2018-2019 FTC Kickoff MENTOR WORKSHOP By Brian Johnson Lead Mentor – Team 4625 The Kings and Queens Facebook: www.facebook.com/FtcTeam4625 Email: kingsandqueens4625@outlook.com

About me… Former mentor - 4628 Suitbots (2 Yrs) Current mentor - 4625 Kings and Queens (5 yrs) Member of the LA FTC Region Operating Committee LA FTC Regional Head Robot Inspector Background in Marketing, Business and Accounting NOT Engineering/Mechanical Hobbies of Model Trains, Plastic Model Kits, Woodworking, Home Improvement

What is a Mentor? Mentoring is an important part of the FIRST program and largely contributes to the program’s success. Every adult on a FIRST team is a mentor, simply because he or she leads through guidance and example. It is important to remember students need guidance, structure, encouragement, and most of all, a fun experience! When done correctly, this learning process builds and expands team members’ self-confidence and knowledge

A Mentor… Requires no special skills, but should have patience, dedication, and a willingness to learn alongside the team. Is any person who works with the team in his or her area of expertise, for as little as one team meeting or as many as all of them. Helps provide valuable support and serves as a resource in his or her area of specialty. Directs the process the team follows to solve the yearly Game Challenge, without providing the solution him or herself. Is a coach, teacher, motivator, and facilitator. FIRST strongly encourages teams to invite people with backgrounds in engineering and programming to share their knowledge and experience.

A Mentor’s Role Includes… Inspiring students in science and technology. Actively sharing knowledge and experience with the teams to help foster intellectual growth. Motivating and engaging students in meaningful activities. Balancing effective work habits with FUN! Allowing students to do as much of the work as possible. Encouraging the team to welcome and include all members. Providing students with opportunities to make choices, good and bad. Encouraging students to take risks and be inventive. Allowing and encouraging independent thought. Creating, encouraging, and facilitating open, honest communication within the team. Fostering a reciprocal environment of trust and respect for every member and his or her ideas.

A Mentor’s Role Includes… Encouraging accountability within the team. Facilitating team activities and discussion. Developing roles within the team. Coordinating help. Maintaining equipment and purchasing supplies. Communicating with sponsor organizations. Registering for competition(s). Planning and scheduling meetings, visits, and trips. Acting as a liaison between team members, mentors, parents, and volunteers. Informing students and parents about what is expected of them in terms of their commitment to the team each step of the way.

And especially … Being a champion for Gracious professionalism and role modeling the principle within the team. Ensuring that the team ALWAYS follows good safety procedures and rules as laid out in the FIRST Youth Protection Guidelines https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/youth-protection-policy As much as possible, making the whole experience FUN!

Time Energy Focus Money Before anything else, the team needs to agree on their expectations for the season. Achieving excellence requires commitment Time Energy Focus Money How much are they willing to put in? What do they really want to get out of it? Not every team can advance to Worlds 8 Advancements - 160+ Teams in region What are their goals, and your goals?

How much should the mentor do? “As a Mentor, it is important to be involved, but it is equally important to make sure the process is directed and completed by students. Mentors differ in the amount of instruction they give their teams. Some give very little, and others give much more.” FTC Mentor Manual NO real FIRST rules about this The need for mentor involvement depends on the experience and skills of the team members Every team is different The only possible impact will be on judging for awards

The Myth of the Superhero Mentor…

The Reality… It Takes a Village

Building Your Village… Recruit Help!!! Ask Parents of your team members Approach organizations in your community Rotary Club Kiwanis Club Chamber of Commerce Ask on Local Social Media Approach local businesses. Seek out experts of all types

DOES THE MENTOR HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING?

You just need to know who to ask or where to go to find out!

Where can you go for answers … FIRST Publications and guides Game Materials https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/game-and-season-info Team Management Resources https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/team-management-resources Programming Resources https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/technology-information-and-resources Robot Building Resources https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/robot-building-resources

Official FIRST Q&A Channels… First Tech Challenge Community Forum FIRST Tech Challenge Coaches and Mentors Forum Teams Helping Teams Forums How Does Judging work in FTC Forum Funding Your Team Forum https://ftcforum.usfirst.org/forum Official Game Q & A Forum Answers here become official game rules

Official FIRST Q&A Channels… SoCal First Tech Challenge Region Website http://www.firsttechsocal.org Weekly Robot Tuesday email blast http://www.firsttechsocal.org/robot-tuesdays/ Email support community@firsttechsocal.org

Ask other mentors… SLACK Group Facebook Groups FTC Mentors Ftcmentors.slack.com Facebook Groups SoCal FIRST Tech Challenge Mentor Support https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTC.SoCal.Mentors/ Ask other teams / mentors in the region Ask other teams /mentors around FIRST Social Media

Building a more successful season… Help the team to understand the game rules THOROUGHLY especially the scoring. Help them come up with a variety of ideas and approaches to accomplishing the game tasks by Brainstorming Looking outside robotics for mechanisms that accomplish the same result Looking at other robotic programs for similar games and see how teams addressed the challenge Seeing what other teams in FTC are doing Robot In 1 Weekend Challenge Results YouTube / Websites / Other Region Events

Building a more successful season… Encourage them to explore what robot parts and materials are available that they haven’t used before Guide the team to solutions that are within their ability to execute successfully - but subtly Encourage them to re-design and re-build when the robot does not work as well as they hope. The robot you start out with does not have to be the robot you end up with Nag them to PRACTICE!!!!!! Practice driving in game conditions, and practice their judging presentations and Q&A.

Nothing the team does is more important than keeping up a good NOTEBOOK! Engineering Notebook Guidelines https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/engineering-notebook-guidelines.pdf Team Engineering Notebook Self-Reflection Form https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/2016-2017-season/eng-notebook-self-assessment.pdf

Good Notebook Examples Team 365 https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/team-365.zip Team 4250 https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/lightsabers-notebook-2014-15-team4250.zip Team 5037 https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/team-5037.zip Team 6134

Places to look to get ideas and stuff… FTC/Tetrix compatible robot parts: Pitsco/Tetrix FTC https://www.pitsco.com/Competitions-Clubs-and-Programs/FIRST-Tech-Challenge Gives 25% discount to FTC teams AndyMark FTC https://www.andymark.com/FTC-Robot-Parts-s/497.htm Rev Robotics FTC http://www.revrobotics.com/ftc/

Places to look to get ideas and stuff… Non-compatible robot parts: Pitsco/Tetrix AndyMark FTC Rev Robotics FTC Servocity https://www.servocity.com/ VEX Robotics https://www.vexrobotics.com/ Adafruit https://www.adafruit.com/

Places to look to get ideas and stuff… Non-compatible robot parts: Polulu Robotics and Electronics https://www.pololu.com/ Robot Shop https://www.robotshop.com/ Amazon eBay Alibaba Be careful of the difference in hole spacings between different robot component makers

Places to look to get ideas and stuff… General Materials - Fasteners / Sheet Stock / Metal & Plastic Shapes: McMaster Carr https://www.mcmaster.com/ Grainger Industrial Supply https://www.grainger.com Industrial Metal Supply https://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/

Remember… It’s supposed to be FUN!