Quote:
Originally Posted by MrJohnston
What do I get paid? $2000 for the year... This does not cover the extra I spend on gas and meals out... Be kind to you mentors. They are exhausted and you need them.
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Agreed MrJ but I don’t get a stipend. It is all volunteer on my end.
OP I can only speak for my team and myself. I am a teacher and the only school related team leader. We have three engineering mentors. I am in my 9th year of FRC and our mentors have been with us for at least five. In past seasons we have all been of the mindset, 'Let them work until...' This year is different for us and I am going to tell you why.
Last year more and more often I would look up at 9 or 10 to see engineers working and students playing games. Two of our mentors have children. One of them has a daughter who has had medical issues since she was born and last year was diagnosed with Asperger; to top it off he is a full time engineer AND working on his Master’s Degree. By the end of build season last year he was exhausted.
Over the summer the mentors and I came to some decisions about build season schedule this year. Originally it was supposed to simply transform to, 'if you are playing then go home'. Then my personal life blew apart in October and November so badly that we almost did not field a team this year. My mother-in-law died of cancer in October. In November my husband was diagnosed with cancer. I struggled with my decision on what to do with team this year. I wanted to take a break but my husband insisted that we field a team because he knows how much it means to the kids; kids just like you. I agreed on one condition; build season schedule was drastically altered. Instead of working ‘until’ they got 4 – 6 M – F and then 10 – 5 on Saturday. I told the team up front and was honest with them and they understood. I stayed late with them on a total of three nights this year; two week nights until 7 and one Friday until 10. I have fought teenage drama between some team members worse this year than most. I am already tired from teaching roughly 100 students per day, sick with worry about my husband who is still working full-time and gets home more and more tired every day, and to top it off have been fighting a cold myself the past two weeks.
On Monday I sent an email to the parents and formally told my team that for the first time ever I will not be able to attend our only competition event with them because about that time my husband will be undergoing 4.5 weeks of radiation therapy. I will not leave him to go through that alone for one day let alone three. I love my team but right now my family has to come first.
I understand that you don’t feel heard by your mentors. I understand that you don’t feel like these mentors are as ‘dedicated’ as your mentor last year because they haven’t stayed late. But please ask yourself and your team these questions;
- 1. What happened to your mentor who would ‘stay until’ last year? Did they move schools or just leave the team? If they just left the team then why? Was it because they didn’t feel appreciated or that their time was valued?
- 2. What is going on in the lives of the mentors that you currently have? Is there something that maybe you guys don’t know?
- 3. Is your team using their time with the mentors wisely?
- 4. Do you realize that your teacher mentors have jobs that require a tremendous amount of time outside the school day to plan for the next school day and grade assignments? None of that happens in a vacuum. The time we spend planning, grading assignments, and attending required conferences is insane.
I do not mean for this to be a rant OP I just want you to look at this from a mentor perspective. I want you and your team to open your minds and hearts to what you may not know about your mentors. How many times did any of your team leave early or not come to a build meeting to study for a major test the next day?
TLDR; Have your or your team taken the time to really understand the lives of your mentors and what is happening in them? Do they have a sick family member? Do they have a child involved in activities that they don’t want to miss? Do they have big projects going on at work? We are people just like you and the decisions we make impact our families, teams, and jobs. We do this because we love this. We do this for you. Please, try to understand the toll this takes on us personally because every moment we spend with you is a moment we are missing in the lives of our spouses, children, grandchildren and other loved ones.