A Learning Mentor – A day in the life of….

 A Learning Mentor…A day in the life of

From one day to the next my working week can be very varied, I never know what to expect. I always plan my day, but it is not necessarily how it goes depending on the needs of the children I am mentoring.

The start of my day is filled with paperwork, emails, conversations with teachers, parents and carers. The rest of the day is usually filled with sessions with my mentees. I consistently have to adapt my mentoring style to suit them. I am adaptable, resourceful, approachable and nurturing with a great sense of humour and full of energy. All these qualities are essential to be an effective Learning Mentor. 

My sessions are always interactive and totally different from child to child. I could be working with a distraught young person who is having bereavement mentoring, or a quiet child struggling with their self-esteem. I may work with changes in behaviour which causes a barrier to learning or a child having difficulties with developing and maintaining friendships.

I also attend meetings to support pupils, parent/carers and staff, this may be as the mentee’s advocate or for my professional opinion. I also attend school filter groups to discuss my mentees. I have regular support through 1-1’s, supervision and continuing professional development from the Cluster where I share challenges and work through strategies that might be useful in overcoming barriers. I find it inspiring when I have mentored a child who has made progress, overcome hurdles on the way and met their goals and outcomes.