Practices of Effective Mentors

• Involve students in deciding how the pair will spend their time together.
• Make a commitment to be consistent and dependable --- to maintain a steady presence in the student’s life.
• Recognize that the relationship may be fairly one-sided for some time --- mentors, not students, are responsible for keeping the relationship alive.
• Call students before each support meeting or appointment to confirm their attendance and/or their transportation needs.
• Pay attention to the student’s need for fun.
• Respect the student’s viewpoint.
• Allow the student to make mistakes.
• Separate their own goals from those of the students --- leave their personal agenda behind.
• Do not focus on the negative aspects of the student, neighborhood, or parents --- leave it alone.
• Seek and utilize the help and advice of program staff.

Practices of Ineffective Mentors

• Have difficulty meeting the student on a regular basis; demand that the student play an equal role in initiating contact.
• Attempt to transform or reform the student by setting goals and tasks early on; adopt a parental or authoritative role in interaction with the student.
• Emphasize behavior changes over development of mutual trust and respect.
• Attempt to instill a set of values inconsistent with those the student is exposed to at home.
• Ignore the advice of program staff.

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