The chess coach: what can we learn The chess coach: what can we learn from mentoring as an educational from mentoring as an educational

process?process?

Kate Philip, The Rowan GroupKate Philip, The Rowan Group

CISCCON International ConferenceCISCCON International ConferenceUniversity of AberdeenUniversity of Aberdeen

3030thth August – 1 August – 1stst September 2007 September 2007

This presentation will This presentation will

Explore dimensions of youth mentoringExplore dimensions of youth mentoring

Relate these to approaches to informal Relate these to approaches to informal

educationeducation

Raise questions about how mentoring Raise questions about how mentoring processes might interact with the role of the processes might interact with the role of the chess coachchess coach

Researching mentoringResearching mentoring

Previous work - young people’s Previous work - young people’s perspectives on ‘natural mentoring’ perspectives on ‘natural mentoring’ processesprocesses

Typology of informal mentoringTypology of informal mentoring Study of organised mentoring (Study of organised mentoring (Sharing a Sharing a

Laugh)Laugh)

Where has mentoring emerged Where has mentoring emerged from?from?

– Arguably based on ancient mythsArguably based on ancient myths– Waves of youth mentoring Waves of youth mentoring – A response to fears about and for youthA response to fears about and for youth– Perceived decline in intergenerational Perceived decline in intergenerational

relationships and in neighbourhoodrelationships and in neighbourhood– Broad appeal to a range of interestsBroad appeal to a range of interests– Idea of community base and link with Idea of community base and link with

Puttnam’s notion of social capitalPuttnam’s notion of social capital

What is Youth mentoring?What is Youth mentoring?

The mentor is someone with greater The mentor is someone with greater experienceexperience or or wisdom than the mentee. Second the mentor offers wisdom than the mentee. Second the mentor offers guidanceguidance or instruction that is intended to facilitate the or instruction that is intended to facilitate the growth and development of the mentee. Third, there is an growth and development of the mentee. Third, there is an emotional bondemotional bond between mentor and mentee, a hallmark between mentor and mentee, a hallmark of which is a sense of trust of which is a sense of trust (Dubois and Karcher, 2005:3)(Dubois and Karcher, 2005:3)

ThemesThemes

A ‘protective’ factor or a ‘steeling A ‘protective’ factor or a ‘steeling mechanism (resilience)mechanism (resilience)

A consistent and continuing presence A consistent and continuing presence (attachment)(attachment)

A guide, adviser, broker, supporter (social A guide, adviser, broker, supporter (social support)support)

Community based (ecological)Community based (ecological)

Informal EducationInformal Education

Emphasis on Emphasis on dialoguedialogue between teachers and between teachers and learners and learners themselveslearners and learners themselves

Experiential and groundedExperiential and grounded

A co-operative process A co-operative process

Aim of critical reflection Aim of critical reflection

Mentoring – informal educationMentoring – informal education

You do the stuff that you are You do the stuff that you are meantmeant to do but with to do but with (the mentor) it is different and you’re doing it (the mentor) it is different and you’re doing it because you because you wantwant toto

A starting point for educational processes to beginA starting point for educational processes to begin Negotiated agenda and boundariesNegotiated agenda and boundaries A bridge to new experiences and sometimes social worlds (for A bridge to new experiences and sometimes social worlds (for

mentors and mentees)mentors and mentees) A catalyst to build up new skillsA catalyst to build up new skills A means of ensuring compliance or critical thinking?A means of ensuring compliance or critical thinking?

Informal and Formal mentoringInformal and Formal mentoring

Distinction between informal mentoring and Distinction between informal mentoring and formal mentoringformal mentoring

Both have educational aims although these Both have educational aims although these are often implicitare often implicit

Planned mentoring often explicitly based on Planned mentoring often explicitly based on a deficit model of young peoplea deficit model of young people

Informal MentoringInformal Mentoring

Active participationActive participation Resolving conflict, renegotiating Resolving conflict, renegotiating

relationships, trying out new identityrelationships, trying out new identity A ‘safe setting’ in which to take risks in A ‘safe setting’ in which to take risks in

learning – leaving the ‘baggage behind’learning – leaving the ‘baggage behind’ Chess as a starting point?Chess as a starting point?

