Working Well in Mentoring Teams

We want mentors to build positive relationships among their mentor team by getting to know each other, sharing responsibilities, and communicating effectively on how best to lead their students over the course of the semester.

Communication

As mentors, you share your availability to attend sessions when registering, share updates with team members if you need to miss a session, and find a replacement mentor if needed.

Mentors should expect to attend the majority of their program sessions over the semester.

Mentors have already submitted their availability by checking off sessions that they will be able to attend (when they originally registered); however, we understand that things can change. Be sure that you are proactive in communicating absences with your team members, especially if you may need to request help from floating mentors.

Be sure that you are updating your attendance for each session in Hive and sharing any availability changes with your team (via Slack, etc.).

Division of Labor

Note that it isn’t only one person’s responsibility to ensure that a program site is running well. It requires the entire mentor team to work with students, serving as a subject matter expert, leading warm up games, follow up with parents if a student misses multiple sessions, and troubleshoot other issues as they arise. It’s important to communicate and delegate responsibilities in advance of a session so that everyone knows his / her role.

Additionally, everyone serving at a program site is a volunteer. Be respectful of each other’s time and commitment to Bold Idea, and work to include all mentors in leading program activities at a site so that responsibilities don’t fall on only one or two people.

Managing Student Behavior

All mentors should agree and enforce team behavior expectations. In front of the students, the mentors should be a united front. Discuss disagreements about enforcing rules before/after the students are in session.