1. I've learned that you need to be personable. Ask your mentee how things are going, if they have any questions, or if they need help with anything. Also, be interested in their questions and issues. There are lots of things to remember! The mentees also have issues that we many not experience because our jobs are different. Be mindful of that, and help them find answers to their questions that you may not know. In addition, learn form each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we may approach things differently. Remember that different doesn't mean wrong. Finally, be available to help them out. Issues may arise and occasionally having to change your schedule to meet your mentee's needs is a priority for me.
2. I liked Cynthia's tip for mentees: Remove power and position barriers by being personable, open, and interested in your mentee. I personally don't have difficulty in removing power and position barriers because I don't like to be viewed as a person in authority over adults. But being personable, open and interested in your mentee's questions and issues will help the relationship and help the mentee feel more confident in herself.
1. I've learned that you need to be personable. Ask your mentee how things are going, if they have any questions, or if they need help with anything. Also, be interested in their questions and issues. There are lots of things to remember! The mentees also have issues that we many not experience because our jobs are different. Be mindful of that, and help them find answers to their questions that you may not know. In addition, learn form each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we may approach things differently. Remember that different doesn't mean wrong. Finally, be available to help them out. Issues may arise and occasionally having to change your schedule to meet your mentee's needs is a priority for me.
2. I liked Cynthia's tip for mentees: Remove power and position barriers by being personable, open, and interested in your mentee. I personally don't have difficulty in removing power and position barriers because I don't like to be viewed as a person in authority over adults. But being personable, open and interested in your mentee's questions and issues will help the relationship and help the mentee feel more confident in herself.
I have learned to show genuine interest in her and issues she is having. I have tried really hard to stop what I am doing and try to give her my full attention (when she calls or just stops by) and not act too busy for her though there have been times I have had to schedule a different time but I try to within the next couple hours. Unless it is crucial, like the time she came down really upset over a parent issue so I had my para take over the students I was working with and we went out to the playground to sit and talk. It has made me reflect back to my first year of teaching and how difficult and overwhelming it was, I would have loved to have had a mentor in my building to go to!! I have learned or been reminded how enriching it is to take the time to build a solid relationship with another colleague and learn a from each other, she has helped me navigator around on the computer. Sometimes life and busyness gets in the way of taking the time to build relationships.
I feel that all the tips are important but the one that hits me the most is: remove power and position by being personable, open, and interested in you mentee. A lot of the "tips" in this book I feel can be very helpful in dealing with para's also. I feel this is one that can be a struggle with my younger para's. They tend to see me as the boss and I feel like I have to really work at trying to get them past seeing me as intimidating. This is really hard if the para is not doing what she is suppose to be doing and they need to be corrected. With my mentee, being a colleague (certified teacher), I feel it was easier for us perceive each other on equal footing. It is a good thing that I make plenty of mistakes because it did not take her long to realize I'm not perfect and I make mistakes too and that is ok. It has also been helpful that there have been numerous times that I have gone to her to help me navigator around on the computer for different things. This way she can see our relationship as a two way street.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor? I have learned so much from being a mentor. I think that one of the things I would say I have learned is to be direct when asking how things are going. I think that sometimes when asked this question they automatically say "fine." As we get to talking there are so many overwhelming situations or questions that they may have but if I didn't really dig into it then sometimes as a mentor you could think things are fine.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important? I feel like as a mentor it is important to be personable and to be understanding of their needs. I also feel like when the mentees ask questions that it is okay to say I don't know the answer but I will find out for you or direct them in the direction that can answer. I think it is important to get their questions answered correctly.
I have learned that mentoring isn’t just showing up for meetings. It requires effort and serious investment. My mentee has been in SPED before and teaching for a number of years so I was fairly certain things would roll smoothly, that I took for granted and was wrong. We have had to work through some struggles with balance of student’s needs and schedules. It took a lot of me being more than just a friend but someone who had to model and spend a few weeks living in her classroom to help design and get the ball rolling. It also took being a friend too, to reassure that she was doing the right things and having the right conversations with para’s and parents when she was frustrated about how people were acting.
The most important tip – Real growth comes when you are pushed out of your comfort zone. I had to have some pretty tough conversations with a person who I have known for years and called a friend. I know at times I ruffled feathers but I feel like my mentee has become a stronger teacher because of it. .
