[JaneYoung]

If you haven't done this already, remove as many assumptions as you can regarding the students' reasons for not attending meetings or workshops that are made available.

Examples of key reasons/constraints: transportation challenges, personal commitments to the family, and jobs.

When those are addressed, then you can work on finding ways to maximize individual participation/contributions and go from there.

One interesting thought: this weekend, we held one of our SMART Camps and, immediately after the camp, the team members and the school teachers met to go over what worked and what didn't work at this particular camp. (The camp was at the Texas School For The Blind here in Austin.) One of our students talked about how it started out difficult, then hit a smooth spot where she felt things were going well, then it got difficult again. My response to that was - that is what mentoring is and that you find ways to work through the difficulties and appreciate the smooth spots, staying focused the entire time. I think focus has a lot to do with the end result, short term and long term.

Another thought: if we leave things solely up to students, such as deadlines, training, and expectations, then we deal with the results. If we remain focused, attentive, on task - all of us - then we deal with those results, as well.

Jane