by Alisha Chastain

Created on: May 05, 2008   Last Updated: May 13, 2008

I work as an instructional assistant at a junior high school and have become very interested in the declining qualities of life for a child in todays current society. Good parenting has gone down so much more than when I was a child that it really started to affect my views of good human qualities. I asked myself, "are these really the kids that will be this world's future?" So, I wanted to make a difference to the children I help teach by making myself available for them to talk to or learn from whenever they felt it necessary. I am a mentor for junior high kids both male and female. I also tutor male and female children ages 5 to 15 as I'm mentoring them. Because of the fact that females are so nurturing, I've come to know that boys would rather be mentored or tutored by a female. There are various reasons for this. For example: a female isn't going to be as judgmental or harsh as a male mentor. A female mentor is most often kinder, tender with words, not so critical, and tends to have a soothing voice that offers comfort to the child. Without raising my voice, I can challenge a boy to do better by getting him to focus on his past achievements and who he really thinks he is, (not just in the eyes of others or the fact that he has to become a man). When I make him see his own good qualities, the boys' confidence goes way up and they are able to focus on the task at hand. I also think that boys are more willing to share information with females verses males because men tend to judge a boy harshly. When veiwing how males react with other males showing their feelings, I've watched men tell them to, "be a man....stop acting like a girl....men aren't supposed to talk about or show their feelings." Because of this view men have for eachother, boys are left to choose between letting a closed feeling man teach them or letting a nuturing female show them both ways of acting human and still managing to survive. A boy is more willing to show his sweet, sensitive, or loving side when talking about girls he likes, feelings, or his true dreams if he is talking to a mature adult female. I really enjoy being a mentor and tutor and find it to be one of the most rewarding things to do for someone else. Everything good comes from starting one act of random kindness.

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