MentoringMentoringFormsForms

ClassicClassic Individual/Individual/TeamTeam

BestBestFriendFriend

PeerPeerGroupGroup

Long term Long term ‘risky ‘risky adult’adult’

GenderGender MaleMale FemaleFemale FemaleFemale BothBoth BothBoth

ContextContext HomeHomebasedbased

YouthYouthGroupsGroups

HomeHomebasedbased

StreetStreet Home and streetHome and street

LifeLifeeventsevents

EmpathyEmpathyRecognitionRecognitionOfOfaspirationaspirationto roleto rolemodelsmodels

AcceptanceAcceptanceof peerof peerGroupGroupandandYouthYouthCultureCulturevaluesvalues

RehearsaRehearsal l

for actionfor action

ManagingManagingreputationsreputationsIdentityIdentityLifestyleLifestyle

Recognition Recognition and life crisesand life crises

QualitiesQualitiesSoughtSought/identified/identified

Advisory,Advisory,guide,guide,outsideroutsider

MentorsMentorsEmpathetiEmpatheti

cc

ReciproReciprocitycity

And And equequalityality

ReciprocityReciprocityAndAndequalityequality

ReciprocityReciprocityandandNonNonconformityconformity

Findings: formal mentoringFindings: formal mentoring

Many in the sample had poor educational Many in the sample had poor educational experiences and were excluded from experiences and were excluded from mainstreammainstream

Mentoring offered some young people a Mentoring offered some young people a means of developing alternative forms of means of developing alternative forms of relationshiprelationship

Successful mentors went beyond traditional Successful mentors went beyond traditional professional boundariesprofessional boundaries

The importance of relationshipThe importance of relationship

Reciprocity – sharing a laughReciprocity – sharing a laugh A voluntary relationshipA voluntary relationship Negotiating boundaries and agendasNegotiating boundaries and agendas An alternative to sometimes difficult peer An alternative to sometimes difficult peer

and family relationshipsand family relationships Qualities of trust, shared interests, challenge Qualities of trust, shared interests, challenge

and respectand respect

Mentoring Mentoring FormsForms

(i)Compensato(i)Compensatoryry

(ii)Instrumental(ii)Instrumental (iii)Expanding (iii)Expanding opportunitiesopportunities

(iv)Reductio(iv)Reduction of n of unwanunwanted ted behavibehavioursours

(v)Integratio(v)Integration into n into commcommunityunity

Underlying Underlying assuassumptiomptionsns

Deficit model of Deficit model of yp/familyyp/family

Remedy absence Remedy absence of or missed of or missed opportunities opportunities to build to build expertiseexpertise

Deficit model: lack Deficit model: lack social capital social capital and access and access to networks.to networks.

Disruptive/Disruptive/challenging challenging

behavibehaviour our often often linked linked to to schoolschoolss

Yp alienated Yp alienated from from mainstrmainstream eam commucommunity – nity – often often linked linked with (i)with (i)

Theoretical Theoretical frameframework work – – (expli(explicit or cit or implicimplicit)it)

Attachment Attachment theory/restheory/resilience/soilience/social cial capital capital (bridging)(bridging)/develop/developmental mental psychpsych

Mentoring as Mentoring as ‘professional ‘professional friendship’- friendship’-

Youth transitionsYouth transitionsSocial supportSocial support

Ecology of Ecology of developmentdevelopment

Social capital and Social capital and social social inclusioninclusion

Cognitive Cognitive behavibehavioural oural therapytherapy; ; resilienresilience; ce; social social capitalcapital

Ecology of Ecology of develodevelopment;pment;

Attachment; Attachment; resilienresilience; ce;

TargetTargetGroupsGroups(mentees)(mentees)

Children from Children from single single parent parent family; family; isolated isolated yp; yp; known known family family difficultiesdifficulties

