Mentor Roles

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by Citrus Dad

The bottom line is that I see the loss of a mentor from a team more consequential than the loss of a disgruntled student team member. Don't be afraid to assert your role and importance.

that is a very slippery slope. Teams are there for the benefit of the students involved. Yes, that benefit is generally amplified for every mentor involved (decreasing the student:mentor ratio leads to more personalized attention, better knowledge transfer, and hopefully more inspiration). However, losing a student at the expensive of a mentor goes directly against what FIRST is all about. We're here to inspire students and make them excited about science and technology. A disgruntled student that leaves the team is the opposite of inspired. It may be more work, but I believe there is always a way for a mentor to figure out how to reach a student productively. Mentors are much more knowledgeable and experienced individuals... They should use that to bridge the gap towards working with students, not force one out that seems disgruntled.