Characteristics of a Great Mentor

Mentoring can be intimidating. If all of the ways that kids can be mentored were laid out on a table with index cards, we’d need a pretty big table. Truthfully, there are so many “right” ways to mentor. At Teach One to Lead One, we have a great program to

We all have things we are good at. Even at-risk students who might have a hard time identifying their strengths have gifts and abilities that are unique to them. However, there’s a temptation for all of us to become prideful and use our gifts to benefit ourselves. However, those that

The 2013-2014 school year was another incredible year for Teach One to Lead One! Over the course of the year, we had the opportunity to work alongside over 180 mentors in 56 different schools to make a difference in the lives of over 1,400 at-risk teens across the country! While

It’s typical for most teenagers to mask their fears and uncertainties with a false sense of confidence, especially at-risk teenagers. They might portray an image that they have it all together, but deep down their wrestling with some serious questions and fears…. How are they going to ever get into

Compassion is a principle that can be hard to define for a lot of teenagers. They think showing compassion means giving lots of money to help someone in need. What most students don’t realize is that showing compassion is as easy as seeing someone in need and doing something about

As a mentor, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the impact you’re making in the lives of the students you meet. You might wonder if the hour or two you spend each week is really paying off… The simple truth is that you are making a tremendous impact. While

Self-control is a difficult principle for anyone to learn, especially at-risk teens. Knowing the difference between intentionally responding to difficult situations rather than reacting out of emotion is a skill that can help students avoid a lot of problems both now and later on in life. Unfortunately, many of the

When you think about a graduation, what comes to mind? Pomp and circumstance? Black robes and funny hats? Not for the students who graduate our T1L1 mentoring program! While most people think of graduations as boring ceremonies, we love the way our T1L1 partners have turned our program graduations into

“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” — Samuel Johnson   While each of the principles our mentors instill in students is valuable for becoming a leader, integrity is the foundation.  There are times when we are all tempted to do the

These lyrics made famous by Aretha Franklin can help us a lot when it comes to effectively engaging and mentoring our students. The truth is that when it comes to defining “respect,” every student in your group might have a different answer.  Many students associate respect with fear. Some might

There are dozens of statistics that speak to the difference that mentoring can make in the life of an at-risk student… Students who meet regularly with mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school… At-risk youth with mentors are 20% more likely to want

It’s so very easy to go through life giving only casual glances at people and places that we encounter. It is even easier to give little attention to the people who mean the most to us. Sometimes, we even get it all backwards when it comes down to making moments