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The 2010 Mentor Preparation Program Jim Elliott START Manager Ebonee Lynch Mentor Program Coordinator

The 2010 Mentor Preparation Program Jim Elliott START Manager Ebonee Lynch Mentor Program Coordinator While you’re waiting – introduce yourself to three people you don’t already know. Materials that you should have…. Name tag Schedule for today Mentor handy guide Cap

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The 2010 Mentor Preparation Program Jim Elliott START Manager Ebonee Lynch Mentor Program Coordinator

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  1. The 2010 Mentor Preparation ProgramJim ElliottSTART ManagerEbonee LynchMentor Program Coordinator While you’re waiting – introduce yourself to three people you don’t already know

  2. Materials that you should have… • Name tag • Schedule for today • Mentor handy guide • Cap • Mentor Program Brochure • Unilife support services leaflet • Support Services Map • A green and a yellow activity card

  3. Training Day Outline: • 8:30 Registration • 9:00 Welcome, Introduction and Evaluation data • 9:10 The role of a Mentor • What is a mentor? • What is expected of you? • What are the role boundaries? • What will you be required to do? • What are the gains other than those recognised by Curtin? • 9:30 Guest Mentor Speakers • 9:45 Effective Communication • Effective communication • Communication channels – some practical tips and tools to use • 10:10 New student Issues Activity • Think pair Share: • What will new students face? • What do you wish that you knew when starting University • 10:30 – 11:00 Morning Tea • Diversity Issues Session • 11:00 New to Perth issues • 11:15 Cultural diversity Scenarios • 11:45 Culturally Diverse Panel • Duty of Care and Support Services • 12: 00 Curtin Support Services ad Duty of Care • 12:30 Lunch and Meeting with your Mentor Program Coordinating staff member (Agenda) • 1:30 Individual Area Sessions • 3:00 Administration and Evaluation • 3:30 End

  4. What is the mentor program all about? • A little story…

  5. A triple-win • The program has gains for: • Mentees • Mentors • Curtin

  6. What do they get? Positive Negative

  7. What they liked…

  8. Helped you find your feet

  9. Take the stress out of starting Uni!

  10. They want to know course specific info They want to know Uni specific info What did they want? They want to know your experiences Student to student is more approachable

  11. Fantastic Reports “My mentor was an excellent mentor. Bonnie helped me when ever I needed help whether it was tests, assignments, info about lectures or tutes. She always replied my emails (the day after!) and offered to meet up with our group during breaks she was always friendly and helpful”

  12. Fantastic Reports “He was great. Always available ready to help and always smiling! A smile is all you need from time to time to get through the day” “She offered a lot of advice on what’s important; she’s helped me at all times and has given me a lot of confidence in the course”

  13. Real Data From The Mentee Evaluations

  14. The Impact of Mentors on decisions to persist at Curtin

  15. What’s in it for you? • Leadership experience • This will not be the last time you are in a mentor/mentee relationship • Making a difference to other students • Meeting people • Recognition of your contribution

  16. What’s in it for Curtin? • Reputation • Positive student experiences • Builds a sense of community • Effect on staff workload • Helps keep bums on seats

  17. The Role of a Mentor • What is a Mentor? • A Mentor is a current Curtin student in the same course as you who can assist new students with an introduction to uni life and will give them an understanding of life as a Curtin student. • The general idea is to assist new students to successfully transition into University to become: • Independent learners in a new environment • to enable student success and an improved student experience • to link new students to appropriate sources of support in a timely way • Participate in the training, and the scheduled events throughout the period of being a mentor • Assist new students beginning university • Actively offer support to your mentees

  18. What are some personal gains for Mentors? • Experiences that can be taken beyond university into your workplace and beyond • Build on the ability to develop relationships with people • Personal growth and professional development • Different perspectives on issues • Enhanced communication and leadership skills • A way of making a contribution • Enhanced communication and interpersonal skills • (Harris, P & Daley, J, 2006)

  19. Leadership + Teamwork + Cultural Awareness + Effective communication  SUCCESS IN CAREER • As a mentor you will gain skills such as: • People coordination and management – This is irrespective of your management level • Team work – You are accountable for a group of students, be aware of the value of this • Cultural awareness – Learning to respect, learn from others and be exposed to other cultures • Networking – you will need these skills for the rest of your life • You are now working with your professional network, you are guiding this association

  20. What is expected of you as a Mentor? • Listen & question • Utilise your communication and interpersonal skills • Pass on what you know • Offer a different point of view • Offer support, encouragement • Give well-informed advice • Refer on where appropriate • Celebrate success

  21. What are the role boundaries? • Don’t: • Compromise your own study / work /life balance • Be available 24/7 • Put yourself in a situation where you are not comfortable – seek help from your mentor program coordinator and the various support avenues • Meet alone off campus • You are not: • A teacher • A counsellor • A private tutor • A representative for academic matters and disputes

  22. What are you required to do as a Mentor? • Remain in contact with your mentor program coordinator • Remain in contact with your mentees and communicate using the various channels • Encourage your mentees to construct their iPortfolio • Active involvement in the school's StartUp Week with new students • An expectation that you will meet your mentees on campus either individually or as a group during the semester • A minimum of two mentor meetings with the Mentor Program Coordinator in your area during the semester • Participation in the evaluation process at the end of the semester

  23. Guest Mentor Speakers 9:30 – 9:45 Brooke Jones Rhiannon Italiano Kaye Lirio

  24. Email Netiquette… What is wrong with this email to mentees? To: newstudent@curtin.edu.au From: 2hotforU@hotstuffmail.com Subject: Wassup my HOMEYS???? • Yo Homey, • What’s cracking? I’m busy as a mofo and have no time for my stupid assignments. • What’s going down with your uni work? • Im busting for the weekend so I can frost myself and hit the town. You down? • Outty for now, • Mr Mentor man (ps like my cartoon … ha haha)

