Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Mentor
"Hello." Nick said as he answered his phone.
"Hi Nick." A voice answered back.
A smile spread across Nick's face.
"Cassie, hi, how are you?" He asked.
"I'm good, I actually called to talk to Jackie but I don't have her number."
"Oh, ok, let me get her for you." He replied.
"It's Cassie." Nick whispered as he handed Jackie the phone.
"Hi Cassie." Jackie said cheerfully.
"Hi Jackie, I actually called to ask for a favor." Cassie said.
"Sure, anything, what can I do for you?"
"Well, now that I am almost done with high school I got to thinking about what I wanted to do for a career. I decided that I want to have a job working with children, I want to be a role model for kids that have been through a lot, like me when I was little. I want to show them that despite everything you can still have a bright future."
"Inspiring kids is an amazing goal, good for you." Jackie said.
"Thank you, I think I want to be a teacher and there is this class at my high school that offers you the opportunity to go into a classroom and observe the teacher, it gives you kind of an insight about what it's like to be a teacher. I'd love to take the class to see if teaching is something I'd really be interested in and I was wondering if you'd be my mentor. It wouldn't be that much work for you, all you have to do at the end of the course is fill out a grade sheet for me."
"Sure, I'd love too, I just have to clear it with my principle, and I see no reason why she wouldn't let me, I'll ask her tomorrow and I'll get back to you." Jackie promised.
"Thank you so much Jackie."
"Sure, no problem, I will talk to you tomorrow."
The next morning Jackie poked her head into her principle's office and June Carson (the principle) quickly agreed to let Jackie be Cassie's mentor. That evening Jackie called Cassie to tell her the good news. Cassie was so excited.
"Ok, I have to set up a meeting to meet my mentor after school sometime this week, which day would work better for you?" Cassie asked.
"Tomorrow is just fine with me if it works for you." Jackie replied.
"Yes it works, I am excited, and I am so glad I already know my mentor, I would be so nervous if not."
"No need to be nervous, I'm not at all intimidating." Jackie laughed.
That was true, at little more than 5 feet tall Jackie was anything but intimidating, she wasn't even intimidating to her students which was fine with her.
The next afternoon after the students had left for the day Cassie walked into Kent Elementary, Jackie was waiting for her at the office.
"Hi." Cassie said cheerfully. "Hi, Cassie this is Sarah Caldwell, the secretary. Sarah this is Cassie Mcbride, She wants to become a teacher and she is taking a high school class where she gets to come into a classroom and observe and I am going to be her mentor."
"Hi Cassie, it's nice to meet you." Sarah said.
"It's nice to meet you too." Cassie said.
The three of them talked for a few more minutes and then Jackie said "Come on, I'll show you my classroom." Jackie said.
"Cassie if Jackie's mean to you just come down and tell me and I'll set her straight." Sarah said jokingly with a laugh.
Cassie laughed too "I will."
Jackie showed her around her classroom, then they sat and talked about the requirements of Cassie's class. There wasn't much she had to do, she just had to come in and observe Jackie for a minimum of three hours and be respectful and responsible to the students and staff, and be an aide to Jackie with whatever Jackie requested, then at the end Jackie had to give her a grade.
After they were done discussing this Jackie showed Cassie the room where the copier and paper cutter was, the library, gym and music classroom then they headed back into Jackie's classroom.
"I'd introduce you to my teaching partners but Lisa was gone today and Sue has already left for the day, which is a small miracle." Jackie said.
"Why is that a miracle?" Cassie asked with a laugh.
"Because Sue is here till about six every night, she's crazy." Jackie quipped.
Cassie laughed.
"You'll like them, they will help you with whatever you need."
"They sound nice, and Sarah Caldwell is really nice." Cassie said.
"Sarah Caldwell is one of the nicest people you will ever meet." Jackie said.
"I wanted to ask you something." Cassie said.
"Ok, shoot."
"I heard that when you do your student teaching in college you are not allowed to have a mentor that you already know, is that true?" Cassie asked somewhat worriedly
"I'm not sure about Vegas but that isn't true in my hometown." Jackie said.
"Ok, good, I couldn't imagine having a mentor that I didn't already know, I'd be so nervous."
"It's not as bad as you think." Jackie assured her.
"Did you know your student teaching mentor before you started?"
"No."
"Yikes, did you like her, I've heard some real horror stories about mentors."
"Like her, I love her, she's like family to me now. We still talk at least once a week and I still ask her for advice all the time. Last summer she came to Vegas for vacation and she even stayed at my house."
"Wow that's awesome. It sounds like you hit the jackpot when it comes to mentors."
"I did that's for sure, not only is she amazing but her teaching partners and all the other teachers at the school are wonderful, they all were so nice and they all helped me become the teacher and person I am today."
"That's so cool, I can't wait to get started, I am so excited to meet the kids tomorrow."
"You're lucky I have a really great group of kids they are going to love you and I know what you can do so the kids will love you immediately."
"What?" Cassie asked, eager to get started.
"You can sharpen all the pencils in that jar, the electric pencil sharpener is in the room that the copier is in, do you remember where that is?"
"Yeah, I do, but why would the kids love me for just sharpening pencils?" Cassie asked confused.
Jackie laughed and said "You wouldn't believe how rattled kids get when there are no sharp pencils, and I think they eat them or something, because almost every day after school I sharpen all the pencils and then the next day, multiple times a day the kids tell me that there are no sharpened pencils and they get completely flustered, it's actually somewhat comical."
Cassie laughed "Ok, I'll go sharpen them." She said as she grabbed the jar of pencils and left the room.
When she got back she looked at Jackie and asked "Do you want me to do anything else?"
"Nope, nothing that I can think of, you go ahead and take off, I'm leaving too just as soon as I clean off my desk." Jackie answered.
"Ok, and thanks so much again for being my mentor." Cassie said.
"I'm happy to do it." Jackie assured her.
Cassie smiled at her "Thanks, I will see you tomorrow."
"See ya, and Cassie?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't be nervous."
"Thank you." Cassie said with a grateful smile as she left the room.
TBC…..