"The Big Sister Model in Educational Training” The Art of Mentoring and fellow Mentoring" (BSM)

Abstract

In an ongoing search for new models to streamline college training and mentoring, a different training model was developed called the "Big Sister Model". This model was experienced for five years in the kindergarten-training program at the Kay College of education in Israel. Within this model, two female students are trained in each kindergarten: one in the third college year and the other in the second. Together with kindergarten staff, the two students plan the class curriculum and activities. A third-year student, who possess additional one year experience in practicing (veteran), has the opportunity to mentor a 2nd year student who also has the opportunity to observe the training of the third year and get more experience. This process provides a good staff relationship and develops interpersonal relations based on social and psychological elements, which points to a huge positive change in behavior, interpersonal relations and its motivations. In peer mentoring, the mentor accompanies, analyzes, supports, instructs, empowers and provides necessary knowledge in the mentoring process. It undergoes a process of empowerment, leadership, and success (Power et Al, 2011). This study is a continuous action research that aims at examining the effectiveness of the “Big sister” training model. When a third-year student mentors a second-year student, her personality will be accordingly empowered. Moreover, she is exposed to another year of the second year training program, once when she receives guidance in the second year and once more as a 3rd year student mentor. The second-year student enjoys continuous training throughout the day with a close colleague in addition to the training teacher and pedagogical mentor. In addition, she reveals the contents and skills of the third year allowing her ongoing internalization over time all third-year program. In the effectiveness of the training, we also sought to deeply examine the areas that this model promotes and strengthens as well as, how much the students perceive it as a training benefactor compared to the regular model in a control group.