11th Grade Mentors

Some Helpful Guidelines for Being an Effective, Supportive Mentor

An effective method of mentoring is to have a set time (two or three times per week is recommended) to meet with the student to review progress on projects, touch base, and provide feedback. The mentor oversees and assigns the student’s tasks toward fulfilling the project.
Evaluation is important to the student’s development and is an opportunity to identify strengths and areas for growth. It is helpful if the mentor evaluates the student throughout the Internship, not just at the end. The evaluation should be planned as a learning experience and an opportunity for dialogue and mutual feedback. Regularly scheduled evaluations help avoid common problems with Internships, including miscommunication, misunderstanding of job roles, and lack of specific goals and objectives.
Mentors may find it helpful to schedule a preliminary evaluation early in the Internship (for example, in the second week). This helps the mentor understand whether the student understands the role and responsibilities of the Internship tasks or if there are specific areas in which the student has questions or needs further help. At the end of the Internship, mentors submit a MENTOR EVALUATION FORM (see pages 19-21 of the Internship Handbook) to the HTH teacher.

Mentor Expectations

Agree to understand and support the goals of the program
Communicate regularly with the HTH Supervisory Teacher and the Internship Coordinator
Help students create and develop a project that benefits the student and the host organization
Provide students time to reflect on their work and to pursue data collection throughout the week
Be available for three in-person site visits from the Supervisory Teacher or HTH Internship Coordinator, and one remote call check-in during the second half of the program