Why should I do it:
- Provides a student with a personal connection and buy-in
- Helps student to feel like someone “has their back”
- Increases student morale
- Improves student motivation
- Source of accountability, encouragement, support, and advocacy
- Helps student to perceive school, teachers, work in a more positive light
When should I do it:
- When students are unsuccessful academically or behaviorally
- When other intervention seem to fail
- When a student is having significant issues getting along with others
- When students exhibit very little motivation and effort or just do not seem to care about work and/or behavior
- When students seem to have little guidance and/or support in the home
- When a student seems suspicious of the school and staff
- For those kids that always seem to get a bad bream and are perpetually in trouble and/or failing
- When a student is frequently suspended and/or is in danger of expulsion
- When a student does not seem to respond to anything else
- When a student does not seem to have any significant connections to learning, academics, behaviors, etc
How do I do it:
- Mentors should be voluntary
- Keep the student with one mentor, don’t switch around
- Mentors should not set out to “fix” the student and all the student’s issues
- Mentors should be supportive, encouraging, and engaged
- The student/mentor relationship is all about connecting and establishing a rapport and trusting relationship
- Mentors should try to do something fun or engaging with the student, like shooting a basketball, playing cards, or talking about a common topic of interest
- Mentors should listen, listen, listen! Use active listening with students
- Mentors should help students to set goals, plans, and solutions
- Mentors only need meet with a student once a week for 15 or so minutes
Resources & Support for technique:
