The Joys of Mentoring

Let me start by introducing you to the KookaGumJoeys, a group of three little girls ages 8-11 whom I have had the joy of mentoring this year.  While these girls might be tiny, they sure make up for it in their creativity and teamwork!  They met a little over a year ago and since then have become not just good teammates but also the best of friends.  When they aren’t busy researching, building, or programming, they can often be found jumping on the trampoline or playing “Harry Potter.” (Their favourite books!)

The KookaGumJoeys working on the rat

Over this FLL season I have seen each of these girls transform in ways I have never thought possible.  As the judges put it, they have “come out of their shells.”  They have gained confidence, improved their technical abilities, learned how to present, and increased their creative thinking stills.  On the academic side of things I have seen their writing, mathematics, science, reasoning, mechanical, and programming skill vastly improve.  Having said all that, I can’t leave out the pure joy they have through FLL.  They paint their nails, sing, dance, cheer, and so much more!

This past weekend was the Australian FLL National Championship.  Although I have volunteered at this event before, I have never had the joy of coaching a team at this event.  All that changed this year when at the 2nd New South Wales regional, the KookaGumJoeys advanced to Nationals.  Their other coach and I could not have been more proud at that moment.  We never could have dreamt they would have done so well as they did that day.

The KookaGumJoeys in action!

But, at nationals we were shocked.  Our “little” girls did us more than proud.  During the day they became good friends with several students on “Project Bucephalus” last years’ Champion’s award winners. Both teams cheered for each other in the 3rd round at which point their judging sessions were over.

Both teams doing the "YMCA"

During their breaks, they could often be found laughing and chatting with each other.  All the coaches were watching with amazement and joy as these students displayed through their actions the FLL Core Values.

Then came the Award Ceremony.  Due to seating constraints, the teams found themselves at opposite ends of the auditorium but even then, they could be found glancing in each others directions.  Judging by my girls’ faces, I don’t they could have been happier when Project Bucephalus won the Gracious Professionalism Award.  We all knew that this was a team truly deserving of the award.

Hugs and High-Fives

Then, the KookaGumJoeys were presented with an award!  On their way to receive to receive their trophy, they passed by their new found friends who were not only giving them a standing ovation, but hugs and high-fives as well–a joy to behold.

At this point, I was in tears as I normally am!  But, in some small way, I found these tears different.  Although I have received awards before, I have never coached a team like this before.

The KookaGumJoeys after receiving their award

To see these girls go from the shy, quiet, cautious little girls at the start of the season to the bold, confident, friendly girls I saw receiving their award was incredible.  They continue to shock me with their abilities and love for FLL.  They have shown me the joys of mentoring.

The value of Core Values

Why integrating Core Values throughout the season makes sense.
By- Heidi Buck

The concept of Core Values is at the very heart of FIRST LEGO League, and starting this season a new ‘Core Values’ judging category has been introduced. To score well, teams must demonstrate skills in inspiration, teamwork and Gracious Professionalism.

But, we all know that Core Values aren’t something that can be typed on index cards and memorized last minute. They have to be an integral part of a team’s ethos. So, how do teams go about incorporating Core Values into the character of their group? One team I recently met have come up with an innovative way to make Core Values an integral part of their season. They’ve created their own Core Values Award!

Jay Kyathsandra, coach of the Folsom Dynobytes, explained why his team created this award and how it works:
“Last year, as we prepared for the tournament, we were working with the kids to remember examples that support FLL Core Values. Through our learning, we realized that it is a powerful behavior/learning that is critical in all aspects of life and should be embraced on a daily basis and in our weekly sessions, not just for the competitions.  The spirit of our Core Values Award is for each team member to consciously work on demonstrating core values in each category with specific examples and work towards incorporating all the core values on a daily basis. The end output is when we get to the competition, it is a natural outcome/process of how the team embraced the core values versus trying to recollect where each team member contributed to the core values and how.

The Folsom Dynobytes

The process we follow is a random number draw, each team member talks about a core value he/she demonstrated for the month and a specific example. The rest of the team either agrees with it or they will share other examples of what the team member did that may have been impactful but did not express. Also the expectation is each team member can get one award only once in each category. This motivates the team to think about what is the next core value they should be working towards.”

Along with creating this Core Values Award, the team also hosted a season ‘kickoff’ strategy session with two other local teams. After the session, it was time for a pool party and a water balloon fight with the coaches.

Another important Core Value: We have FUN!