Researcher Profiles

Megan Schroeder

Megan Schroeder – 5th Year, Education, English Major - 2012

Briefly describe the professor and research project you are working with.

I am working with Alan Wiebe this year on the Mentorship Project. I met Alan in my 4th year of Education, when I began to look into doing my practicum in an alternative placement. I have since taken courses with him and taken on this Mentorship Project, largely due to his commitment and sincerity in working with youth at risk. I am working with incarcerated youth, building portfolios, and providing one on one interaction in order to better understand how to build relationships with struggling youth.

Why do you want to do this kind of research?

At first it just seemed like a good way to test myself – if I could teach “youth at risk”, then I would be more confident going out into the world as a first year teacher. Now, it is a way for me to not only better my skills as a teacher, but to better understand where youth are coming from mentally, academically, and emotionally.

How do you think this research benefits you in developing your skills and abilities?

Mentoring incarcerated youth forces you to open your eyes to everything that is going on around you. It transitions you from viewing youth as internally bad, or troubled, to seeing the environment around them, and looking for causation behind the behaviours. It helps you to become a more patient educator, a trustworthy support system, and a well rounded empathetic person – all important traits in a teacher.

What is the best part, or what has surprised you in doing this research?

The best part of working with these youth, has been the relationships built that surprise you; a youth who you thought had walls built so high you would never get in, that begins to trust you. I also sincerely appreciate the damage this has done to my notions of street youth – my eyes see much more now, and I am grateful for that.

What would you say to students thinking about attending UWinnipeg regarding research opportunities here?

I believe that the Mentorship projects that Alan oversees are something that everybody should be required to take part in. Not only do they provide insight into parts of our city that many of us never see, but they require you to give something of yourself that is thoroughly enriching. Building empathy and relationship skills is important in any profession – any students thinking about taking on this project would be lucky to do so.

What are your personal goals, how do you hope to use your education down the road?

I graduate this year – and hope to use skills I have learned through mentorship in my classroom management approach, and one on one with students. I am keeping all of my options open, with a definite interest in working with alternative education programs and local initiatives working with youth at risk.