Student Mentors
In my department, its difficult to run a successful mentoring program due to simple numbers. I believe that a formal student mentoring program serves best - not only because it promotes that sense of belonging and bonding among students, but it also teaches leadership skills to the mentors and is yet one more notch they can put on the resume.
Paul ,
These are good reasons for a mentoring program.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I get excited when I see students mentoring "younger" students. It shows they take pride in not only their education, but their program of choice, as well.
I beleive that any student can be a wonderful mentor. Some students get hung up on the age or how one another look, but I always tell the them to think with an open mind. The one person who they think may not be able to hlep them, just very well be the one that holds the key to helping them the most.
Cara,
How are students recruited for mentoring? What type of training is provided? Based on your post have you encouraged someone to mentor who may have been reluctant at first? If so, what do you think convinced the student to change their mind?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
At our school we did have an employee whose main job was mentoring students. He would do formal and informal conversation with students about anything; from studies in class, friends at school, work, and family. He just tried to help them in any way he could.
Annie,
Is this service still available? From your post it seems this person is not around? Training others to be mentors would help. Having only one person shoulder the mentoring might be a bit too much.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
Being an evening instructor its more difficult to have student mentors that are assigned officially through the school's mentor program. Most of my evening students work during the day and are unavailable to attend organized meetings during the day. However this does not stop me from choosing students to help incoming new students. I'll ask who would like to mentor and help our new students for at least their first term. I see that this helps my new students a lot.It also helps me out by not answering the same questions over and over again.
Leticia,
If the mentoring program works in the day there should be an opportunity for evening students to participate more formally.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I believe every class should have a student mentor. New students should be paired up with a mentor. That will promote a successful journey ahead.
hossai,
Selecting and training mentors is an important part of any mentoring program. Having the mentors for the students without this may result in a mentoring program with less than stellar results.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
the student mentor is by far the best, they are on the same level as the other students
John,
Yes, they can say "Listen to the instructors" or "If you want this you can do it".
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I have always liked the idea of student tutors. Sometime when a student is having difficulty understanding the instructor another student explaining it from another viewpoint make help him out. It also gives the student doing the tutoring another skill to add to his resume.
I have never considered the idea of students mentoring each other. Seems under the proper circumstances and supervision it might work. Who knows more about what a student is going through if not another student.
ROBERT,
Training the mentors is an important part of a mentoring program.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I really was inspired by this- I am going to start working on putting a group together for Student Mentors!! Great Idea!
Jennifer,
Please come back and report how it goes.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
