceptance through a program that embraces identity and integrity as a way to connect undergraduate students and youth. This workshop is for individuals who work with youth in any capacity.

Preparing For Excellence: Mentoring African American Girls To Encourage Positive Academic, Interpersonal, And Vocational Outcomes, Tera R. Reid

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

African American girls face significant barriers to educational and personal success. Mentoring has been shown to have a positive effect among youth. This workshop will explore the interventions of a mentoring program in Georgia.

This workshop targets anyone interested in practical solutions. Participants will be empowered and engaged to learn specific strategies, interventions, and develop solutions of their own.

Five Essential Elements: Building Success For Tier 2 And Tier 3 Students, Ramona Garrison

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

Are you seeing too many Tier 2 and Tier 3 students slip through the cracks, despite all the supports that are in place? This highly interactive session examines a support system based on five essential elements that can be integrated into existing K-12 strategies for tough-to-reach students. This research-based, field-tested model can help nurture positive relationships, motivate students and improve attendance, academics and behavior.

Bridging The Gap Between School And The Street, Jim C. Taylor Mr.

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Existing within every society are various cultures and sub-cultures. This presentation examines the results when the classroom culture comes in to contact with the street culture. We will review existing practices designed to address these educational issues both in and out of the classroom and what are possible solutions that can maximize successful student education.

Building Successful Academic And Behavioral Programs For At-Risk Youth: Low And No Cost Options, Jeannette Hallam

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

In order to effectively educate all students and make progress in closing the achievement gap, we must look at two areas for school improvement: positive relationships, and school policies and procedures. Participants in this group will walk away with strategies for building positive relationships, reducing the drop-out rate, and assisting students in meeting their goals. Participants will also learn how to evaluate current policies and procedures that may be restricting student growth or achievement through data awareness.

Helping To Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better: Using The Elements Of Effective Practice, Cheryl L. Howard-Neal

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

Helping Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better!

Using the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring can be extremely rewarding for the youth and mentors in our programs, but it can also be hard work for the staff that manages the program. Learn about mentoring best practices and find out how you can strengthen your program using evidence based approaches.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the six key elements in creating and running a mentoring program

• Look at their programs and get ideas for ways to strengthen or change program delivery

Supporting The Needs Of At-Risk Beginning Teachers, Adam Myers Dr.

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This session is designed to provide teachers, teacher leaders, principals, and support staff relevant research and best practices for incorporating induction support to novice teachers who have been placed in low-performing schools. This interactive session will include participant discussion on the characteristics of beginning teachers, and how mentoring and coaching can significantly impact their retention and effectiveness.

Perceptions Of Mentoring: Examining The Experiences Of Women Superintendents In Georgia, Scarlett Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of women superintendents working in Georgia public schools exceeds the national average, but unfortunately, when compared to the number of men in the same position, women are not as well represented. This gap between female and male superintendents, and the reasons why this disparity exist, has been the subject of many research studies. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is a lack of mentoring for women superintendents.

This descriptive mixed methods study gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on the mentoring experiences of women superintendents in Georgia. The quantitative participants in this study included 39 women superintendent in …

Special Education Teacher Retention: The Relationship Between Mentoring, Job Satisfaction And The Retention Of Special Education Teachers, Angela Horrison-Collier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The causes of the teacher shortage are complex; however, the retention of special education teachers is a significant contributor to this shortage. Some research has indicated that up to 9.3 % of special education teachers leave the field at the end of their first year of teaching and 7.4 % move to general education yearly. Therefore, school districts face a continuous cycle of recruitment, hiring, and induction. Because of the pivotal value of retention, school districts and site level education leaders must take proactive steps to reduce the retention rate. The research on teacher retention indicates factors such as salary, …

Southern Educator, Georgia Southern University

Southern Educator (2003-2023)

• COE Alumni: Tell Us Your "First Day" Stories
• Alumna EarnsTop Principal in State
• Clinical Supervisors Attend CAMP
• COE SOARs This Summer
• Educators Learn Positive Behavior Framework at COE Conference

College Of Education News, College Of Education, Georgia Southern University

College of Education News (2011-2023)

• Clinical "CAMP" a Success

Analyzing Levels Of Feedback Delivered By Cooperating Teachers And Supervisors In A Teacher Internship: A Case Study, James Badger

Georgia Educational Researcher

This research analyzed the feedback delivered by cooperating teachers and university supervisors in an internship, and reports how student teachers perceived the feedback they received during debriefing sessions with their mentors. Hattie and Timperley’s (2007) framework for conceptualizing effective feedback was used to analyze cooperating teachers’ and field supervisor’ assessment of the student teachers’ classroom instruction. Findings from two surveys, documents, and interviews revealed a preponderance of feedback that was devoted to instruction and classroom management with a relative paucity of feedback dedicated to the processing of instruction, consideration of student learning, and development of self-reflection in the student teachers. …

Mentoring Programs Help Youth, Econony, Donna K. Fisher, Jamie B. Lane

Business in Savannah Articles (2009-2012)

No abstract provided.

Course-Embedded Mentoring For First-Year Students: Melding Academic Subject Support With Role Modeling, Psycho-Social Support, And Goal Setting - Ta, Jim Henry, Holly Bruland, Jennifer Sano-Franchini

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

This article examines a mentoring initiative that embedded advanced students in first-year composition courses to mentor students to excel to the best of their abilities. Mentors attended all classes along with students and conducted many out-of-class individual conferences, documenting each of them using program-implemented work logs. Four hundred four first-year students provided end-of-term anonymous feedback on standardized forms, which were transcribed, digitized, and tabulated for analysis. Analysis showed that the mentoring was effective in providing the four constructs key to mentoring as identified by Nora and Crisp (2008): psychological/emotional support; support for setting goals and choosing a career path; academic …

Encircled By Sisterhood: Mentoring Experiences Of African American Women In Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Francene Amaris Breakfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that African American women are minorities by race and gender and the intersectionality of these constructs poses obstacles for African American women seeking to attain positions of power. Mentoring can aid African American women in overcoming these barriers. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the mentoring experiences of five African American women, the researcher and her sorority sister circle, who are members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and how their experiences have contributed to their identity and educational, career, and psychosocial success. This study focused on mentoring as a support system for African American women …