Unhelpful school mentor?

When I was a HoD, I often turned down requests like this. I love mentoring trainees. I get loads from it, and it never feels like a burden. Work experience is different. What are you doing while you are there?

She’s doing them a favour by wanting to be a teacher.

If someone phones up asking for work experience then it is not them doing the workplace a favour by turning up and learning from them.

OP is not a trainee yet.

The school is not doing the OP a favour. She’s doing them a favour by wanting to be a teacher. My mum always says “good manners cost nothing”. This mentor and the one described by Forgetthecareerchange might need to review their attitude. I’m somewhat appalled by the general lack of professionalism and rudeness that comes across in posts.

In another career my DD was effectively mentored by three people, each for 4 months, for a year. They showed great professional dedication to helping someone join their profession and they were definitely busier than teachers! It is important that new recruits are welcomed and the schools should insist staff follow agreed guidelines for mentoring. I cannot think why anyone would put up with being treated like this. Call it out OP - it’s simply not good enough.

A few years ago I gave up a successful job where I was in a senior position to do my PGCE. There were quite a few reasons why I gave up after three months but my mentor definitely was a big factor in my decision. Like you I felt like a burden didn’t show me how to do anything and endlessly criticised me bearing in mind she was meant to be helping me become an effective teacher she was one of the rudest people I’ve ever met (others were shocked by the way she spoke to me) and trust me I’ve met numerous rude people over the years. I couldn’t have cared less whether or not she ate lunch with me or not and through trial and error I found my way round the school but she was a shockingly bad mentor. I knew within a few days that it was not going to work and I complained to the SCITT but to no avail. But I can’t urge you strongly enough to raise your concerns if her attitude continues hopefully it won’t not fall in deaf ears.
I just want to add that in my job I have been a sign off mentor for many years to numerous students which I don’t get paid for, am given no extra time and it is an enormous amount of work and my work is as busy as a teacher but I would be put through a formal disciplinary if I spoke and treated my students the way my mentor treated me. I also don’t care how many times they ask the same questions and am always happy to hand hold I want to be part of training competent dedicated staff and who feel they have joined the right profession and when in the future they mentor students they will remember what makes a good mentor.

It will feel different when you are there with a timetable, including a mentor period. If you don’t know your way around, then get a copy of the map of the school and use it.
What do you need to be shown? If this is just experience, then it is a chance to know the school and the department and you won’t need to be shown much. If you have a list of things to find out from your uni/SCITT/teaching alliance and she is busy, arrange a time with her to go through your list. Write down your questions, work out whether they are urgent (need an answer now) semi-urgent (by the end of the day) not urgent - can wait until our next meeting. But don’t be afraid to ask, we’ve all been there.

she makes me feel like I'm a burden

You are. She is not being paid for this, probably given no time, and you create an enormous amount of extra work. Those of us who do it (usually) do so because someone was kind enough to do it for us and we want future teachers to be competent.

I would like to feel welcomed and included

You are training to be a teacher. You need to learn to feel shat on :-)

Seriously this is a brilliant job but it is often fucking tough and thankless.

I am scared to ask her for help now

You don't ask your mentor for help with stuff you can get from other people e.g. navigating school/what the school day is like- you ask someone who is not busy, office staff or a kid.

You do need to ask a lot of questions and you can't afford to hold back. You even need to be a nuisance- this is expected. What you don't do is ask the same question twice or need hand holding. Try to be as independent as possible, but this will still involve a lot of asking the right questions. You will get criticised a lot and you will fail a lot- that's OK, we all did the same.

Spread the questions around, listen to the answers and accept when someone says they are busy. Buy your mentor a nice gift when you leave.

It’ll probably be different in September when you’re actually there with a purpose and a timetable.

The school are doing you a favour, your mentor has been asked to babysit you when she has a million other things to do.

Don’t expect her to eat lunch with you as well.