  25. Effective Communication • Mentoring will involve aspects of interpersonal skills • Interpersonal Skills: • One aspect of leadership is Interpersonal skills. To develop these you must: • Communicate powerfully • Inspire others to high performance • Build trust • Develop others • Collaborate and develop strong teams • Involve others in communication • To develop others, develop yourself • (Zenger, J and Folkman, J, 2004)

  26. Effective Communication Communication channels Some practical tools to communicate effectively with your mentees: • Meet with your mentees on campus – if they do not attend StartUp Week, organise an alternative time to meet with them • Blackboard – utilise the online environment ask your coordinator to set up a Mentor Program unit or section under one of your units • Utilise email – it is a good idea to get the students preferred email and show them how to divert their Oasis email • Use text / phone if you are comfortable with this • Schedule meetings with doodle: http://doodle.com • Online forum: http://curtinmcaa.forumotion.net/

  27. New student Issues Activity • Think pair Share: • What will new students face? • What do you wish that you knew when starting University?

  28. Share your thoughts

  29. Morning Tea 10:30 – 11:00am

  30. The Diverse Campus… • Everybody is not the same

  31. Who is new to Perth? • Most International students • Most students from rural WA • Australians from other states All will experience some degree of culture shock

  32. Being new to Perth Culture Shock… • An initial exciting period – feeling UP! • Disappointment and/or confusion – feeling DOWN! • Adjustment period / Recovery – feeling UP! • Sense of isolation – feeling DOWN! • Adjustment period / Recovery – feeling UP

  33. Cultural Diversity Scenarios and being new to uni and/or Perth • …the diverse things at Curtin that you may face as a mentor…

  34. Scenario 1 - Age You have met with your mentees and you find you have a group with a range of different ages. You receive an email in week 2 from one of your mentees, Karen who does not seem to be coping well with the return to study. She has been out of study for 20 years and is finding it hard adjusting to University and in particular the study aspects.

  35. Scenario 1 - Age Age is not 100% correlated with anything but…. We can expect more mature-aged students to : Be juggling study with family, job and other commitments Have not studied recently Have less familiarity with IT issues Know what “cc” on email originally referred to Younger students may have age-related issues to do with: identity formation and maturity career path choice personal independence relationships and sexuality

  36. Scenario 2 - Religion • After meeting your Mentees for the first time, you find out Hassan is religious. You have not been contacted by Hassan very much through the semester. It is nearing exam time and Hassan has contacted you with a concern that an exam may clash with a religious holiday or event. What could you advise the student to assist him?

  37. Scenario 2 - Religion There is great variation in the significance different students attach to their religion – from it being of central importance to virtual irrelevance. Curtin has just about any religious group you can think of. It is easier to be unintentionally offensive on religious grounds than almost anything else.

  38. Scenario 3 - Disability It is nearly the exam period and the draft timetable has come out for students. You receive an email from Beth, one of your mentees who has a particular query related to extra time allowance. She says it is because of a disability but does not define it. How can you assist or direct this student to some help?

  39. Scenario 3 - Disability Most disabilities are not obvious to an outside observer. This includes: Physical Sensory Learning Mental Health Long and short term medical conditions Many students choose not to disclose a disability, and may be sensitive about the matter

  40. Scenario 4 – International Student It is week 3 and you receive a text from Yuko, who arrived from Japan just before the semester started. She is a little distressed when you meet. She does not like the course she is in and would like to change; she is having a problem setting up a bank account and is also feeling a little homesick. What can you do to assist this student?

  41. Scenario 4 – International Students Approximately a quarter of Curtin students are International The proportion varies a lot between courses Major issues include: Poverty Homesickness Family expectations English language Religion Exposure to “western style” education Etc.

  42. Scenario 5 – New Country Student One of your mentees has just moved from Esperance to Perth. This is his first time away from home and he is living in student housing. Consequently he now has to look after himself with things such as budgeting youth allowance, shopping, and cooking – which are all things that he has never had to do before. What kind of suggestions do you have to assist him?

  43. Scenario 5 – New Country Student Every country student has to move away from home, whether he/she is ready or not. No country town in WA has a population bigger than ~30,000 They are often lonely Not every country student is a farmer However, they do speak English….

  44. Scenario 6 – Assessment Issues This week you have received a text from a distressed Mentee who has received her first assignment back and failed just by a fraction. She is very disappointed and upset about this as she put in an immense amount of effort and research on this one and was sure that she was on the right track. What are the steps that you take to assist this student?

  45. Scenario 6 – Assessment Issues The first major assessment is a key point for many new students They can be very unsure about the standard expected, and the amount of work required. Some may react negatively to a poor result

  46. Scenario 7 – Personal Issues Jenny contacts you on the phone crying and sounding devastated. After some time you finally manage to calm her down and find out what exactly that she is upset about. It turns out that she has been dumped by her boyfriend of 1 year and she is extremely down. She has turned to you for some help. What can you suggest to assist this Mentee or how can you point her in the right direction?

  47. Scenario 7 – Personal Issues • Bad stuff can happen to anyone at any time • What you may consider relatively trivial may be a big deal to someone else – be prepared to listen • You can probably be helpful with smaller scale situational issues, but less so with significant mental health issues • Recognize your role boundaries – more on support services later today…

  48. Culturally Diverse Panel 11:45-12:00 Michelle Harris Kaye Lirio

  49. Curtin’s sources of help and your duty of care • It is important to be familiar with what is available….and to link your mentees to the right service in a timely way

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