What Do Mentors Do?Youth Mentoring | Mentoring Opportunities |
FAQs
What Do Mentors Do?
The answer to this question is as varied as the personalities of the mentors and the students to whom they are assigned. Basically, mentors spend an hour a week interacting with a student during the school day on the school campus. Typically the first few meetings provide the opportunity for the mentor and student to take some time to get to know one another. This is the time to find out likes and dislikes, interests and skills, hopes and desires.
The mentor should enlist the student’s input to determine how the relationship evolves. If the student is unclear about what he or she wants to do, make suggestions and allow them to choose. Possible activities include asking and answering questions about hobbies, interests, family, and friends, discussing areas of concern, playing games, or walking around the campus. Once you find out a bit about your mentee, you should be able to come up with things to talk about or do that reflect their interests.
For younger students, reading a story can be fun and also provide a “teachable moment” as you later discuss what they learned from the story. Middle school aged students are sometimes conflicted about the complexities of relationships with peers and friends or may be having trouble adjusting to the new environment after the relative normalcy of elementary school. Sharing your own experiences during that time in your life may be enlightening. A high school student may need help deciding how to choose a college or career. Assisting them in completing a college or financial aid application may be extremely helpful.
What you do with your mentee is entirely up to the two of you. One bit of advice – Have fun!
Is Mentoring and Tutoring the same thing?
No. A mentor is not a tutor however a mentor may provide academic guidance and support to a student. It is important however that the student’s experience with the mentor extend beyond academic assistance. While many of the students who are selected for mentoring face academic challenges, there are other ways to assist them in strengthening their academic performance beyond reviewing school assignments.
For some students, the difficulty they have experienced in class has taken its toll on their self-confidence. As a consequence, the student may need encouragement and advice on why they must persevere in spite of previous outcomes. Some students lack the ability to focus and follow directions. You may be able to share strategies with them through games and role playing that will help them better understand their unique learning styles. For some, the one hour a week they spend with the mentor is the only time they have when they can focus on something positive and have a respite from worrying about tests and grades.
The ultimate outcome for all students is academic success however the journey can have a multitude of twists and turns. The help and guidance you provide may be the impetus the student needs to try harder and stay in school despite the challenges they face.