Journal Entry #6 - May 3rd 2005

Today was the second time we've met directly in our room rather then having me send for her. This works better because I can get more time with her then waiting around for anywhere up to 20 minutes (!!) for her to make it out of PE or Art. PE is usually the long wait because she has to dress down.

I was going to start on the Learning Objective today but my Mentee has been having major school problems (she has both lunch detention and in school suspending for one day) and so she needed help on some other assignments that were past due and the reason for her lunch detention.

She was supposed to give an oral report on "Why Drugs Are Bad" but didn't do it, and was giving lunch detention until she did (I think perhaps maybe there is more to the story then that, not that she would lie to me, just that I think that's awfully harsh over one assignment. But it could be a continuous thing as well. She was very hesitant to talk about it). So, I pulled a few books out of the library and we worked on her visual aide until it was time to go. Hopefully she can finish it up and get it turned in before it's too much later.

I actually think a lot of these problems she's having is stemming from things that are going on at home, and her frustration with her school. I try (nicely, and without being too preachy) to tell her that not liking the school or the teachers isn't a reason to completely ignore what they tell you to do, and skip classes. I've offered to help her work on it, or if she needs anything to ask me for help, but she really doesn't want to do either one.

Unfortunately I think this, and her school problems, is leading to her not wanting to meet with me anymore, because she brought up today that her teachers have been telling her to drop the mentor program because it takes her away from classes too much. I am not really sure how to go about handling this, I asked her if she didn't want to meet with me anymore and she said she did, but her teachers told her that she can't make up the missed classes. I asked her if she wanted me to talk to her teachers or the school contact, and she told me it wouldn't do any good.

I'm open for suggestions. :)