How do you sustain and end a mentoring relationship?

3 Provide ongoing support and feedback

As a mentor, your role is to provide ongoing support and feedback to your mentee, to help them improve their teaching practice and professional development. You can do this by observing their lessons, coaching them on specific skills or strategies, facilitating their reflection and self-assessment, and connecting them with other resources or opportunities. You should also encourage your mentee to ask questions, seek feedback, and try new things, and celebrate their progress and learning.

4 Address issues and challenges

Sometimes, you may encounter issues or challenges in your mentoring relationship, such as conflicts, misunderstandings, or lack of motivation. If this happens, you should address them promptly and respectfully, before they escalate or affect your partnership. You can use effective communication skills, such as active listening, paraphrasing, clarifying, and summarizing, to understand the problem and its causes, and collaborate with your mentee to find solutions and alternatives. You should also maintain a positive and supportive attitude, and focus on the goals and outcomes of the mentoring process.

5 Evaluate and celebrate

Towards the end of the mentoring relationship, you and your mentee should evaluate and celebrate your achievements and learning. You can use various tools and methods, such as surveys, portfolios, or testimonials, to assess the impact and outcomes of the mentoring process, and identify areas of improvement and future goals. You should also recognize and appreciate each other's contributions and efforts, and share your feedback and gratitude. You can also celebrate your mentoring journey by organizing a ceremony, a party, or a gift exchange.

6 Plan and transition

The final step of the mentoring relationship is to plan and transition to the next stage of your professional journey. You and your mentee should discuss how you will end the mentoring relationship, and what kind of support or contact you will have after the formal mentoring process is over. You can also explore other opportunities or avenues for your continued learning and collaboration, such as joining a network, a community, or a project. You should also reflect on your own learning and growth as a mentor, and how you can apply it to your future mentoring or teaching roles.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?