Mentorships prove things are ‘Better Together’

Twice a week Eisenhower High School (EHS) senior football player Isaiah Esquivel trades his shoulder pads and helmet for vocabulary bingo cards and other learning games.

Esquivel is one of about 20 students who spend one class hour twice a week mentoring students at Eisenhower Elementary School. Recently, the defensive end/fullback sat on the floor in a workroom with four second graders gathered around as they played a rhyming word game.

“I like coming down and seeing the kids,” he said. “They like to learn.”

Sheila Maxson, EHS teacher who oversees the mentoring program at the high school, said it is important that the elementary students see the high school students in their sports jerseys and ROTC uniforms, since the little ones look up to the big ones.

“The students will say, ‘My student is a football player,’” Maxson said of the grade schoolers.

This is the second year for the mentoring program that pairs one or two high school students with an elementary teacher. Maxson said last year she asked students in the Ignition program to come up with a service project.

“They decided to find a way to help teachers work with little ones,” Maxson said.

Maxson contacted Eisenhower Elementary School Principal Charity Williams and the “Better Together” program was born. Maxson and Williams decided that the mentors would make the trek from the high school on Tuesdays and Thursdays during their class time to help the elementary teachers do whatever they needed done.

Williams said her teachers embraced the idea.

“We were thinking outside the box,” she said. She said the teachers enjoy the program because it’s a challenge getting to 20-23 kids in the classroom.

“They enjoy the extra support,” she said of the teachers. “It’s a win because you have learning (taking place). This was very great thinking.”

Williams said teachers have been able to measure the success of the program — the work of the mentors shows up in better progress reports.

“When they are able to help a student understand a concept, they feel a sense of accomplishment,” Maxson said.”They like knowing they are helping in some way. They say, ‘the kid got it and I helped them do that.’”

Mentors mostly focus on improving language arts and math skills by reviewing material already presented in class or helping with Accelerated Reader skills.

“They practice skills they are behind on,” said first grade teacher Susanne Fisher, who participated in the program last year. “They don’t know they are reviewing skills. It’s more fun to do it with them (mentors) than with us.” Last year, Fisher’s students were able to reach their Accelerated Reader goals due to the extra help.

Fellow first grade teacher Angela Rodriguez said mentors provide her students with one-on-one help with vowel sounds or by reading to them.

“It helps with children’s self-confidence,” Rodriguez said. “They help reinforce skills and it gives them more time outside of class.”

Benefits of the program extend beyond classroom work. The two student groups also form bonds with one another.

“Our kids love to interact with the older kids,” Fisher said.

One young student was excited when his mentor showed up on a recent Tuesday. “I saw you at the basketball game,” the child said.

“They love them,” Rodriguez said of how her students respond to the high school students. “They walk in and they are excited. They bring good energy with them.”

The older students also enjoy the interaction and the bonds they form with their younger counterparts.

“The kids always greet me with a hug. I like seeing their point of view,” said Jaedyn Jackson, EHS senior, who works with third graders. “I feel like I have bonded with them.”

EHS senior Jifarr Smith concurred.

“I’m younger and I feel like they can relate to me more,” Smith said. “It’s really fun. I love talking to the kids and seeing how they think.”

Jessean Scott, EHS senior, said he loves working with the younger students.

“It’s like a boost of serotonin,” Scott said. “They are happy all the time. It’s a fun thing to know you are going to be around them. They are super sweet. We just talk. They are just funny, honestly.

“I don’t dread Tuesdays or Thursdays. When I work with them, I feel like I am helping someone and that is a good feeling.”