mentor training - blogs.shu.ac.uk• neurodiversity. • mental health. • sexual identity. •...
TRANSCRIPT
Mentor Training
Session Outline
• Understand the fundamentals of mentoring.
• Practise the skills involved.
• Know the boundaries of the role.
Warm Up
Part 1: Understanding
the Fundamentals
In pairs discuss:
• Have you ever been a mentor before?
• Do you have any specific worries/questions about
being a mentor?
Past Experience and Questions
Mentoring Defined
"Mentoring is a one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship
in which a mentor voluntarily gives time to support and
encourage another."
Home Office, Active Community Unit
In small groups discuss:
• What does a mentor do to support their mentee(s)?
• What kinds of skills should a mentor have/use?
What Does a Mentor Do?
Summary of Good Mentoring Behaviours
• Approachable and reliable.
• A genuine interest in the student.
• Good listening and questioning skills.
• Keeps discussions confidential.
• Guides but doesn't tell (non-directive).
The Role of a Mentor
Mentors are there to...
• motivate.
• act as role models.
• share experience.
• help mentees make
their own decisions.
• refer.
• listen.
Mentors are not...
• lecturers/study support
tutors.
• counsellors.
• money lenders.
• there to do things for
their mentee(s).
• people who know all
the answers.
In small groups discuss:
• What are the benefits of being a mentor?
• What made you want to become a mentor?
What are the Benefits of being a Mentor?
Benefits of being a Mentor
• Improved communication and inter-personal skills.
• Chance to support another student and learn about
experience that may differ from your own.
• Opportunity to reflect and see how much you have
developed during your time at university.
• Evidence of skills and experience for Hallam Award and employers.
The Hallam Award
• Recognition for extracurricular activities such as mentoring, placement rep, course / department rep, part time job. Please check the website for eligible activities.
• Measure your progress against the Hallam Graduate Attributes, e.g. Confidence, Creativity.
• Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards.
• Award redesigned and rebranded for September 2018 -
all first year students auto-enrolled.
• Get started at: blogs.shu.ac.uk/hallamaward
Reflection
Reflection allows you to engage in a process of self
development to recognise your strengths and
weaknesses and identify areas for change.
• How do you feel after the meeting?
• What skills are you developing?
• Are you finding something easier/more challenging
than expected?
• How are your developing these skills?
What were your Worries and Concerns?
Practising the Skills
Unconscious Bias
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCgIRGKAbfc
Invisible Diversity
• Invisible disability.
• Neurodiversity.
• Mental health.
• Sexual identity.
• Gender identity.
• Care leavers.
• Carers.
No One is an Expert on Everything
"If you've met one person with X, you've met one person
with X"
Everyone is an expert in themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw
Empathy
Listening Skills
In pairs
• Tell your partner about what you did at the weekend.
The other person is NOT going to listen
• Swap around. The other person talks about something
which happened to them. Their partner shows they are
listening
What are the differences in behavior?
Listening is Active
Physical*
• Appropriate levels of
eye contact.
• Being aware of your
body language.
• Not interrupting and
allowing silence.
• Being present.
Verbal / Responsive
• Summarising/reflecting -
to check/show you have
understood.
• Asking follow up questions
based on responses.
• Don't be afraid to say if you don’t understand.
Listening is Active (part 2)
Emotional
• Creating a safe space.
• Showing sympathy for their situation .
• Not feeling you have to give advice or solutions.
• Accepting different opinions and avoiding judgement.
“I know exactly
how you feel.”
Always ensure your mentee is doing most of the talking.
Open vs Closed Questions
• When can closed questions be useful?
• When can open questions be useful?
Avoid asking more than one question at a time.
Closed or Open?
Information and
direction
Decisions and
problem solving.
Who... might be able to help you with this?
What... do you think the main issue is?
Where... do you think you can work best?
Why... do you think this is causing you so much trouble?*
When... do you need to sort this by?
How... could you approach this differently?
The Five Ws
Four Steps to Guiding without Telling
Listen... to your mentee explain their concern in full. Do not
interrupt them.
