My Experiences of Mentoring Children in Primary School Settings
Secondary school teacher and Creative Mentor Laura reflects on her journey as a Creative Mentor with TMC and the inspiration she gets from primary aged mentees.
discover more >I’m often asked to explain what Creative Mentoring is and, I have to admit, I often struggle to define what it is because each young person brings their unique self to the process. I don’t think any two experiences of mentoring can ever be the same but there is one definite similarity that leaps out. Essentially, the young people we work with are likely to have suffered in some way – bereavement, family breakdown, issues with school or difficulties with their own mental health. As a Creative Mentor you find yourself in a privileged position based, as much as anything, on the fact that you aren’t a teacher, social worker, carer or parent; you stand outside and so can be seen as a non-threatening presence in their life.
I have mentored five young people over the past year: they’ve all been boys, living in care homes, foster care or the family home and all have struggled to articulate how they feel about their lives and what has happened to them. This presents a challenge when song writing (my main creative outlet) because songs are so often used to describe our inner worlds, so I have learned to embrace the process more than the outcome.
Here are three occasions that exemplify what creative mentoring means to me…
Finally, I have found that sharing something of myself can also be useful in helping the young person see us as, in some small way, similar to them. Like any art or creative endeavour, the best results come when we are our authentic selves, so being open and honest, by sharing a similar experience or a time when you have struggled, can help build a bond. Further to this, framing our own stories in positive language can help mentees see that it is possible to move beyond challenges in a healthy and positive way.
Creative mentoring is certainly not easy, but it is immensely rewarding and I feel privileged to be able to support vulnerable young people while helping share the joy of creativity.