Why do teams voluntarily do FIRST without adult technical mentors?

[Rich Kressly]

Baker, you're making my head hurt and it's only August!!!!

Yes, balance seems ideal to me too Andy, yet inspiration happens on the individual level. In twelve years of teaching I've had more than a handful of rather humbling yet remarkable experiences. Old students coming back to visit telling me things that I did in the past, both positive and negative that either helped them or hurt them in the path toward their individual futures. Every time I have one of these experiences I get to learn all over again that the most difficult task of all is understanding what inspires each individual student. A single way of doing something will do wonders for one student, while it may stunt the growth of another.

Thus my answer lies in the "f" word - FLEXIBLE. What works one year, doesn't work the next. What works for one student, doesn't work for the next student. Students graduate, they mature, they change, new kids come in. At least once a year, in a perfect world, every team would reevaluate all of their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences for learning, and build a model for that year based on the current make up of the group and all of its individuals. The idea is to maximize the experience for everyone involved, including so called "grown-ups" and inspiring each and every student on the team.

Therefore, I submit that NO person or team should EVER look at another person or team and say, "It shouldn't be done that way." It's nearly impossible to know what works for every student on your own team. How on earth is it possible to know what works for someone else's?

My .02, now go back to work Andy and quit thinking of stuff that makes my head hurt in August.