Mentoring and Buddying at NTU
Introduced by Sarah Johnson
Learning Development Team
NTU Library
Overview
• 3.15 – 3.20 - Sarah Johnson with Dane Proctor Overview of
Student Mentor scheme run in 6 Schools at NTU
• 3.20 – 3.25 – Nic O’Brien - Inspire Mentoring Scheme (student
opportunity)
• 3.25 – 3.30 – Angela Vesey – Student Mentoring in Youth Studies
• 3.30 – 3.35 – Tina Byrom – summary of the buddy scheme
running in the School of Education
• 3.35 – 3.40 – Leslie Arthur – Student Mentoring in ADBE
• 3.40 – 3.45 – Andy Coppins and Esther Johnson - Evolve
(ementoring - staff volunteering opportunity) plus NTU Work
Experience Programme (staff opportunity to mentor work
experience pupils)
• 3.45 – 3.50 – Lindsay Davies – NTU Mentoring framework
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NTU Student Mentors
Collaborative project
What is the Student Mentor Scheme?
Student Mentors –
•
Operate in Schools where there is little or no other form of one-toone writing support
• Run drop-in sessions at City and Clifton every lunchtime
• Run bookable sessions to support academic writing and maths
• Offer one-to-one and small group sessions; drop-ins and writing
and numeracy workshops within the library.
• Act as positive role models for other students, helping them to
develop their academic writing and maths skills.
• Use questioning techniques to encourage independent learning,
rather than a ‘doing it for you!’ approach.
• Undergo NTU recruitment and selection, are trained and paid!
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Skills and qualities. . .
Student Mentors are:
• Reliable
• Independent thinkers
• Proactive
• Good communicators
• Active listeners
• Approachable
• Non-judgemental
• Flexible
• Committed
• Organised
• Producing a high standard of
work!
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What can Mentors help students with?
Academic Writing:
Maths:
• Understanding the
assignment brief
• Statistics and quantitative
statistics
• Planning your work
• Algebra
• Grammar
• Graphs
• Sentences and paragraphs
• Trigonometry
• Structuring the assignment
• Probability
• Referencing and plagiarism
• T-tests
• NOT Proofreading!
• NOT Checking!
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Student participants . . .
•Students who visit a Mentor may be:
– Self-referred
– Tutor-referred
• According to our feedback the majority of students
attend only one session . . .
• Of those who responded, 95% of participants said
that the Student Mentor had met their expectations
• 85% of students said that confidence in their studies
had increased as a result of seeing a Student Mentor
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For further information . . .
• Visit the following web pages:
www.ntu.ac.uk/studentmentors
• Email us:
ntustudentmentors@ntu.ac.uk
Student Mentors are available to introduce
the scheme at your Y1 inductions.
• Book an appointment
– ADBE
– ARES
– NBS
– NLS
– Education
– SST
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Nicola O’Brien
Schools, Colleges and Community Outreach
Inspire Mentoring Scheme - (Student Opportunity)
www.ntu.ac.uk/studentsinclassrooms
NTU’s Schools, Colleges and Community
Outreach
• Support the progression to higher education of learners from disadvantaged
backgrounds by raising awareness, aspirations and attainment
• Enhance employability and higher education experience of NTU students by
providing opportunities to engage with the wider community
• Provide a co-ordinated central service which brokers outreach activity
between the University and external schools, colleges and community
organisations
• Provide opportunities for personal and professional development for NTU
staff through engagement with schools, colleges and community
organisations
• Achieved through a variety of strands of activity, including Partnership
Managers, Students in Classrooms and NTU Volunteering
www.ntu.ac.uk/community
Students in Classrooms
Paid opportunities for NTU students to work with local young people
in a variety of roles, including the Inspire Mentoring Scheme
•
Mentors offer guidance, support and personal direction to pupils from the
ages of 13 to 17 who have the potential to progress onto higher education
(HE).
•
Guidance on topics such as routes into HE, revision and exam technique,
planning skills, motivation, self-confidence and much more. The scheme
aims to impact positively upon pupil attainment levels.
•
Students work with 4 mentees, one-to-one for 1 hour per week (11
sessions) in school environment (exact timings flexible to academic
timetable)
•
Skills development opportunity for students (NTU Acceler8)
•
Raise NTU’s profile in the community
The Student Mentoring Experience:
BA Youth Studies, Division of Guidance,
Youth Studies and Youth Justice.
Angela Vesey
Course Leader
Background to the Scheme
• First introduced in academic year 2010/11, with the aim of
establishing ‘a student to student’ support system on the Year 1
BA Youth Studies Course.
• Second and third year students on the Programme were invited to
apply for mentoring training in the summer of 2010, and as a result
of this seven students drawn from both year groups participated
in a two day mentoring training programme in October 2010. This
training was delivered by Sarah Johnson, Learning and Teaching
Officer in CPLD. These students were allocated to a group of 10 first
year students, and introduced to each other as part of the Research
and Study Skills Module in November 2010, their remit was to
provide on-going academic and personal support to students over
the year. This training was repeated in summer 2011 with a second
intake.
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Challenges to overcome
• Course Leader providing an online dating service,
matching mentor to mentee!
• Frustrations of mentors…all ‘psyched’ up to support students but
mentees not turning up for prearranged appointments.
