During my one-on-one student mentor meetings, I use a short meeting form that guides our discussion and helps to ensure continuity across meetings and over time. The form is structured around several key prompts and allows us to record action items tied to each area:

• What’s going well? & What could be improved/done better? These prompts allow the student to provide feedback on the project and open the door for meaningful discussion. Hearing what is going well for them gives me insights into how to best support their learning and where they feel confident. Exploring areas that are not going as smoothly for them helps us to collaboratively address concerns, refine our processes, and identify solutions that enhance the overall project and the student’s experiences.
• Anything you want to do or experience but haven’t had the chance to do yet? This question invites the student to share what they are curious about and what they would like to learn or experience. It helps us intentionally connect their interests and goals with specific project activities as well as activities outside of the project.
• What have you learned? By reflecting on their learning each week, students articulate new insights, skills, or understandings they gained, reinforcing metacognition and self-awareness.
• Questions or concerns This section provides space for students to raise any uncertainties or challenges, allowing us to address issues early and proactively.
• Activities since last meeting We review the tasks, readings, activities, etc. that the student completed since our previous meeting. This helps us to maintain accountability and keep momentum in our project.
• Goals Together we monitor progress toward both project-related goals and the student’s broader academic and future professional aspirations.
• Tasks & Activities for Next Meeting We set specific, actionable tasks for the student to complete before our next meeting, ensuring clarity and forward movement.
• Scheduling updatesWe confirm or adjust the timing of project related sessions and our future meetings to maintain consistency and communication.

Why I Use This Form & How It Helps Me

• It keeps our meetings focused and efficient, and the running record allows us to revisit prior discussions and intentionally plan future tasks and activities.
• It provides continuity from week to week. Tasks, action items, and reflections build on one another so that progress is clear and steady.
• It supports ongoing reflection by prompting students to identify what they learned and what could be improved, deepening self-awareness and professional growth.
• It helps me track each student’s progress, identify emerging patterns, and tailor my mentoring style to mee the student’s individual needs.
• It encourages student ownership by centering their goals, interests, and desired experiences, making the mentorship student-driven rather than mentor-directed.
• It fosters communication and transparency by explicitly checking in on concerns, expectations, and scheduling needs.

Optimizing Use of the Form as a Mentor

I try to maximize use of this form by reviewing and reflecting on both my observations of the student and my role as a mentor, since the previous meeting. Taking a few minutes beforehand to consider the student’s recent progress, challenges, and goals helps me to ensure that the meeting remains purposeful and tailored towards enhancing the student’s development. This personal preparation also helps me to model reflection, organization, and intentional communication skills. All skills that I hope my students will carry forward into their future careers.