Re: New Mentor - Need Advice
 

Communicate and follow the engineering process in all things related to the robot design and manufacturing.

Stay on-task during the build season.

Build consensus where possible, but by all means, make timely, data-based decisions.

Conduct peer reviews, early, with engineering resources (also a good way to find new mentors) to review your concepts and then your designs.

I found this statement in an article I was reading this morning; it illustrates why I am a strong proponent of peer reviews.

“So how do groups protect themselves from groupthink? First, is by understanding that consensus and groupthink can look and sound very similar. Do people really agree with a decision or have they felt coerced or pressured into going along? A group's willingness to accept feedback from outside and to allow for open expression is another way to protect itself. We know that groups whose members feel comfortable questioning process and raising concerns are better protected against the trappings of the group effect. A group whose leader seeks the truth through a participatory process and objective information is less likely to make bad decisions.”

Patty Kleban – from a column published on StateCollege.com entitled “Is NCAA a Victim of Groupthink? Examining a Flawed Decision-Making Process”

As mentioned in an earlier post, 1114 has excellent resources for managing a team and the build process. Check out 148, too for information on the engineering process.

Best of luck.

Re: New Mentor - Need Advice
 

Thanks for jumping in as a new mentor! Judging from your OP I'm thinking you will be successful. You have all the right goals at heart.

There is a lot of great advice in this thread. I'll add this - remember what you are NOT. You are NOT a teacher (I think) or an administrator (I think) employed by the schools system. In a school-based program teachers have the only real authority to discipline students etc. You are NOT a high school student. Maintain a professional relationship with the students, follow the YPP guidelines.

Be relentlessly positive but a little demanding - get the students to accomplish things beyond what they think possible. Be consistent in your planning, your teaching and your response to failure. Have fun and the students will follow your lead!

Good luck!