When you think of the role of a mentor, the word that I heard the Lord use was discipleship. The Bible tells us to go and make disciples in Christ.
Mentoring as discipleship
When someone disciples a new believer in Christ, they are not only going to go over what the rules or expectations are (i.e. studying the Word), but they are also sharing with them the tips, practical strategies, etc. for living out this life that we are called to. That is the same thing that you are essentially doing with your mentee. You are sharing with them the rules of the road as a new teacher. You are sharing practical tips and strategies and hopefully you also sharing some of the pitfalls that they should try to avoid. The same way that you would meet with a new disciple on a regular basis, is the same way that I want you to picture meeting with your new mentee. The other key that I’d like to share about discipleship is that it involves trust. As the assignment mentor for your mentee, there should never, ever be a time that you take advantage of their trust.
So, in this new role of discipling or acclimating, your new teacher, these are the responsibilities that come along with the role:
Seek and save the lost. You are going to seek out your assigned mentee. And as the new kid on the block, he or she is probably a little lost! 😂 So you job is to give them support and strategies that will help save them from being so lost during their first few years in the classroom.
Build a relationship. Good to know your mentee: what they like, what they don’t like, the best times to call, when they tend to be the most stressed, and when they seem to need the most support. Some people work best with just a quick text or email. Others need to see a face so a quick FaceTime. Call may be the best way to offer them support. Still others may thrive on physical touch and may actually prefer to have someone give them a hug from time to time just to say that it’s ok. You have to build enough of the relationship with your mentee to know the type of support that he, or she needs, and the best way to provide it.
Don’t guess. If you’re not sure about something regarding your mentee, ask them.
Show them how. A lot of things that we take for granted as experienced teachers may be new to your mentee. Don’t just tell them to get their records in order, show them how. You may need to give them an example of how to set up their attendance books in a way that is easy and makes sense. You may have to show them a simple way to keep track of their grades so that they don’t get overwhelmed. Don’t just tell them what to do, show them HOW to do it. Be the example!
Give them time. We all have a lot going on, but plan to commit at least 3 hours per month to your mentee. That’s one hour per week for three out of the four weeks each month. Most of us can swing that. Now, how you spend that time is up to you. Maybe, during the first week you choose to spend one hour meeting your mentee for coffee, if you are located in the same city with your mentee. Maybe if you are not in the same city with your mentee, you use a one hour FaceTime call each week to catch up on things see where things are and see what they need.
Support your mentee. I can still think back to the days when my kids were little and we would be on the sidelines cheering for them in the different sports or activities that they were involved in. Even at our adult age, it still feels good to have someone say you did it. It still feels good to have someone to encourage you and say good job. Take the time to support your mentee and actively let them know where they are doing a good job, or even a great job. Your words will go a long way. And remember, most people THRIVE in a supportive environment, so be sure to create one for your mentee.
Track your efforts. For people who are in the classroom, they should go without, saying, but keep track of your efforts. Write down a quick note of how often you are calling or trying to reach out to your mentee. I don’t expect to have any issues in this area, but if it ever becomes an issue of he say /she say, you should always have a record of how often you try to get in touch with your mentee. Remember how we used to have to keep records on how often we reached out to parents in case those parents ever came back and said they never got a phone call from us? Yeah- Enough said.
Serve. The Bible tells us in Matthew 23:11- “The greatest among you will be your servant.” We are all called to serve. And as a mentor, you are called to serve your mentee to the best of your ability.
Now that you know what is expected of Blessed Newbie Mentors, click HERE to get clear on the responsibilities of a mentor in the mentor-mentee relationship.