#PYP Exhibition: The Role of Mentors

We often say that Exhibition is more about the process over the product, but we rarely recognize or value the relationships that the students have as the foundational piece of that process.

In the early weeks of December, we sat down as a team and created an essential agreement about the PYP Exhibition.  Two fundamental questions that had to be answered was “Who gets to be a mentor?” and “Who gets to choose the mentor for the students?” Answering these questions became the heart of our philosophy and approach to the PYP Exhibition. That 45-minute discussion has made all the difference.

With the COVID-19 outbreak, schools across the globe are scrambling to prepare students to conduct a virtual PYPx. No matter the online platform, there have been some really lovely guidance given and support in a variety of PLNs. Recently I listened to a webinar that shared the 5P framework as the basis of launching a virtual PYPx.

 

As I studied this, I realized that our conversations about Exhibition mentors mirrored this and have been the hinge point to our students’ success. You see, we challenged the notion that mentors should be assigned, and furthermore, no single person would be eliminated for consideration. Parents, who can be well-meaning but interfering, often are asked to sit out on Exhibition. However, we saw this as a major flaw in our thinking. We wanted these mentor relationships to be authentic, real, and purposeful. So, in February, we had a parent meeting to enlist them as mentors.

But there was a catch.

The students got to determine their mentors based on the needs they have and the expertise that mentors might possess. And, no mentor was “fixed”. It was important that students do not see adults as the master of their inquiry but as an advisor. Just like in real life, we turn to those who can provide insight into an issue or problem when and as we need them. We didn’t want students to rely on one person, but to know that there was a multitude of “experts” out there who they could turn to for support.

So, although we had no previous knowledge of this 5P model, we intuitively have followed it by providing complete student agency over the PYP mentors.

Prior to our parent meeting, the team created spread-sheet signup, in which mentors could provide their skill sets so that students could make thoughtful choices. They also created a “Mentor Guide” that laid out the expectations of their role:

The mentor’s primary role is to act as a guide and a resource in the accomplishment of specific tasks during the Exhibition process. A mentor can help students to set and meet their goals in the following ways:
● Be available for meetings with different groups, one at a time, as they request
through email during the Exhibition process;
● Help students set goals;
● Encourage and support the efforts of the students by honoring their ideas, but
pushing them to look deeper at the issue;
● Suggest resources to be used in the inquiry;
● Ask probing questions to help facilitate student inquiry, such as, “Have you
thought about …” and “How does this connect to your learning goal(s)?”;
● Guide students with making phone calls, writing emails, scheduling/conducting
interviews, and collecting any needed materials/resources;
● Help students interpret difficult information;
● Coach students in time management and organization;
● Encourage reflection through discussion and logging progress; and
● Ensure that written consent from parents, teachers and the principal is obtained
for any off-campus visits.

Should students need a mentor, you will receive an email inviting you to the meeting through Google Calendar. You will have the option to agree to or decline the meeting.

As you can see, their role was broad. Flexibility was crucial in their ability to support. If one mentor couldn’t be available, the students could turn to another. In fact, students were encouraged to do so. In this way, the loudest voice in their head would be their own, who would guide the research they conducted and the action they took.

Once this expectation was set, then it became a necessity for students to become skillful in time-management and collaborative digital tools. Google calendar became the cornerstone and the students have become quite masterful at it. When we went online on March 18, we had just launched our school’s Exhibition unit. The ink on the page for their central ideas and lines of inquiry had barely dried. Aside from that, they were trained on GoogleMeets. Now, on May 2nd, the students will be showcasing their learning on Zoom.

Since we have been online, Exhibition has been organic. No one was there to hover over them like we would if we were at school. Every step of the way has been decided by them. They’ve initiated every mentor conversation. They’ve brainstormed their actions and debated which technological tool to use. They’ve given each other feedback and are modifying their presentations as I write this blog. Of course, the teachers provided them with the Exhibition guide and encouraged them through the process. They had class meetings to check-ins where they were in the process. But it is validating to know that emphasizing and clarifying mentor relationships has created a positive and productive PYP Exhibition.

During dress rehearsals and the day of the Exhibtion, mentors were assigned but that was due to Zoom licensing issues and the need for one of us to be the “host” in order to turn the reigns over to them.

It is hard to describe how excited I am for our students. Not because I am amazed and overwhelmed by the depth of their research and knowledge. Yes, there is that. But is who they have become as a result of this process that makes my heart swell. Offline or online, I know that this is the essence of what makes the PYP Exhibition a true rite of passage.  Developing proficiency in understanding when I need help and who I can turn to will be an evergreen skill for them. That is true autonomy which will serve them well beyond the memory of this inquiry. And, it is that self-awareness which I admire most in them as they emerge from this experience.

As we reflect on this year’s PYP exhibition, it is my hope that all of us cultivate that level of collaboration and self-reliance in our students through the process. If there was an actual “product” to value–this would be it: Self-knowledge through our relationship with others. This is the role of the mentor.