Mei the Quantified Mentor for Projek Murid Luar Biasa #YEC2022

Mei the Quantified?Mentor for Projek?Murid Luar Biasa #YEC2022

71 calendar days (30Sep-10Dec22), 20 sessions, 92.5 hours, two (2) states (Perak & Terengganu), two (2) 16 years old..Bat & Sue came together in the Young Educators Challenge (YEC) 2022 in tackling the learning recovery loss through Projek Murid Luar Biasa and Mei the Mentor who decided at the eleventh hour to hop on the journey together with them.?

The YEC 2022 experience came in at the right time as I needed to recuperate, reassess, and re-shift my focus from my day-to-day transactional corporate kind of stuff. At work, I'm this transactional strategist...I troubleshoot a problem in an effective manner and the fact I track all the deliverables makes me not an easy person to deal with at work. I took the chance to be a Mentor for YEC 2022 so that I could 'pause' and 'recalibrate how my brain works'.

Some of the best learnings that I've gotten as a Mentor in YEC 2022.?

1. You define what is success to you

I think all of us need to define success for ourselves, based on what makes us feel successful, rather than letting someone else define it for us. Along the way, we celebrated small wins when we accomplished the questionnaire framework design in just two (2) hours, when we successfully produced workshop context in merely 3 days, and there was Sue who found the courage to speak and facilitate the workshop all by herself, and me...who finally got her opportunity to highlight and humble brag what's YEC2022 all about to the school teachers. #shouldersbrushoff .?

2. Mentoring takes a whole lot of commitment, it works two ways, and it could be reversed.?

Mentoring it's not just about being there, is also about being committed to doing it together to achieve something greater. I'm forever grateful to be able to experience a such journey with Bat and Sue.

They are willing to listen to each other suggestions and tested out those assumptions. We have many difficult conversations and when their ideas/opinions get too overblown, I knew that I ought to navigate such options for them to make an informed decision. Take for example the statistical survey framework, much arguments go around it (to make it digitally or not, how to track, how to start, what to quantify,?how to measure the before and after, and the list goes on).

Bat and Sue have definitely learned the art of disagreement as they had successfully concluded the survey design as a team. And as for me, I slept 12 hours after that session...it takes a lot of energy in nudging the behavior that you'd like to see :)?

I myself took the role of a Mentee along the way. I have to demonstrate the pivot formula in excel and how survey analysis can be simplified and within an hour of debriefing, they finally got it! Phew!

3. Mastering Gen Z's language. This has to be my favorite part of YEC 2022

Fr. (for real):?

What it means to the team: Scaracstically, this is a NO

This is dead:

What it means to the team: Minus the sarcasm, this is still a NO.?

What are the vibes, today girls?

What does it mean to the team: Can we do a check-in call later??

Material Gworl

What it means to the team: We've slayed it!

So girls, can you do it in PowerPoint??

What it means to the team: Mei....what is PowerPoint? (literally, the girls are saying PowerPoint is so yesterday *ouch*)

4. Reviewing Gen Z's music playlists requires supreme discipline

I'm now the CEO of reviewing music playlists.?Bat and Sue are both definitely unique in their own ways. One is a Taylor Swift stan and the other is a HyperPop stan. Trying to vet their workshop music playlist requires supreme discipline from me. Dare I say this...I have listened to a full-hour of music playlist from each of them! Fun fact, I'm a BTS army...and none of their playlists has that, still, thank you girls for expanding my music genres.?

5.Project ID (Impianku Destinasiku) team is lit!

Kudos to Project ID for such seamless communication and planning!?Both the Mentors and Mentees have dedicated page which communicates explicit timeline and what to expect way ahead. I simply love the fact the information is equal to those who are involved and the regular check-ins done by Project ID.

Thank you so much for the prompt response and assistance given to Projek Murid Luar Biasa and above all that thank you for?making the students feel they too can achieve their dreams regardless of their socio-economic background. My highest respect and salutation to all of you.?

Please check out the webpage that showcases all 18 team?projects at?https://project-id.org/yec-project-showcase .

There is no single word that is able to quantify or define this feeling of relief, joy, pride, and fulfillment at the same time, so I'm letting this TikTok video of mine commemorate the end of my journey as a Mentor for #YEC 2022 #muridluarbiasa #team14 and a quote below that I hold deeply.?

"What I've found about it is that there are some folks you can talk to until you're blue in the face--they're never going to get it and they're never going to change. But every once in a while, you'll run into someone who is eager to listen, eager to learn, and willing to try new things. Those are the people we need to reach. We have a responsibility as parents, older people, teachers, and people in the neighborhood to recognize that"

-Tyler Perry-

p/s:

1. Projek Murid Luar Biasa has won first place in the YEC 2022. The girls have won a bursary from Sunway College worth MYR 48,000 and a cash prize of MYR 2,000, and
2. Mei continues what she does at work and practices her drum in between :)?