One of the most challenging parts of education for students can be the lack of real-world experiences integrated into their academic teachings. Often, classroom settings limit students to long-drawn-out speeches on subjects they are not interested in and may never experience. A shortcut to making the classroom experience more interesting for students is to partner with and bring mentors who can connect with students with their compelling real-life experiences. A task is easier said than done. Finding mentors, for many schools, remains challenging. To be successful requires having a targeted approach.
Here are three strategies schools, academic institutions, and teachers can implement to establish a successful mentoring target process that wins!
1) Define Mentor Requirements and Reach Out to Local Community and Civic Organizations for Candidates. (A Little Preparation Upfront Goes a Long Way!)
Schools, academic institutions, and teachers must take the time to set up a process that better identifies and defines what they want in their mentors. The process must also include a system that attracts and targets mentors based on their goals and objectives. Understanding the skill sets, time commitments, and critical traits wanted in mentors will provide those seeking mentors with clarity on what a successful candidate looks like for them. Why you may ask? Many people may desire to be mentors, but it can be a challenge due to their busy schedules and lack of free time. Also, from my experience, when they are requested to make an appearance, their delivery sometimes comes across as rushed, or they may not show up at all.
In addition, it is hard to find near-peer mentors in communities. This article by the Davidson Institute outlines a few things parents should consider. They are busy living their lives, working a job, or spending time with their families. Commonly, their skill sets are employed in other areas, such as volunteering on nonprofit boards and other extracurricular activities. This is especially true in urban environments that have a population of impoverished and disadvantaged children.
One solution is to approach local civic organizations and present them with the opportunity to become mentors or provide services. This can range from being guest speakers for career day to chaperoning field trips and volunteering for things like campus beautification day. I might sound like a broken record now, but these organizations are also busy and have limited free time. When approaching them, please be clear on the time commitment expected of them, the specific tasks they will assist with, and most importantly, the impact their help will bring to your students. I recommend locking down at least one day to research who would be a good fit.
2) Use “Background Checks” to Your Advantage (Mentoring Students Is a Serious Honor and Privilege. The Process to Vet Candidates Is Equally as Serious ).
The verification process can be challenging for prospective candidates to go through. Still, ensuring student and teacher safety remains the utmost priority is a critical and necessary step. The background check and screening process can be lengthy. Response times, after completion, can range anywhere from one month to seven weeks. Civic-minded people committed to sharing their expertise and time are more likely to understand the importance of this long process. Others, such as students working on their midterms and first-time mentors, who have never been through a school’s background check, may find the length of vetting time a bit daunting.
A solution; be clear and upfront about the steps required, and the time the school district has in place to process a background check. I have witnessed some processes take up to six weeks, equivalent to ¼ of a semester. With that being said, once a potential mentor has been identified, review the process with them, including all of the information they will be required to provide and complete any necessary forms as quickly as possible to jumpstart the process. Ensure the school’s wrap-around service provider or counselor follows up one week before the potential mentor receives clearance to ensure they’re still engaged.
I will also mention it is helpful to time this appropriately. The school does not want to be stuck in a non-ideal situation where for example, they are searching for mentors at the beginning of October. By the time they find potential candidates, submit the candidates’ background checks, and have gotten the results of their background checks, it is mid-November, smackdab in the middle of Thanksgiving. Now the process is prolonged.
3) Develop Goals and Milestones of Success for Your Mentors (to be Clear and Upfront About What Success Looks Like Keeps Everyone Aligned and Focused).
The third obstacle that hinders finding consistent mentors is not having clear wins for the mentors. Although we would love all mentors to be generous and selfless, we have to be honest. People have goals and objectives they want to achieve and want to feel a sense of accomplishment. If properly matched with your school or group, these goals can lead to big wins for all parties involved. This is where being connected with the pulse of your community is key. For example, is there a new young professionals group or a new church program? Groups like Loving Houston work to align church mentors with schools while maintaining state and federal regulations for religious separation.
Promote the aligned success of your mutual endeavors by inviting the local paper, posting the mentor’s presence on your website and social media platforms, and other creative means. Here, you cannot be shy. Also, as you determine alignment make sure mutual goals are met. If the mentors volunteered with stipulations such as testing their program in the school, or acquiring volunteer hours, stick to that. Stick to promoting the group for what they came for. I have experienced, first hand, an agreement to volunteer in one area, ‘go south,’ as tutoring for testing became a focus.
In conclusion
Schools, academic institutions, and teachers often find their hands tied to inviting mentors into their classrooms. However, a chance to alter the curriculum and tie in real-world experiences from mentors is advantageous. Having a strategic plan can make partnering with them more accessible. These three tips provide a dynamic and robust relationship with mentors. Also, suppose you are looking for mentorship opportunities. In that case, the team at Laddering Your Success offers free online mentoring every week to students from middle school through college (Click here to register).
