01 Mar A Letter to a mentor
Mentoring- it can seem almost too simple. You may wonder if it can make an impact at all. This letter from one child’s teacher to his mentor tells a different story.
Dear John,
Thank you so much for your dedication to Michael each week. I know that it must at times be a frustrating experience to sit with him each week and not sense a lot of positive feedback from or connection to him.
I want you to know that he does, however, benefit greatly from your friendship. I work with this child every day, and I see differences when you are here to eat lunch with him.
Michael rarely has conversations with anyone; the fact that he talks while you sit beside him is a gift-even though it may be negative talk or not make a lot of sense and even if it is not interactive conversation, he talks beside you. He trusts you and feels safe with you. You handle his negative talk so well-so matter of fact and genuine-reflecting it back to him at times, but never devaluing it or trying to make him feel uncomfortable for his ideas.
He asks about you when you are not here on a Friday. You are always so good to email if you cannot come and let me know so that I can tell him, yet often we arrive in the cafeteria before I remember to tell him. He always says, “It’s Friday and Mr. John comes.” If I say, “Oh, Mr. John emailed me and he is out of town,” Michael will say, “But next Friday.”
On the days that he agrees for you to buy him ice cream, I watch the two of you at the ice cream bin and on the way back to the table. I rarely if ever see Michael this happy and excited. And he eats the ice cream!! He hardly eats anything at school!! On those days, I believe that he lives for awhile in pure joy!
Michael has a hard time with anger and is often very mad at the adults around him because of the things we ask him to do or not do. You are a presence for him-the one person in his life who never asks him to be anyone other than who he is right here and now. That is a gift beyond measure that none of the rest of us can give him. He is different with you and sometimes I think he even tries to push you away to see if you will leave or get mad or ask him to be different, and you never do. That is profound in his life. He will always carry that gift with him- whatever happens in his life.
Thank you,
Teresa
Note: Used with permission. All names have been changed to protect their privacy.
You can be a mentor to a child who needs a friend. Find out more on our website.