Here you will find Frequently Asked Questions about the ZIN Mentoring Program. Click on the Table of Contents above to preview all the questions and get redirected to the answer you are looking for!
What is the ZIN™ Mentoring program?
The goal of the ZIN™ Mentoring Program is for an experienced ZIN Member, acting as a mentor, to provide a ZIN mentee assistance in preparing the skills needed to confidently teach a Zumba®class!
The ZIN™ Mentoring Program consists of experienced ZIN™ mentors and 1-10 ZIN™ mentees per mentor. Mentors will meet with a mentee five times – once to hear their goals and assess their skills, three times to practice the teaching skills they need the most, and once to help set goals for the mentee's future progress. At the end of the process, mentees and mentors will provide feedback on their experiences.
Who can participate as a Mentor in the ZIN Mentoring program?
There are many qualities that make a good mentor. To participate as a mentor:
You should have a sincere desire to assist mentees in improving their skills.
You must be a ZIN™ Member in good standing for at least 2 years and must have taught within the past 6 months (with the class being posted on zumba.com).
You must also be willing to adhere to the ZIN™ License Agreement, what is taught in the Basic Steps Level 1 (B1) training course, the process and guidelines in the Guide for Mentors, and to encourage the use of ZIN™ benefits as supporting resources whenever possible.
Of course, your unique flavor and personality should shine through, but you should perform the bulk of the mentoring using the materials already provided by existing ZIN™ materials and the program curriculum.
Who can participate as a Mentee in the ZIN Mentoring program?
Mentees will typically be new ZIN™ Members who haven't yet taught their first Zumba®class.
Other common mentees are ZIN™ Members who, while not new to ZIN™, still haven't taught regularly or who have had problems with their teaching skills.
This program is focused on teaching skills, as opposed to marketing. (If a potential mentee's greatest needs are marketing, we can still help, but it would be outside the scope of this particular program.)
What is the goal of the program?
The goal of the ZIN™ Mentoring Program is for an experienced ZIN Member, acting as a mentor, to provide a ZIN mentee assistance in preparing the skills needed to confidently teach a Zumba®class!
How long is the ZIN Mentoring program?
The ZIN Mentoring program should take approximately eight weeks to complete five meetings between the mentor and the mentee.
To allow the mentee time to practice and solidify skills they learn in the skills meetings, we suggest spacing the meetings approximately one week apart.
The typical time commitment for the mentor is 8-12 hours per mentee, or 1-2 hours per week. The mentee will be expected to practice the skills taught by the mentor and also to attend several other instructors' classes; therefore the mentee's time commitment will be approximately twice that of the mentor's.
How do I measure the success of the ZIN Mentoring Program?
Each Zumba® instructor is a unique individual. The most successful mentoring relationship starts from a clear communication between mentor and mentee - communication regarding what skills the mentee needs to learn, how the mentor can help the mentee, and what timeframe the two agree to work together towards developing those skills. This is done during the first meeting. Some mentees will learn quickly and may be ready to teach individual songs or even an entire class at the end of the mentoring period, while others may need a little more practice before they are ready to teach. In some cases, there may be a mentee that will need extensive practice before they are ready to teach.
Success is measured based on the mentor and mentee's agreement that these two objectives have been achieved:
The mentee has made progress towards preparing the skills needed to teach their first Zumba® class.
The mentee understands what else they should do in order to keep growing after the initial mentoring period.
What if I cannot make contact with my mentee/mentor?
Please refer to the email address included in your match confirmation email. If your mentor/mentee has not responded to your email communications, please contact our Customer Care team so that we may help you connect! Contact Us
What happens if the mentee still needs help after 8 weeks of the ZIN Mentoring Program?
If a mentee would like to continue working on their teaching skills, they may enroll for another round of mentoring. They may do so with the same mentor, or with another mentor if they choose. Mentees may participate in the mentoring experience as many times as they'd like.
How many times can I be a mentor in the program?
As many times as you'd like! Once you enroll as a mentor, you will remain in the system as a mentor. If there is a period of time that you cannot be available to work with a mentee, you can easily switch your availability to inactive in your mentoring dashboard.
How many times can I be a mentee in the program?
As many times as you'd like! Whether you just graduated, ended early, or want to revisit the program at a later date - there are no limitations to how many times you can enroll as a mentee to improve your skills.