‘‘underachievinunderachievindisadvantaged,disadvantaged,potentially at risk, potentially at risk,

esp young esp young menmen

‘‘underachieving’underachieving’Possible school Possible school

problems, problems, poor poor backgroundbackground

NEET; NEET; substasubstance nce misusemisusers, yp rs, yp in in criminacriminal justice l justice systemsystem

Yp from Yp from marginmarginalised alised groups groups eg eg minoritminority y ethnicethnic

Target Target groupgroups s (ment(mentors)ors)

Male ‘role Male ‘role models’ models’ favoured favoured but but majority majority womenwomen

Volunteers and Volunteers and sometime sometime paid staff. paid staff. Skills in key Skills in key areas, ability areas, ability to relate to to relate to yp yp

Volunteers ideally Volunteers ideally with business with business background/kbackground/knowledge. nowledge. Complement Complement work of paid work of paid staffstaff

volunteers to volunteers to complecomplement ment work of work of paid paid staffstaff

‘‘community’ community’ membemembers – rs – often often unclear unclear which which commucommunitynity

StrategiesStrategies Building social Building social skillsskills

Develop Develop relationship relationship via shared via shared interest/activinterest/activityity

Link with Link with individuals/agindividuals/agencies and encies and young young person; build person; build skills and skills and confidenceconfidence

Confidence/Confidence/resilienresilience, ce, explore explore alternatalternatives, ives, challenchallenge ge behavibehaviour, our, advocaadvocacycy

Confidence, Confidence, solidarisolidarity, ty, strengtstrengthen hen commucommunities nities that that may may feel feel under under threatthreat

Level of Level of emotiemotional onal engagengagementement

Important – Important – befriendinbefriending key g key elementelement

Variable – focus on Variable – focus on developing developing skillsskills

VariableVariable Important – Important – often often aims to aims to rebuild rebuild relationrelationshipsships

Age groupsAge groups 10-2510-25 10-2510-25 15+15+ 13+13+ Primary age-Primary age-young young adultsadults

DurationDuration Ideally flexible Ideally flexible but not but not less than less than I yearI year

Ideally flexible – Ideally flexible – may be may be intensive intensive rather than rather than long termlong term

Variable – schemes Variable – schemes vary. vary. Mentoring Mentoring often ended if often ended if yp leaves yp leaves employment employment schemescheme

Variable – Variable – may be may be linked linked to to employemployment ment schemschemee

Variable – Variable – aim for aim for longstalongstandingnding

StyleStyle ClassicClassic Classic, peer and Classic, peer and groupgroup

ClassicClassice-mentoringe-mentoring

Classic and Classic and groupgroup

Classic, peer Classic, peer and and groupgroup

But caution neededBut caution needed

Moving on and moving outMoving on and moving out Coercive mentoring and ‘unfriendly contexts’Coercive mentoring and ‘unfriendly contexts’ Unsuccessful mentoring can undermine Unsuccessful mentoring can undermine

confidence and capacityconfidence and capacity A ‘risky’ process for all involvedA ‘risky’ process for all involved

Building a mentor rich Building a mentor rich environmentenvironment

Assumption that young people have few Assumption that young people have few opportunities to develop informal opportunities to develop informal relationships with adultsrelationships with adults

Capitalising on shared interests and Capitalising on shared interests and capacitiescapacities

Offering a link between individual and groupOffering a link between individual and group Need for longitudinal insightsNeed for longitudinal insights

Mentoring and coachingMentoring and coaching

What does youth mentoring have to offer in What does youth mentoring have to offer in this field?this field?– Mentoring as an educational interventionMentoring as an educational intervention– The importance of relationships to learningThe importance of relationships to learning– A community based approachA community based approach– Links with coaching practicesLinks with coaching practices

Mentoring and chessMentoring and chess

Does chess playing offer a means of engaging Does chess playing offer a means of engaging with young people who may wish a mentor?with young people who may wish a mentor?

To what extent should peer mentoring be To what extent should peer mentoring be developed within chess playing groups?developed within chess playing groups?

Could chess playing offer a setting in which Could chess playing offer a setting in which mentoring relationships could be developed for mentoring relationships could be developed for excluded young people?excluded young people?