Trainer’s Corner
Original Date: February 2021
By: Brian Dobias
Over the last 9 months, there has been an increased focus on the negative effects of social isolation due to COVID-19. This is especially true for K-12 students who have been unable to attend school for Face-to-Face instruction. We are all hoping that by the fall, we can at least get back to the “new normal” and begin to re-establish the social contact that students have been missing.
In the cycle of many school-based peer mentor programs, this is typically the time of year when program directors begin the process of recruiting new students, to be trained and ready to serve as mentors in the fall. Of course, while the timing may be slightly different for community-based groups, the procedures can be similar. As we interview and select potential mentors, we typically look for a certain level of interpersonal skills, attentiveness, and active listening. It seems that these “soft skills” will become increasingly important as we consider the challenges many students will face as they transition back into a school building in the fall.
Over the years, I’ve observed students who were “naturals” in this area. I also observed potential mentors who were less skilled but had the potential to grow through our training and program structure. This allowed the mentors to grow and develop as much as their mentees. Identifying mentors who are attentive and good listeners can be difficult in a one-on-one interview format. Yes, they will listen carefully to your question and provide an answer because their personal success in the interview is at stake. However, this typically does not reflect empathy or concern for others. As program directors, we were looking for mentors that listened to others because they were genuinely interested in others. The following guidelines may help you identify these qualities as you consider applicants for your incoming group of mentors.
1. Rather than interviewing potential mentors one-on-one, conduct a groups-based interview process. 4 to 6 mentor applicants could be interviewed by multiple program directors during each interview 24 session.
2. Ask a question of the group and allow the mentors to answer in any order they choose. Allowing them to choose the response order can provide insight into assertiveness, passivity, or at times even aggressiveness. My experience has been that we, as program directors learned as much or more from the behaviors of the applicants when others were responding then when they responded themselves.
3. When each mentor applicant is responding to a question, pay close attention to the other applicants, especially any applicants that already responded to the question. What did they do? Did they turn and pay attention to the person responding? Did they show genuine interest and engage with the other applicant? Or did they look off into space, bored, and wait for their next opportunity to respond?
In this style of interview, it is helpful to choose questions that provide responses with a degree of human interest built in. The activity below, “Three Dimensions of Me” is an actual activity you could incorporate scaled down for time if required) into your interview process. As with any group setting, giving the group a little time to feel comfortable in the setting before beginning the activity would help ensure meaningful responses.
Brian Dobias is a Clinical Assistant Professor and School Counseling Coordinator in the College of Professional Studies Counselor Education Program at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW. He is a co-author of Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying (Research Press). He is a Certified Trainer/Consultant for the NAPPP. Feedback and ideas for future Trainer’s Corner articles are welcomed! Mr. Dobias can be contacted via email at dobibf01@pfw.edu. “Three Dimensions of Me” Adapted from “The World of 3’s” by Colmar, Rosenblum, & Sullivan (1999)
Purpose: To allow group members to share information about themselves and learn about each other on a slightly deeper level. Materials needed: A copy of a prepared worksheet for each group member listing the questions you would like them to answer.
Note: You can choose from the list below. The total number of questions you choose can be determined in part by how much time you allow for the activity.
Procedures:
1. Give each group member a worksheet and allow time for them to think of meaningful answers to the questions.
2. Once they have completed the worksheets, go around the group and have each member provide a response to the question of their choosing from the worksheet. This will allow each member to choose responses to a question with which they are comfortable. Repeat the process as time allows.
Guiding questions:
1. What was the easiest or hardest question for you to answer?
2. Did you modify your answers because you were nervous when you had to read them to the group?
3. What is one thing that you learned about someone else in the group?
List of potential worksheet questions:
1. Three things that I have done in my life for which I am most proud are:
2. If I were allowed 3 “do-overs,” they would be:
3. 3 things I love are:
4. The 3 most influential people in my life are/or have been:
5. If I had 3 wishes, I would wish for (and no, you can’t wish for more wishes):
6. Three words that don’t describe me are: Note: A question I have used repeatedly in mentor interviews is:
7. Name 3 qualities of a good friend and you can’t use any of the qualities other people in the group provided as part of their answer. This question produces interesting responses. You will see who in the group can “think on their feet,” and realize that the earlier you answer, the easier it is.
I’ve even seen mentors help each other out when the question grows more difficult. And there is typically a certain level of humor involved in the process. A true measure of good mentoring!
Brian Dobias is a Clinical Assistant Professor and School Counseling Coordinator in the College of Professional Studies Counselor Education Program at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW. He is coauthor of Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying (Research Press). He is a NAPPP Certified Trainer/Consultant. Feedback and ideas for future Trainer’s Corner articles are welcomed! Mr. Dobias can be contacted via email at dobibf01@pfw.edu.
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