12th March 2024
As a College we believe wholeheartedly in the transformative power of acts of service; not only does it aid our community but as individuals we have so much to gain when we give. As well as fulfilling their own potential, our students help make that happen for pupils in local schools through our mentoring scheme.
We caught up with Nusrat to hear about her experience mentoring two students at Bridge Learning Campus.
I’ve really enjoyed developing a rapport and bond with the two students I’m mentoring. The main aims of the mentoring scheme are to develop the confidence and communication skills of the students we’re working with. In the past my teachers have told me they think I would be a good teacher, so it’s been nice to get a taster of what it would be like to teach.
Every student is working on their own presentation, choosing a subject to research and educate their classmates on. To help my mentees I encouraged them to select a topic that they’re interested in as they’ll find the project more enjoyable that way. One of my students is a big science fan, so they’re doing a presentation on blood and the second student loves dance, so they’ve decided to focus on hip hop. I guide them through the research process and how to use what they’ve discovered to build their presentations. It’s great to see how enthusiastic they are and how proud they get with each element they add.
As well as the project work, we want to help build the confidence of each student. I work together with my students to set goals and note down the steps they need to take to achieve them. One of my students said they wanted to be more organised and also help their mum, so we decided together that the next time their family did a food shop, they would be in charge of arranging the fridge and cupboards. They really enjoyed organising it all and their mum was really thankful of their help.
It’s been lovely to see my students achieve their targets and build their presentations. The scheme has also helped me develop confidence interacting 1-2-1, and see what it would be like if I was to pursue a career in teaching or mentoring.
