KINGMAN ACADEMY OF LEARNING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEND TEACHERS A HELPING HAND AT PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE CAMPUSES

KINGMAN – April 14, 2008 – Primary and Intermediate School teachers at the Kingman Academy of Learning are receiving some welcome assistance inside their classrooms, and the source for their help is coming from an unlikely place – fellow students from the charter school’s high school!

The high school students are literally crossing the parking lot to receive elective credit while assisting the teachers and mentoring the younger students.  Each participating mentor works closely with an assigned teacher on a variety of classroom-based tasks, including running learning centers, decorating bulletin boards, reading one-on-one with the younger students, administering timed tests and assisting with a variety of other classroom-based tasks.

The program is positively impacting all of the nearly 1,500 students on the Kingman Academy of Learning campus, according to Dean Colvig, a special programs coordinator for the school district.

“The elementary school students end up receiving more individualized attention and instruction from both the teacher and student mentor, and it’s awesome to see the connection develop between the high school students and the younger kids,” Colvig explained.  “The younger students really love it, and they really look up to the mentors.

“The program also helps the 16, 17 and 18-year-olds explore outside the perimeter of their teenage world.  It’s a way that they can see teaching as a possible career choice.  The program is a real eye opener for some of the older students who realize, ‘I enjoy this – I could do this as a career!’”

Colvig said the program, which is now entering its third year, has succeeded due to two key factors – the close proximity of the Primary and Intermediate Schools to the high school and the willingness of the cooperating teachers to really give of their time in order to make the program successful.

The mentors receive a grade from the participating teacher based on their overall professionalism in areas including dress, punctuality and their interaction with the kids.  Colvig said managing the interaction is one of the most important facets of the process.

“Discipline is really important,” he said.  “What the high school students naturally want to do is come over and have fun with the younger kids.  The teacher has to work with each mentor on developing a teacher-student relationship with the students.”