Peer Mentor Training 2014 15 Oliver Schofield Peer

Peer Mentor Training 2014 -15 Oliver Schofield, Peer Support Coordinator Connecting students through mentoring and study groups

Session overview Part A: Introduction to Peer Mentoring – Its benefits – What makes a good Peer Mentor – Equality and diversity Part B: Overview of how the Peer Mentoring scheme works – Who is involved and key responsibilities – Timeline of peer mentor activities – Engaging with your mentees Part C: Skills/Knowledge – Effective communication with mentees – Signposting support services – Professional boundaries

Introductions Reasons for volunteering to become a Peer Mentor One thing you would like to know by the end of the training session

Peer Mentoring • Peer Mentoring aims to help first years with the transition to University, help them settle in and foster cross-year interaction. • Mentoring has many benefits both for the mentor and the mentee • Huge amount of literature claiming that mentoring is a critical component of undergraduate education (Lester & Johnson 1981, Rowe 1989) • In 2014 -15 at the University of Bath all first year students will be given a Peer Mentor.

What makes a good Peer Mentor? - - - -

Things to consider… • Everyone is different and you won’t be able to treat all mentees the same. Activity In your groups discuss some things which you may wish to consider when working with the types of students you have been allocated.

Equality & Diversity • As a Peer Mentor you must respect that fact that everybody is different and may require different needs. • Various specialist sources of support for particular groups: – LINC mentoring – Social Facilitation Programme – Diversity & Support groups • Some mentees may be under 18, it is the mentees responsibility to tell you. However, you should always think about the types of activities you are proposing to do. • If ever in doubt you can contact the Peer Support Team or your Departmental Coordinator.

Part B HOW THE PEER MENTORING SCHEME WORKS

Who is involved? • Peer Mentoring is a joint initiative between your Department and the Students’ Union • Peer Support provide central support and general mentoring guidance • Your Departmental Coordinator will provide you with specific programme related information • Senior Peer Mentors are recruited to assist with the organisation of the Peer Mentoring scheme Peer Support Team Departmental Coordinator Senior Peer Mentors

Peer Mentor Timeline • After the training session – Enrolled onto Moodle and added to a mailing list – Recruit 2 Senior Peer Mentors • During the summer – Enjoy your holidays – During late August/early September you will be allocated a small group of mentees – Send your mentees a pre-arrival email (guidance available on Moodle) • Fresher’s Week – Opportunity to meet your mentees at a Mentor/Mentee welcome event – Establish your role as a Peer mentor and arrange how you will continue • Week 1 onwards – Informal mentoring takes place

How much contact you should make with your mentees • It is hoped that you will build a good relationship with your mentees and will be able to establish how your mentoring will continue. There are several ways you can mentor: – rearrange another face-to-face meeting – decide to continue through email – or even use Facebook • However, not all students will engage with mentoring for various reasons. Having said that, we feel that it is important for these students to still know you exist.

First Year Student Experience http: //www. bath. ac. uk/first-year-ug/ • Webpage that contains relevant information for first year students at appropriate times throughout the year • Peer Mentors can use the website as the basis for their mentoring – E. g. you can email your mentees when new resources have been uploaded

Engaging with your mentees Activity In your groups discuss other strategies you can use to engage your mentees For example, Natural Sciences Peer Mentors created a fortnightly newsletter, containing useful information, which was sent to their mentees.

Part C SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Effective communication with your mentees 1. One advantage of email is that you will have more time to ‘listen’ to your mentees. 2. As a Peer Mentor it’s important to become an active listener. 3. In addition to active listening, a key skill of a Peer Mentor is the ability to ask the right type of questions. 4. One disadvantage of email communication is that only 10% of our communication is conveyed through words. 5. Peer Mentors should pay attention to both your and your mentees non-verbal communication. 6. There a number of reasons why we may find it difficult to listen.

Signposting various sources of support • Departmental support – – • Other sources of support

Professional boundaries • Expectations between mentors and mentees are crucial in establishing a successful mentoring programme (Reed 2008, Hall et al. 2008, Storrs et al. 2008) “Yeah, I’d be ok with that!” “I’m not sure how I feel about that!” “No I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that!”

Professional boundaries 1. My mentee joins the same society as me. 2. My mentees loan hasn’t come through and they would like to borrow some money. 3. My mentee wants to go for lunch. 4. My mentee and I get along really well and would like to go on a date. 5. I bump into my mentee at a club and we have a chat. 6. My mentee would like me to come to the doctors with them. 7. My mentee would like my mobile number. 8. My mentee sends me their assignment to look over. 9. My mentee sends me a Facebook friend invite.

Any questions

References • Campbell, T. A. , & Campbell, D. E. (1997). Faculty/student mentor program: Effects on academic performance and retention. Research in Higher Education, 38(6), 727– 742. • Hall, K. M. , Draper, R. J. , Smith, L. K. , & Bullough, R. V. (2008). More than a place to teach: Exploring the perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of mentor teachers. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 16(3), 328– 345. • Lester, V. , & Johnson, C. (1981). The learning dialogue: Mentoring. In J. Fried (Ed. ), Education for student development. New directions for student services: N o. 15 (pp. 49 -56). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Reid, E. S. (2008). Mentoring peer mentors: Mentor education and support in the composition program. Composition Studies, 36(2), 51– 79. • Rowe, M. P. (1989). What actually works? The one-to-one approach. In C. S. Pearson, D. L. Shavlik, & J. G. Touchton ( Eds. ), Educating the majority: Women challenge tradition in higher education ( pp. 375 -383). New York: A merican Council on Education and Macmillan • Storrs, D. , Putsche, L. , & Taylor, A. (2008). Mentoring expectations and realities: An analysis of metaphorical thinking among female undergraduate protégés and their mentors in a university mentoring programme. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 16(2), 175– 188.