9 key Platform functions now that you've matched!
Congratulations! If you're reading this, you've matched your mentees with some great mentors. You also know your job is not done. Here are a 9 key tools that have opened up to you now that you have pairs on the platform.
Number 1: Scheduling Lessons
Now that you have pairs, those pairs will complete their weekly Lessons. In order for them to see their lessons, you'll need to schedule them on Lesson Management.
If you have questions about scheduling lessons, please reach out to the platform team or talk to a veteran PM on your team! Scheduling mistakes can have long term impacts on your data, and nobody wants that.
Pro Tip: Make sure you see the Congrats page when scheduling a lesson. It's the only way to ensure everyone in the partner site received a copy!
Number 2: Taking Attendance
Attendance can only be recorded for a lesson when it is the current lesson. So if a new lesson has already begun, it's too late to input attendance into the platform! PMs either record attendance during class or take attendance on paper and input attendance values after class is finished. If you don’t take attendance on platform in class or immediately after, you will need to talk to your manager about keeping mentors updated on student attendance another way.
If a student isn't in class for a lesson and is marked as Absent, the mentor is notified in two ways:
- Email notification telling them their mentee was absent from class
- In the Lesson where content from the mentee would normally be
Number 3: Snapshot
Rain drop. Snapshot. Checkin' out lessons on the spot spot.
Snapshot allows you to see recent pair participation of Lessons and Conversations. Click the icons to see the exact lesson or Conversations messages your mentors and mentees see when logged in. Enter content and submit it on their behalf. Send reminders to your mentors to complete the lessons.
It’s extra important to get in the habit of looking at Snapshot every single class when pairs are first matched. Some PMs even carry their laptop around with them or put Snapshot up on the projector to ensure that every student has completed their lesson. Snapshot is the best!
Pro Tip: The platform automatically sends email reminders to mentors! Check them out here and at #5 below!
Number 4: Flipbook
Flipbook is the way to quickly flip through and read your pair content. Use the arrows to move from one unread message/lesson to the next. Flag content for Review, Safety, or Story to come back to it at another time.
Number 5: Reminder texts/emails
Reminding your mentors to complete their lesson is a weekly routine. Luckily, the platform does automate some of these reminders. Read up about them here. You can also send reminders manually via Snapshot by selecting users, and then clicking Contact on the top left of the table.
Number 6: Surveys
After matching, mentors should be invited to the Fall Survey! Invite them, check on their progress, and send reminder emails directly from the Survey page.
Pro Tip: Mentees should also be invited to the survey. Depending on the timing of your scope and sequence, this may happen either before or after matching.
Number 7: Sigma on AWS
We love data! We love data visualizations! Sigma on AWS is just that and provides you with workbooks for lesson and event engagement for your entire cohort. You can break them down by class or individual pairs and analyze your data to come up with the best strategy for providing pair support. Get in the habit of regularly checking Sigma on AWS a few weeks after your pairs are matched. The tool is not particularly helpful until your pairs have a few weeks of lessons to analyze.
Number 8: Meetings/Events
Now that your pairs are matched, they need to be invited to their first in-person event! Create your event, invite pairs, and manage RSVPs and event attendance all from the Meetings/Events page.
Number 9: Notes
When managing many pair relationships, it's easiest to store some things outside of your brain! This is why Notes are the best way to keep track of pair progress over time. Soon after matching, you will begin having Introduction Calls with your mentors. You will log notes for these calls on the user profile.
In addition, throughout the year you will provide support to your mentors and mentees. The Notes function will allow you document those conversations and any follow up steps that may occur. These are known as Pair Support Notes, and you can read more about them here.
