It is now week six, nearly halfway through the unit and so far have found it a great experience. The topic this week is "mentoring" I feel mentoring communicates the assets of a person with high expert knowledge, guiding a person with less on the path to fulfilment. This path could on the sporting side or educational, there are different strategies and outcomes that need to be met in order
Mentoring also communicates to me that it is a concept in which relates to a person acquiring a wider experienced knowledge base than another. It reflects on the assistance of a person who is interested and willing to learn in the concept that is being taught. This could involve education or any other mean of learning. A mentor offers help and feedback to guide their learner in the right direction. In past teaching practicals I found constructive feedback helped me more then negative aspects. My overall experience was positive one as I was given continuous feedback and examples of how I could improve my lessons for next time.
Mentoring also communicates to me that it is a concept in which relates to a person acquiring a wider experienced knowledge base than another. It reflects on the assistance of a person who is interested and willing to learn in the concept that is being taught. This could involve education or any other mean of learning. A mentor offers help and feedback to guide their learner in the right direction. In past teaching practicals I found constructive feedback helped me more then negative aspects. My overall experience was positive one as I was given continuous feedback and examples of how I could improve my lessons for next time.
I feel being a mentor would hold both great responsibility and power. I feel it would provide great benefits in handing down their own teaching skills and experience to the younger generation of teachers.
A mentor is seen to hold all the answers and provide constructive knowledge. I feel mentors hold a great deal of background, hands on experience and should be greatly acknowledged.
mmmmm Tracey, I'm not sure I agree with your point of view. If there is a 'power' relationship between a Mentor and their Mentee then isn't the relationship more akin to that of a 'Teacher/Student'?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the relationship be one of two equals?
The Mentor isn't there to give feedback per say, but rather to help their Mentee see and discover things for themselves? To my mind the relationship should be about the ability to dicuss topics in an open and supportive way, such that the mentee can bounce ideas off their Mentor?
In that style of relationship the Mentor doesn't give any constructive feedback - the Mentee collects their own feedback (in a coaching environment that might typically be some video footage of a coach in acton or simple feedback collected from players such as "tell me one thing you'd like me to change in my coaching practice") then present that feedback to the Mentor and then have a discussion of the things you *might* want to do differently in the future.
Hello, Tracey
ReplyDeleteI apologise that I missed this post. I wonder what you thought of Dudders' response to your suggestions.
For my part I think mentors are guides and have sensitivity to the mentee. This could include silence as well as conversation.
Keith