Clarify...any details you were unsure about in what they
have said.
Ask...what solutions/actions they can think of to address
their concern.
Agree... what they are going to go away and do based on
the solutions/actions they have suggested.
Task Planner
Decision Balance
1. What is good
about staying the
same?
2. What is bad about
staying the same?
3. If I changed,
things would be
worse because….
4. If I changed,
things would be
better because…
Decision Making
In pairs:
Practise "Four steps to guiding without telling."
Then swap over.
Practise Decision Balance.
First Meeting
• Deciding where to meet / how to find each other.
• Exchanging contact information.
• Putting your mentee at ease, initiating conversation
and providing information about where to find:
• places to eat/shop.
• cash machines.
• Hallam Help desks.
• the Students Union.
Starting a Conversation
Everyone is interested in something.
• Consider sharing some of your interests with your
mentee in your first communication and ask them to
respond with some of theirs.
Discussing a shared interest or finding out about
something new is a great way to start a conversation
and put your mentee at ease.
Knowing the Boundaries
Where do you Stand? (1)
Your mentee asks if you can come to their house for your
next meeting.
Where do you Stand? (2)
Your mentee asks you if they can have a copy of one of
your essays.
Where do you Stand? (3)
Your mentee asks you to help them write an essay they are
struggling with.
Where do you Stand? (4)
Your mentee asks if you can call their faculty helpdesk to
ask about an extension on an assignment.
Where do you Stand? (5)
Your mentee is having financial problems and asks if they
can borrow £20.
Key Boundaries of the Role
• Do not leave another student with a copy
(physical/electronic/photograph) of your work.
• Keep power as balanced as possible - don't lend money
as this causes a major imbalance (+ this is not your role!).
• Avoiding encouraging over dependence -
meeting/ communicating too often.
Your Personal Boundaries
• How often are you prepared to meet?
• Where are you comfortable meeting?
• What contact details are you happy to share?
• What times of day are you happy being contacted?
Never do anything you feel uncomfortable with.
Avoiding Text and Email Confusion
• Avoid using exclamation marks or full words in capitals.
• Appropriate use of emoji's.
• Using correct punctuation.
• Reading messages again before sending.
• Respond promptly to emails even if it just to acknowledge.
• Is it an appropriate issue to deal with in an email?
Alternative to Emails or Meeting in Person
• Telephone calls / video call.
• Instant messenger - i.e. Skype.
There may be many ongoing/transient reasons why
someone might not want to meet in person.
Concluding your Mentoring Relationship
• Decision to end.
• No contact.
• Friendship.
Confidentiality
In order to develop a successful mentoring relationship,
both mentor and mentee must feel that anything
discussed in meetings is kept private unless given
permission to share information by the other person.
If there are any concerns from either mentor/mentee
these should be discussed with your local mentoring
coordinator(s).
The only time confidentiality should be broken is if you
have an immediate concern for the safety of the
mentor/mentee or the safety of others.
Signposting and Who to Contact
You should signpost your mentee to Sheffield Hallam
specialist support services if they are having difficulties.
www.shu.ac.uk/current-students/student-support
You could take them where a service is located if you
feel comfortable doing so.
You can also speak to your local mentoring coordinator if
you have any concerns, ideally after seeking permission
from your mentee to do so.
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!!
Name one thing a mentor should do to
support someone?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (1)
Name one thing a mentor shouldn't do to
support someone?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (2)
What is one benefit of being a mentor?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (3)
Name one example of invisible diversity?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (4)
Name one thing you might talk about in your
first meeting with a student?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (5)
Name the five W's of open questioning?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (6)
Name one way of showing that you are
actively listening?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (7)
Name one of the questions in the decision
balance method?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (8)
Name one of the three key boundaries of
mentoring?
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (9)
Name one way of avoiding text and email
confusion
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (10)
Name one way of avoiding text and email
confusion
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! (10)
The winning team is...
THE LIGHTNING ROUND - WINNING TEAM
Any Questions?
Thank you for listening!
Electronic copies of resources/presentation:
go.shu.ac.uk/plmr