Summary
Frank is a 17 year old Iroquois youth who lives on a reservation and is currently in youth detention for breaking parole by smuggling cigarettes across the US/Canada border. His father is currently estranged from the family. He has some younger brothers and sisters. Frank has had troubles with painkiller and alcohol misuse in the past. In this brief exchange, Mark brings some compliments to Frank after a consult with one of the teachers at the correctional center where Frank is currently incarcerated. To what degree does Mark invite Frank to account for the teacher's remarks? What do you think Frank takes away from the exchange? “Cheerleading” is a term for issuing compliments without actively engaging the subject of the praise in processing the compliments. Here Frank is “given” a favorable rating but is not invited to account for it—to process the substance of his accomplishments, and to learn about what knowledge and skills he has drawn on to accomplish what the teacher noticed.
