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The implementation of a mentoring scheme for struggling students resulted in clear improvements to study preparation and academic performance. But first, what is mentoring?
There are two facets to mentoring. The first is monitoring student progress and achievement. Mentoring is helping students find ways to resolve academic or behaviour issues through that monitoring system. For example, a mentor with a student failing a math class may discuss the problem with the student and help the student find tutoring resources or catch up on work.
This is a more practical side of mentoring. Before this side can be tackled, however, a relationship must be formed with the student.
Forming a relationship and offering guidance to students is a critical part of mentoring. This often involves getting to know a student's interests, talking with the student, and discussing problems or successes that the student may have. Mentoring is often about giving advice and encouraging the student to make good choices.
It is essential that a mentor relationship remains positive and based on trust. Remember that your student is counting on you to be a trusted adult in their lives, to offer sound advice, and to help build their self-esteem.
Here are a few ways in which mentoring fosters student performance, as seen at CBSE School in Dubai:
Social and Emotional Development: mentoring relationships may promote the social and emotional well-being of youth in the following methods:
(a) provide opportunities for fun and relief from daily stresses
(b)corrective personal experiences that initiate improvement in the students other social
relationships;
(c) emotional regulation
Individualized Goal Setting: Meeting students where they are as developing individuals is where personalized learning begins. Each week, students meet with their mentors to assess their academic progress and to set individual short- and long-term goals, develop an action plan, and learn time management and planning strategies. This intentional, weekly interaction helps students develop a universal set of skills - goal setting, adaptability, and reflection. These are necessary for success in college, career, and life.
Building Trust: Mentors serve as a partner for students on their academic journey. They help empower students to become autonomous learners and agents of their change. They express an understanding of students' aspirations and fears. They become a support system on their road to success by acting as an advocate for students' best interests.
Developing Self Awareness and Finding Passion: An essential component of one-to-one mentoring sessions are weekly self-reflections. They give students the chance to build awareness around their ability and follow their appropriate academic and social goals. Students who practice individual goal-setting and reflection over time are better able to assess their strengths accurately. It helps them to recognize and act on areas for self-improvement. Exploring personal interests goes hand-in-hand with identifying strengths. Students are encouraged by their mentors to explore ways in and out of schools.
Mentoring can have a positive impact on student engagement levels, enhance communication skills and improve in-depth knowledge of a specific topic.