Peer mentoring helps students thrive beyond school environment

EVERY student gets by in school with a little help from their friends. Students need not go through student life challenges alone, especially when their peers are right by their side.

Sharing support from fellow students is lauded as one of the most impactful sources of encouragement, which is why Taylor’s International School Kuala Lumpur (TIS Kuala Lumpur) launched its peer-to-peer mentoring programme (PPMP) last year.

Developed with secondary students in mind, this unique mentoring platform empowers students to voluntarily offer and seek assistance from one another.

“Students who have shared interests and have faced similar changes in life will be able to guide one another well as they will have a lot in common, ” said TIS Kuala Lumpur senior counsellor May Toh.

Peer mentors benefit from the programme in many ways. Besides boosting self confidence, they learn good communication skills and develop leadership qualities, too.

“This helps them in their personal growth and will motivate them to achieve even greater things in life in the future, ” said Toh.

Support beyond academic lessons

With the aim to address common challenges faced by students, TIS Kuala Lumpur has made three types of mentoring available under the PPMP, which includes social, learning and transitional mentoring.

Social mentoring focuses on helping mentees develop a healthy lifestyle at school.

Mentors provide learning support by offering study tips and guidance to mentees in selected subjects according to a weekly plan.

Transitional mentoring is when mentors share personal experiences and lend a listening ear to mentees who are experiencing changes from primary to secondary school, as well as those progressing from key stage three to key stage four of the IGCSE curriculum, where greater learning independence is required as students start to specialise in their choice of subjects.

An enriching experience

The programme has had a positive impact on many TIS Kuala Lumpur students, for mentors and mentees alike.

“I really enjoy it because I have made many friends there and I love the group activities. My mentor listens very attentively to me and helps me a lot in my learning, ” said a year eight mentee.

Another year eight mentee said that she is glad for the friendship of her peer mentor.

“My classmates don't talk to me much. But thanks to my mentor, I have now learned to communicate better with them."

Peer mentors have also gained a lot from their PPMP involvement.

“I’ve learned a lot of new skills from PPMP that will benefit me in life, ” said year 10 mentor Gan Eronn.

He lists communication skills, leadership capabilities, perspective taking and positive thinking as examples.

“I can see my mentees getting better in their studies as our sessions progress, ” said Hayley Wong Ying Yi, a TIS graduate who still volunteers as a mentor.

“I’m glad I’m able to make a difference in their lives. This is very fulfilling for me.”

Currently, there are 20 peer mentors and 23 peer mentees participating in the PPMP, out of a student population of 1,300.

Mentoring sessions are accompanied by school counsellors and conducted for an hour every week, either on a one-to-one basis or as a group.

Safeguarding student wellbeing

With a programme like PPMP in place, TIS Kuala Lumpur looks forward to promoting better mental health amongst its secondary school students, especially as students continue to face unprecedented challenges due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, the PPMP also helps future-proof students by building up their confidence and developing commendable personal character.