1. What have you learned from being a mentor? I have learned that being a mentor is not all about the mentee, I have learned so much about my job and my practices form my mentee. I think this is true because of the relationship we have to talk with each other. I hope that I have been helpful to my mentee in the process, but I know that I have learned a lot from her. My mentee and I had alot in common, as far as, our teaching background. We both come to SPED with years previous in general education and we both moved into SPED from the building we had been teaching in. I think this makes a much easier transition because we know the rules and policies of the district and really just have to learn the SPED part of it. I had to really work my schedule a few times to be available to my mentee. I know that my busy times are also her busy times, so I had to lay my things aside to help her be able to work through her things.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important? I think it is important to establish goals and to make the goals a "stretch". IO thin they needs to be achievable, but I also thing they need to take you out of your comfort zone. I think true goals are goals you have to research and change something to attain. The easy goals are something good to work towards, but the true goals take some thought and time. Knowing what your goals are at the beginning makes it easier to reach the end with things being accomplished that are important.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor? Over the years I have learned a lot from being a mentor and continue to learn something new with each mentee. I have learned to check in with my mentee on a regular basis because sometimes that leads to a conversations that leads to growth in some area that could have been missed otherwise. I have also gotten to know another worker better from being a mentor.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important? For me, the tip "fight the instinct to give your mentee answers. Concentrate instead on asking questions that take their thinking deeper." is the one I have to remind myself to do the most. It is easy when you are busy just to give an answer. I remind myself that sometimes when we get something wrong or fail, is the time that we often learn the most.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor? I believe this is my third time being an official mentor. I find myself working with first year teachers that I am not assigned to mentor. I love working with new staff. It brings back my excitement for the profession. It gives me a fresh perspective on situations that I might have become jaded to. Mentees bring in new ideas in all aspects of teaching. They remind me of why I went into special education in the first place.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
My favorite mentoring tip was "You must be frank an honest with your mentees if you want them to grow--it's essential for your relationship if it is going to progress." I am somewhat of an up front person. I want my mentee to be honest and frank with me just as I am with them. It is hard sometimes to be frank with someone that is trying so hard and maybe going down the wrong road. It doesn't do anyone any good if we let our mentees continue to make mistakes and not say anything. It is how you go about being frank and honest that makes the difference.
1.) What have you learned from being a mentor? Being a has mentor has taught me the importance of building a relationship and listening to your mentee. You must gain their trust so they will feel comfortable to approach you with any questions or concerns they may have as well as successes to celebrate. We must listen so we have a good solid understanding of who they are, how they learn, and what motivates them. Also being a mentor has allowed me they opportunity to get to know another co-worker better!
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important? Fight the instinct to give your mentee answers. Concentrate instead on asking questions that take their thinking deeper. I think this is a good tip in general. It is always better to get one thinking deeper as opposed to just giving them an answer.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor? Being a mentor has taught me the importance of communication. Making sure that I am communicating effectively with my mentees has really helped me to be on the same page as them. It has helped me to know what they need from the relationship. I have also learned that sometimes just being there for them when they have a stressful day or need support from a peer is very important too.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important? The most important tip I would give is to be patient. Each mentee will come to you with different levels of experience and it is important to be patient with their individual needs. It doesn't help you or your mentee when you lose patience or get frustrated. Take your time and get to know the pace that you can go with your mentee.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor? I've learned I need to ask more specific questions and to check in more than I was in the beginning. I was checking in about once a month and I decided to make it every week - that helped a lot. We got to know each other better and were able to accomplish a lot more.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important? Check-in often and be an active listener. Listen to what the mentee's needs really are and try to help them the best you can. Also, to be available, but not so available they aren't willing to try things on their own first. My mentee and I did a lot of things together first at the beginning of the year and now she's starting to feel comfortable enough to try almost everything on her own first and then has me check it for her. She's doing awesome.
I agree with all of you. Being a mentor was more about learning than teaching for me. Interpersonal skills were the most important aspect for me. Active listening and phrasing of responses lead to the most success.
1. I've learned that you need to be personable. Ask your mentee how things are going, if they have any questions, or if they need help with anything. Also, be interested in their questions and issues. There are lots of things to remember! The mentees also have issues that we many not experience because our jobs are different. Be mindful of that, and help them find answers to their questions that you may not know. In addition, learn form each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we may approach things differently. Remember that different doesn't mean wrong. Finally, be available to help them out. Issues may arise and occasionally having to change your schedule to meet your mentee's needs is a priority for me.
ReplyDelete2. I liked Cynthia's tip for mentees: Remove power and position barriers by being personable, open, and interested in your mentee. I personally don't have difficulty in removing power and position barriers because I don't like to be viewed as a person in authority over adults. But being personable, open and interested in your mentee's questions and issues will help the relationship and help the mentee feel more confident in herself.
