Michigan's online students need more support
If we're going to improve the pass rate for online students in the state of Michigan, we're going to need to work together to provide online students with more support.
Our state's mentors are doing the best they can to support their online students. Despite filling this critical need, local mentors often lack training, a professional community, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Here at Michigan Virtual, we're ready to improve our state's pass rate for all online learners (regardless of provider) by empowering Michigan mentors with free resources & professional development opportunities.
What are best practices for mentoring online students?
Find out in our free Mentor Guide to Online Learning.
You're Not Alone...
Being the only mentor (or even one of a handful of mentors) for online learners at your school can be an isolating experience. When you're the only one (or one of a few) in your position, it can be difficult to define your responsibilities and figure out what exactly you're supposed to be doing to help your online students succeed.
In our experience, we've found that mentors need more opportunities for community building and professional development as it relates to the unique but critical role they play in their schools. That's why we're offering Michigan mentors opportunities to connect with one another and share best practices.
Get started building a highly effective mentoring program at your school with our webinar Boost the Success Rate of Your Online Learners
What are best practices for mentoring online students?
Get started building a highly effective mentoring program at your school with our webinar Boost the Success Rate of Your Online Learners
Mentor Minute Archive
Stay informed with past Mentor Minute email updates. Each edition features timely reminders, tips, and resources to help mentors support students throughout the school year.
August 2025 – Back-to-School
Read the Newsletter
October 2025 – Count Day
Read the Newsletter
November 2025 – Holiday Shutdown
Read the Newsletter
December 2025 – End-of-Term Reminders
Read the Newsletter
January 2026 – Support & Networking
Read the Newsletter
February 2026 – Count Day
Read the Newsletter
Resources
Below you will find a variety of free and low-cost resources & professional development opportunities designed to build community among and empower Michigan mentors to support online learners with research-based best practices.
Many of our resources are designed for all mentors (regardless of online learning provider), but we also have a selection of resources designed specifically for the mentors of Michigan Virtual students.
For Michigan Virtual Mentors
Blog Articles on Mentoring
Want to learn more about best practices for mentoring online learners? Check out our series of blog articles on mentoring written by experienced mentors and K-12 researchers!
Just the essentials: What mentors of online students want and need from professional learning
Research indicates that online learners perform better when they have strong onsite mentor support. But mentors need support, too. Drawing on survey responses, this blog examines mentors’ current practices, key challenges, and unmet needs—and what those insights mean for designing more effective professional learning.
Mapping the Mentorship Landscape: Insights on Mentoring in Different School Settings
This blog is based on a larger report from Michigan Virtual and explores the experiences of mentors working in different school settings. It additionally includes potential options for supporting mentors in their efforts to assist students in their online learning courses.
Mentoring Through a Pandemic
We are certainly living in uncharted waters right now. Who would have ever thought that we would be remote learning and teaching for the final 3 months of the 2019-20 school year? Despite mandated clo
What Does Research Say About Mentoring Online Students?
There exists an ever growing body of research on mentoring online students. In this article we seek to answer the question: What does this research tell us about mentoring K-12 online students?
Why Mentors Matter: A Conversation with Jered Borup
Why are on-site mentors so important for online students? In this article, Jered Borup, a digital learning researcher and professor at George Mason University dives into research that supports the critical role that mentors play in highly successful online learning programs.
Revisiting Mentor Voices
In 2017 and 2018, the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute published a series of blog posts written by Michigan Virtual’s Regional Mentor Leaders to bring to life what mentors do to build and maintain a supportive online learning environment to help students be successful. We thought it worthwhile to revisit these posts and again hear firsthand what mentors had to say about the work they actually do day to day and what it means to them.