When a mentee is absent from iMentor class a few things happen: their mentor doesn't receive the communication they expect, the student misses a facilitated lesson and the conversation comes to a halt. In order to continue building the pair relationship and moving forward in the curriculum mentors need to be coached to continue on without their mentee's communication that week.

What to tell mentors when their mentee missed class

Mentors need to know when their student is not present in iMentor class- otherwise they are confused about not hearing their mentee and unsure about how to proceed for the following week. Program Coordinators should reach out soon after class ends to encourage mentors to keep the conversation going. Sample language below:

What to tell mentors when their student is present but did not communicate

Sometimes students are present during class but do not complete their online communication on the iMentor platform. Program Coordinators should do everything possible to have the mentee complete the activity during the session (including providing individualized support). If attempts to have the student complete the lesson are unsuccessful it is best to let the mentor know why and give any context learned through talking with the mentee. Please see an example email below: (click here for editable template)

As always, when a Program Coordinator identifies trends that are negatively impacting the relationship it is time to step in with more targeted and intentional pair support. Adding these pairs to the focus list and identifying a specific intervention plan will likely get the pair back on track. Check our pair support and participation support emails for additional resources.