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School mentoring programs are fantastic. Growing up from K-12 with your very own mentor is a luxury that not every school will have. But how can you make the most out of your school mentoring system?

1. Staying On the Same Page

There needs to be a mutual agreement about how your child learns and develops. What works best for your child, what are their natural strengths and weaknesses, what goals can be worked towards at home and at school? Both parents and mentors should be open to the fact that this is a collaboration, that learning doesn’t stop at home, and that parents are one of the main teachers a child will have in their life

2. Carefully Define Success

What is a successful student, is it just a high ATAR mark in Year 12 or is it something more? Yes, a school should focus on a student achieving their personal best academically, but that mark is worthless if your child has a lack of empathy or bad habits. Success is different for everyone, but having a child that is intelligent and respectful, is also an indication of success. Good character is very important, and it will take you further in life than any academic result will.

3. Let The Children Teach You Too

As a mentor and a parent, we must accept that our children are going to, at times, teach us new concepts with their fresh outlook compared to our own. It’s important for both parents and mentors to be open to learning from our children, remembering that technology is rapidly changing, and their minds are far more agile and quick to understand these kinds of changes.Experience should always be respected, but we should also embrace the ability to adapt.