I started working with a few students, and they were completely silent. It took a few days for them to get comfortable with me in the room. I learned very quickly that the easiest way for students to be less resistant is to make them laugh. I started cracking small jokes to get them to laugh, and talked about non - academic things, like hobbies. Being open to learn more about them has made them feel like I am not an "intruder". We are not the teacher, therefore, using an "domineering" tone would chase them away, so using a softer, more friendlier tone was the best way to get them to adapt to the new dynamic.
-Shweta Shankar
A lot of the students I was working with were very quiet and shy at first. Their first impressions of you are everything. Be super talkative and open and ask a lot of questions. Get to know them a bit as a person first before you start helping them with their work. It'll make things a lot easier and a lot less awkward. Don't give up on them if they are still shy after a few days, it can take awhile to break through, but once you do, it is seriously so much fun to be around them.
- Lola C.
One of the students I was working with initially didn't want to talk at all. She would be very quiet and wait for me to explain things for her. I found that continuing to try to have conversations about non-school related things has helped, especially if I shared information about my life first. Additionally, using a polite tone and speaking loudly, clearly, and confidently, and showing my interest in what she has to say has seemed to show her that it's okay for her to speak up and tell me about her life.
-Mar McGrath
Sometimes, students are apprehensive to you helping them; however, all students want to learn, you just have to find a way to connect with them. I connected with some students over school and classes, while I connected with other students about hobbies and things we do for fun. Establishing a personal connection allows you to work closely with students, and eventually, they will open up to you and the help you offer them. It takes time, but in the end, you will make amazing connections with all the students you work with. You got this!
-Amelia Ozell
This was definitely the hardest piece of being a mentor for me. I was in a class where a lot of the kids were to say the least, not enthusiastic about the material of the course. Some kids were receptive from the get-go, but it took some initiative to get others comfortable with asking for help. Primarily, it is very important to never make the student feel like his or her question is wrong or not valid. I suggest commenting on the validity of the question before you answer. This will make the student more comfortable with asking you for help and asking questions in general because they know that what they are asking are good questions. Secondly, I found it helpful to just admit when I did not know the answer to something fully and how we can grow together. I think this also made me a lot more personable to the students.
-Annika Lavender
As an academic mentor, sharing your experiences and takeaways from a specific class with other students is one of the best ways to reduce student resistance. Students often feel intimated by academic mentors or older students, so if you talk about your struggles with learning and strategies you used to overcome them, it offers hope to students more than you realize and helps them open up to you and ask for help. Ultimately, the more comfortable you get with them, the more comfortable they'll get with you.
- Aparna Thiagarajan
At the beginning of your mentor journey you are going to have to work extra hard. The students in you class will be hesitant when asking you for help, maybe just asking clarifying questions. However, with time you will get there. When I started in my class, the students had already created a tight bond with each other and the teacher. That meant that I had to gain trust from the students that I would be mentoring. My goal was to make them feel like I was a supportive resource or guide. By doing that, I started to see people beginning to open up and allowing me to help them.
-Mason Colvin
In order to make the students comfortable with your presence, don't be controlling or constantly telling them what to do. Ask occasional questions and just get to know the students. Try not to form any biases if a student brushes you off, they may just need an extra push. If a student says they don't need help, but they still haven't gotten work done, try asking them to tell you what they're working on or what their progress is. Some students are afraid to ask for help, but they will appreciate it if you take the steps to support them.
- Nina Brown
When I first started, I was working with a few students and at first they were silent. A way that I helped them open up to me was asking them questions about what they like to do outside of school. Not everything has to be about school or the class they are in. It is super important to get to know them first because then they will start to become more comfortable around you. Never give up. Once they get comfortable around you, it is seriously the best time around them.
- Ruby Sain
I started with a group of students and they were not very engaged. Nobody would talk and some students would even put in their headphones. I had to approach those students in many different ways. They way that worked the best was asking questions trying to get to know the student/students. Some students are afraid to ask for help because they are not confortable with you. By asking personal questions and talking about yourself, students feel like they are getting to know you and it builds a connection with the student. As you get more comfortable and build connections with students, they will be more comfortable with you and are more likely to ask for help.
-Maya McCollins
Student resistance was very common in my academic mentor class. A lot of students did not have the motivation to get classwork or homework done. The one way I overcame this was by asking questions. I learned that most of the time students did not know where to start. One student I worked with was resisting with homework. They would never turn it in on time or push to try their best. One way I helped them grow was by having other students help teach them. This not only helps the student confused, but gives the other student confidence to teach the topic. The other thing I would say is be persistent when it comes to those students resisting help. By going up to them and asking "what questions do you have?" "can you show me your work" "teach me how to do this" can get them talking about the topic, more comfortable doing it on their own, and motivate them when you encourage them on the great work they are doing.
-Madi Drasher
When I first started a lot of students were quiet around me as they are not used to my presence yet. For the first week, I just tried my best to get along with them and made sure they were comfortable around me.
-Maida Ibrahim