"The mentor's primary role is to act as a guide and resource in the accomplishment of specific tasks during the exhibition process."
(IB Exhibition Guidelines)
Mentors can help learners set and meet their goals by asking questions, suggesting resources, helping to interpret difficult information, and facilitating interviews with experts. They also contribute as subject area experts. The entire learning community is involved in the Exhibition, either in the organization and timing, in accessing resources (including primary resources in the wider community), or as mentors throughout the process. The community celebrates with students at the Exhibition celebration.
Questions for Mentors to Ask
Week of April 18 - 22
Can I give you some feedback on your Digital Presentation?
Have you planned your action? How do you plan on sharing it?
What are you planning on saying during your presentation? Have you made cue cards with bullet points?
In what ways will you hook and interact with your audience during your presentation?
In what ways have you edited and revised your digital presentation?
Are you planning on sharing an Individual Artistic Expression? If so, how is it going?
Questions for Mentors to Ask
Week of April 11 - 15
Are you finding that you need more facts as evidence for your research?
Can I help you to arrange an interview with an expert or a field trip?
Can you share with me what you have learned from any data that you have collected from primary sources? (surveys & interviews)
Which stage are you at in your Written Expression?
Have you planned your action?
Are you planning on taking action during PYPX and can I help you to facilitate this?
How are you planning to share your action during your presentation?
Can you show me your digital presentation?
How are you feeling at this stage of PYPX?
Questions for Mentors to Ask
Week of April 4- 8
What is the purpose of your Written Expression (To convince or to inform?)
Do you need to do any additional research?
What Action are you considering and how can you move it forward?
Which digital presentation form are you considering?
Are you planning on interviewing anyone? What might you ask? How can I help you to organize this?
How is your PYPX journey going so far?
Questions for Mentors to Ask
Week of March 28 - April 1
Questions to ask your Mentees:
Why did you choose this topic?
What connections have you made?
How are you doing locating resources?
Can I see some of the resources that you have chosen?
Tell me what you have found out about your topic so far?
Are you documenting your resources in your bibliography? Can you show me?
How is your note-taking going? Can you show me the notes that you have so far?
Student Lines of Inquiry Document: Click HERE to open.
Meetings: Meet with the student(s) 2-3 times per cycle for 20-30 minutes. Each student or group will share their meeting form with you.
Discussion: Talk about the topics, key questions and organisation/self-management skills. Check in to see how they are doing.
Resources: Suggest primary (in-house experts) and secondary sources (books, websites, journals, articles) for their research.
Academic Honesty: Check that their research findings are paraphrased and sources of information are recorded and cited.
Weekly focus: See where the students are at. Are they up-to-date with their tasks? If not, what is the student doing to try and get back on track? Make sure new tasks are added to meeting minutes. This will be published weekly on the website.
Focus: Encourage students to remain focused and make sure their plans and proposals are realistic.
Feedback: Give timely feedback to the learners and the coordinating teacher. Let coordinating teachers know if students are moving in a different direction and let them know if you need more direction or redirection.
Role / Expectations of the Student
Make email contact with the mentor to arrange the first meeting
Be on time
Bring materials as needed (ex. Laptop, PYPx Journal, Student diary)
Come prepared with a focus for the meetings (last week's to-do list)
Report on findings each week – include information from their primary sources
Be honest about progress
If help is needed, be able to state what is required (not just “I need help,” “what do I do?”)
Reflect on Self-management Skills with their mentor
Take meeting minutes as much as possible (mentors can help as needed)