Implementing a successfully mentoring program
in order to succeed with you mentoring program at your school; we must have all that It's required from both formal and informal programs ,tool's proper and professional training, dedicated candidates who can perform with devotion !
I really appreciate how you laid out your objectives for your mentoring program. We are shifting our school focus to a customer serviced based attitude and I really like the the ideas you put forth. Keep up the good work.
Yes, the company should take time to help mentors to learn how to advise. Advising is an art for sure. In any case, the school ought to create a systematic process of mentoring.
Dr. B
In my opinion, mentors should be trained as any new employee in a company. Without training, we get all types of ideas on how "something" is done. Once a mentor has been given the proper guidance as to mentoring students, the program should be more successful than not. Finally, a mentoring program should be active and not passive. The mentor should regularly be in touch with the mentee in order to have success as a student.
Dr. Jeffries
Yes, the process really works because students are not afraid to ask questions of their peers.
Dr. B
Peer mentoring is an exceptional idea. What better way to assist than to have someone in a similar circumstance?
Trust is the key word. I love to hear that you are working on building trust. Nice.
Dr. B
As an instructor I find many students trust me to help them with their 'problems' and tend to develop trust relatively quickly.
I find students who are further along in a particular course will 'mentor' on an informal basis when they see I am too busy with one person to be able to help the next 'quickly enough' which really help to prevent frustration
Frequently they wish to help me out by answering or directing 'new' students' with tasks the 'seniors' are already familiar with
I do not consider myself a mentor but various messages I have recived from graduates over several years shows this is what I have been doing.
Our school has a student mentoring/advising program in place. Keys to success have been:
~community resources for the mentor/instructor to give to the student
~correct information on school policies to answer students questions
~correct office numbers, phone and email addresses of the other departments to give to students
~financial assistance if the mentor/instructor wants to do a special group activity with the students he is mentoring.
~training for the mentor/instructor about group dynamics. Mentoring small groups is not the same as instructing.
We need everyone (mentors/instructors and students) to buy in regarding the success each can have depending on the other.
Great idea. Success stories motivate students for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. B
We like to publish success stories and include them in our monthly newsletter
I think you hit the nail on the head when you say perform with devotion. We need to devote or time to the student so he/she can get the most out of or school.
You are on target. Another element that would be especially helpful at our facility would be pear mentoring. Our student seem to receive some things better from peers verses someone in charge.
The key is to have a formal and an informal program to build trust. You have the right idea. What can you do to ensure that the programs are respected?
Dr. B
