FADE · The Forge

FADE

Tab 10 / 11 · Section 3

MENTOR
FADE

Responsive, not chronological. Observable advancement and reversion triggers: plus the intervention decision tree.

11 Tabs

START WHY MENTORS WEEKS CYCLE UNITS WORKSHOPS FINALE PROTOCOLS FADE DICT

FADE · opener

Mentor Fade

THE FORGE · MENTOR GUIDE

The Principle

Fade is responsive, not chronological.

Mentors scale up when students are stretched and scale down when students are solid. The unit numbers are guidance, not law.

FADE · 46

THE FORGE · MENTOR GUIDE

Mentor Fade

The Five Phases

Phase	Units	Forge Coach	Text Coach	Weaver
Demo	U1	Active every session. Moderates + narrates every move.	Active. Spot-checks all evidence.	Active. Reads every reflection. Runs Bridge.
Handoff	U2	Sits beside moderator with whisper-card.	Juries; spot-checks.	Runs Bridge.
Warm Fade	U3–U4	Outside circle. Intervenes only on crisis.	Juries; steps in if researcher absent.	Consistently visible in Bridge only.
Independent	U5–U6	Outside circle. Emergency only.	Juries like a student.	1:1 conferences in Bridge.
Emergency Only	U7–U8	In corner or absent.	Fact-checks only if source is fabricated.	Runs workshop + conferences only.

The unit ranges are the calendar shape, not the gateFade is gated on rotation completion, not the calendar. Do not fade a role until every student has played it once. At the 8-student baseline, slots per unit are: Moderator 1, Researcher 1, Affirmative 2, Negative 2, Jury 2. So debater and jury rotations complete at U4 (8 students ÷ 2 slots); moderator and researcher not until U8 (8 students ÷ 1 slot). The unit ranges above are the expected shape; the rotation log is the real trigger. A role that has not completed its first full rotation holds at Handoff, whatever the calendar says.

Rotation-completion map (8-student baseline)U4: Affirmative, Negative, Jury complete first rotation, eligible to fade to Independent.
U8: Moderator, Researcher complete first rotation, whisper-card support holds all year for these two roles.
Recompute if enrollment differs: slots ÷ students = units to first full rotation.

Document-study discussionThe document-study discussion follows the same fade pattern as the rest of the Arms Room: mentor-led through U4, student-led from U5 onward. A room that is ready earlier may hand the discussion to a student moderator earlier; a room that wobbles keeps the mentor in the circle. This is the close-read portion of the Arms Room, not a separate role, so it fades with the room as a whole.

Fade never retracts farther than Handoff for a specific role. A moderator who fails does not return to Demo (mentor moderates); they return to Handoff (mentor whispers). The student still runs the room; the mentor just runs beside them.

FADE · 47

Mentor Fade

THE FORGE · MENTOR GUIDE

Advancement Triggers

WHEN TO FADE

Fade advances when competence is demonstrated, not assumed. Watch for these, role by role:

Moderator advances when

· Calls pre/post votes without prompting

· Manages time within 10 seconds of target

· Calls on quiet jurors by name

· Handles over-time speakers without intervention

· Announces the vote shift clearly

Researcher advances when

· Evidence packets arrive on time

· Sources are verified (author, date, credibility)

· Packets contain evidence for both sides

· Fact-checking notes are passed in real time

Debater advances when

· Openings state the claim in the first sentence

· Rebuttals address the strongest counter first

· Quotes have page numbers

· Closing addresses the room shift, not just restates

Jury advances when

· Evidence Maps submitted on time

· Questions are specific and text-based

· Ballots show thoughtful pre/post votes

· Reflections explain the shift, or why none occurred

FADE · 48

THE FORGE · MENTOR GUIDE

Mentor Fade

Reversion Triggers

WHEN TO STEP BACK IN, RESPONSIVE, NOT PUNITIVE

Moderator reverts when

· Timer fails and no hard stop is enforced

· Jury not called on, or only 2–3 speak

· Debate loses structure (no openings/closing)

Fix: Forge Coach beside moderator, whisper-card, one session.

Researcher reverts when

· Packets arrive late or missing

· Fabricated or unsourced claims in packet

· No fact-checking during debate

Fix: Text Coach spot-checks all packets before distribution, one unit.

Debater reverts when

· Openings lack text evidence (zero quotes)

· Rebuttals ignore the strongest argument

· Team is redundant (both say the same thing)

Fix: One 20-min “Argument Clinic” before the next Arms Room.

Jury reverts when

· Evidence Maps missing or generic

· Questions are statements disguised as questions

· Ballots show no engagement

Fix: Text Coach reviews Maps with jury, 10-min group review, before the Forge.

Emergency-Only Protocol: when to break fade

Safety

Student in distress, or hostility between students.

Procedural collapse

Moderator frozen, or the debate format abandoned mid-session.

Reading crisis

Fewer than 4 students have read (see Absence Protocol).

FADE · 49

Mentor Fade

THE FORGE · MENTOR GUIDE

The Intervention Decision Tree

1 · Is the student unsafe?

YES →Step in immediately. Safety first.

NO →Continue ↓

2 · Is the debate procedurally collapsed?

YES →Step in for 1 minute. Fix the process. Step out.

NO →Continue ↓

3 · Is the role competence demonstrated?

YES →Fade.

NO →Revert to Handoff (whisper-card) for this role only. Do not revert the whole room.

How to step in without shame

1Use a specific phrase: “I'm stepping in for one minute.” Not “You need help.”

2Fix the immediate problem. Do not take over the role.

3Step back out: “You're running it again.”

4Record the intervention in the Forge Record. Use it for the 1:1 conference, not punishment.

A moderator who fails does not return to Demo. They return to Handoff. The student still runs the room: the mentor just runs beside them.

FADE · 50