In "Mentors: They Simply Believe," Lasley (1996) argues that the crucial characteristic of mentors is the ability to communicate their belief that a person is capable of transcending present challenges and of accomplishing great things in the future.
I have been reflecting on the many informal mentors that I have had in my teaching career and I think that the best mentors have been those that encouraged me to rise to the challenge and keep the big picture in view.
Listening, asking open-ended questions – not giving an easy answer are all ways that respect the importance of the individual and what they bring to the table.
Mentorship is a “lean on me and I’ll lean on you” way of being. Being respectful of what you can learn from each other is a recipe for an awesome mentorship experience.
I think it is about questions and not giving the easy answer as well. When I reflect on mentors I have had past and present, it is important to feel valued and listened to, but to be able to bounce ideas around and reflect with that person(s). With the right questions and "snippets" of information I think mentors help you to get to the place you want to be at without prescribing the path. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat does it take to be an awesome mentor?
ReplyDeleteExemplary Teacher = Exemplary Mentor
:)