Mentors
Mentors work
with BLC learners in small groups (pods). They are typically young adults who assist each individual student in their
pod to achieve their academic goals and help create a safe learning environment. They
are not credentialed teachers. The mentors' role is to support socialization
and emotional connection while ensuring each learner achieves their
stated daily academic goals. Generally, academic goals are benchmarked against California State Standards. Students are allowed
to exceed the standards, but every effort is made to ensure students do not fall behind grade levels. Mentors are a resource
for helping students to discover ways to overcome challenges (academic, social or emotional) that may arise in the
pursuit of achieving their academic goals.
While mentors are not "real teachers",
they are essential to facilitate the self directed learning model preferred by gifted
learners.
All Mentors and Masters working at BLC are:
- Cleared of criminal background checks through FBI and DOJ fingerprinting
- Demonstrated ability to empathize and open to neuro-atypical learners
- Demonstrate academic
competence
- Familiar with BLC techniques designed to support gifted students
