Overview
Mentoring is an activity most young people don’t engage in as they don’t view themselves as credible enough to mentor peers. The truth is, everyone’s an expert in what has worked for them; therefore everyone has valuable insight to share. Our students need to have classmates and peers who are willing to help develop, coach, and mentor one another to fuel growth.
- Your students will engage in a rep-based exercise getting into the habit of mentoring others
- Your students will gain the confidence needed to more intentionally mentor others
- Your students will recognize the value their peers can offer in mentorship and the importance of receiving their mentorship
"I had been friends with some of my teammates for years and it wasn't until this exercise that I learned some things from them that I wish I had learned years before. It was impactful"
High School Varsity Lacrosse Player
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Lesson Plan
Example Video
See Speed Mentoring in action below to get a better understanding of how to teach the the Exercise.
Additional Resources
Exercise Reminder Card
To emphasize and reinforce the lessons learned in this exercise with your players, download and share this graphic with them 24 hours after completing the exercise.
Exercise Slides
Powerpoint slides ready for you to use
Quiz Questions
Use these questions below to engage after you have taught the exercise.
- What do mentors share?
- Everyone is an expert in _____________?
- We always have something to share that can ________?
At Home
Coaches, use the below question, reflection, and action to engage parents, guardians, and other family members in the lessons learned in this exercise.
Suggestions on how to use: Email to parents the day you have taught this lesson, add it to the materials you send home, or text it to text message threads with your players.
- Question: What does Speed Mentoring teach us about the importance of sharing the things we know?
- Reflection: Who are the individuals you credit your success to?
- Action: Identify a classmate who you can mentor for the rest of the school year. What are some things you could do to help them grow?
Teacher Reflection
Take a moment to reflect on the lesson and how you can lead by example to your students.
As an educator, what role have mentors played in your life and the success you’ve enjoyed? Take some time this week to reflect on the mentors you’ve had throughout the various stages of your life. As you do this, reflect upon their lessons and how you can continue to apply them today.
Special Assignment
Give students the option of creating a written reflection or a one-page visual representation (using only images, icons, and pictures) to represent what they learned from their peers during the Speed Mentoring exercise. Challenge students to internalize the messages shared by the class mentors. Students should either write about what the advice shared means to them or create a visual representation of the advice that meant the most to them.