• Availability of timetables across years to identify a time for all
students to initially meet.
• Despite this…….
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Benefits of mentoring to mentees
• A number of mentees commented that their mentor had been
a useful starting point when unsure of a range of academic
areas, the most commonly cited one being referencing and
citation protocol.
• One student explained how their mentor had helped them by
discussing their assignment feedback with them. They also
commented that their mentor had provided reassurance
around a number of academic issues and had a positive
impact on their overall year 1 experience.
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Benefits of mentoring to Mentors
• Comments from the mentors;
• I learnt how to support students with skills which allow them to
develop their own methods of coping and learning, rather than
helping them by doing it for them..
• Through mentoring I have taught myself a new way of thinking in
regards to tackling an assignment and managing my time/stress
and work. I feel proud that I contributed to the scheme as I feel
that I helped my mentee.
• I feel that the mentor program is helpful and has provided
opportunities for myself to reflect upon my learning from the course
from another perspective.
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Sharing Practice across the School
• The Course Leader has met with colleagues in the Psychology
Division to discuss the Youth Studies approach to mentoring and
share recent evaluation from the students.
• The Course experience with the School Learning and Development
Coordinator who works closely with the Programme to provide
additional support to students.
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Future?
• There are clear benefits of ‘student to student’ support
• Current review of mentoring provision as part of overall student
support taking place as part of Portfolio Review.
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School of Education Buddy Scheme (SEBS)
Dr Tina Byrom
Rationale
To build from the experiences of existing
students to:
– provide extra support for Year 1 students
– aid the transition process into HE
– facilitate space/s where Year 1 students can seek out
advice
Buddy Role
•offer friendly support, advice and information
•aid the settling-in process
•sign-post to other services
•minimum of two hours per month required
•voluntary role
Practicalities
•each interested student completes an application
form
•buddies are trained
•each ‘buddy’ compiles a profile
•profiles are available to Year 1 students in a
designated learning room
•students contact buddy to arrange
meeting or seek advice
A Buddy is Not
•teacher
•counsellor
•tutor
•proof-reader
•expert
Student Mentoring in ADBE
Leslie Arthur
Achieve (e-mentoring, staff volunteering
opportunity)
NTU Work Experience Programme (staff
opportunity to mentor work experience pupils)
Andy Coppins and Esther Johnson
www.ntu.ac.uk/volunteering
Employee Volunteering and Community
Involvement
• Achieve E-mentoring
– E-mentoring scheme linking staff with GCSE or ‘A’ level students in local
Secondary Schools or Colleges
– Develop a mentoring relationship via secure emails, which offer pupils a chance
to speak to an adult
– Helps to boost confidence, increase motivation, develop self awareness, discuss
areas of work or issues relevant to them and provide practical support and
advice.
– Gives opportunity to work with schools in a wider area than face-to-face
mentoring does
– Volunteers are required to participate for up to an hour per week, based from a
University computer. The times are variable and can be arranged on an
individual basis.
– Encourages pupils to think for themselves – it’s not a spoon feeding programme
and the mentors encourage the pupils to think differently, explore alternatives
and come to a resolution and action plan together.
NTU Work Inspiration Scheme
• Offer placements in 30 areas across NTU
•
from fashion to astronomy, finance to catering, business to equine, and
many more
• Hosted 52 students on placement in 11/12, from
35 schools
• Benefits for colleagues:
•
•
•
•
“opportunity for professional development”
“assistance with tasks”
“development of new resources”
“satisfaction of being part of the students decision making process for their
future career”
• Benefits to students:
•
•
•
“gained insight into the working environment and structure of the working
day”
“gained confidence in myself”
“enjoyed the insight that working here gave me, not only into the world of
work, but also the life at university”
• Raise aspirations and help inform decisions at
critical stage of their lives
• If you would like to offer a placement in your area
please contact workexperience@ntu.ac.uk
Introduction to the
NTU Mentoring Framework
Dr. Lindsay Davies
Centre for Professional Learning and Development
Aims of the Mentoring Framework
To provide a package of support for Schools,
Colleges & Services to facilitate them in running
mentoring schemes where no previous mentoring
activity has occurred or to enhance existing
schemes via:
• a robust process
• a suite of resources
• CPLD support for ‘owners’ who
manage the mentoring scheme
• CPLD support for evaluation of
the mentoring scheme
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Defining ‘mentoring’ for the Framework
Mentoring is an empowering, time bound
relationship which stands outside of the line
management (off-line) process and involves
the development of specific knowledge, skills,
behaviours and/or networks of a less
experienced staff member through support by
one who already possesses these attributes.
These outcomes should be in support of enhancing
professional performance in the pursuit of local or
institutional goals.
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Structure of the Mentoring Framework
•The framework is a 12 stage process of actions
•Responsibilities allocated to CPLD and the
specific Mentoring Scheme Owner
•Each stage is supported by resources and
documentation
•Some stages have direct CPLD input such as
mentor/mentee training and evaluation
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Next steps…
•Continue to develop & refine
resources/process
•Disseminate outcomes from pilot scheme
•Identify and operationalise further
schemes
•Map range of peer development activities
•Create NOW learning room to support
these
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Thank you!
•Please feel free to visit the resource desk and ask
questions
•Contact information available on request
•sarah.johnson@ntu.ac.uk
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