1. I've learned that you need to be personable. Ask your mentee how things are going, if they have any questions, or if they need help with anything. Also, be interested in their questions and issues. There are lots of things to remember! The mentees also have issues that we many not experience because our jobs are different. Be mindful of that, and help them find answers to their questions that you may not know. In addition, learn form each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we may approach things differently. Remember that different doesn't mean wrong. Finally, be available to help them out. Issues may arise and occasionally having to change your schedule to meet your mentee's needs is a priority for me.
ReplyDelete2. I liked Cynthia's tip for mentees: Remove power and position barriers by being personable, open, and interested in your mentee. I personally don't have difficulty in removing power and position barriers because I don't like to be viewed as a person in authority over adults. But being personable, open and interested in your mentee's questions and issues will help the relationship and help the mentee feel more confident in herself.
I have learned to show genuine interest in her and issues she is having. I have tried really hard to stop what I am doing and try to give her my full attention (when she calls or just stops by) and not act too busy for her though there have been times I have had to schedule a different time but I try to within the next couple hours. Unless it is crucial, like the time she came down really upset over a parent issue so I had my para take over the students I was working with and we went out to the playground to sit and talk. It has made me reflect back to my first year of teaching and how difficult and overwhelming it was, I would have loved to have had a mentor in my building to go to!! I have learned or been reminded how enriching it is to take the time to build a solid relationship with another colleague and learn a from each other, she has helped me navigator around on the computer. Sometimes life and busyness gets in the way of taking the time to build relationships.
ReplyDeleteI feel that all the tips are important but the one that hits me the most is: remove power and position by being personable, open, and interested in you mentee. A lot of the "tips" in this book I feel can be very helpful in dealing with para's also. I feel this is one that can be a struggle with my younger para's. They tend to see me as the boss and I feel like I have to really work at trying to get them past seeing me as intimidating. This is really hard if the para is not doing what she is suppose to be doing and they need to be corrected. With my mentee, being a colleague (certified teacher), I feel it was easier for us perceive each other on equal footing. It is a good thing that I make plenty of mistakes because it did not take her long to realize I'm not perfect and I make mistakes too and that is ok. It has also been helpful that there have been numerous times that I have gone to her to help me navigator around on the computer for different things. This way she can see our relationship as a two way street.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteI have learned so much from being a mentor. I think that one of the things I would say I have learned is to be direct when asking how things are going. I think that sometimes when asked this question they automatically say "fine." As we get to talking there are so many overwhelming situations or questions that they may have but if I didn't really dig into it then sometimes as a mentor you could think things are fine.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
I feel like as a mentor it is important to be personable and to be understanding of their needs. I also feel like when the mentees ask questions that it is okay to say I don't know the answer but I will find out for you or direct them in the direction that can answer. I think it is important to get their questions answered correctly.
I have learned that mentoring isn’t just showing up for meetings. It requires effort and serious investment. My mentee has been in SPED before and teaching for a number of years so I was fairly certain things would roll smoothly, that I took for granted and was wrong. We have had to work through some struggles with balance of student’s needs and schedules. It took a lot of me being more than just a friend but someone who had to model and spend a few weeks living in her classroom to help design and get the ball rolling. It also took being a friend too, to reassure that she was doing the right things and having the right conversations with para’s and parents when she was frustrated about how people were acting.
ReplyDeleteThe most important tip – Real growth comes when you are pushed out of your comfort zone. I had to have some pretty tough conversations with a person who I have known for years and called a friend. I know at times I ruffled feathers but I feel like my mentee has become a stronger teacher because of it. .
1. What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteI have learned that being a mentor is not all about the mentee, I have learned so much about my job and my practices form my mentee. I think this is true because of the relationship we have to talk with each other. I hope that I have been helpful to my mentee in the process, but I know that I have learned a lot from her. My mentee and I had alot in common, as far as, our teaching background. We both come to SPED with years previous in general education and we both moved into SPED from the building we had been teaching in. I think this makes a much easier transition because we know the rules and policies of the district and really just have to learn the SPED part of it. I had to really work my schedule a few times to be available to my mentee. I know that my busy times are also her busy times, so I had to lay my things aside to help her be able to work through her things.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
I think it is important to establish goals and to make the goals a "stretch". IO thin they needs to be achievable, but I also thing they need to take you out of your comfort zone. I think true goals are goals you have to research and change something to attain. The easy goals are something good to work towards, but the true goals take some thought and time. Knowing what your goals are at the beginning makes it easier to reach the end with things being accomplished that are important.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have learned a lot from being a mentor and continue to learn something new with each mentee. I have learned to check in with my mentee on a regular basis because sometimes that leads to a conversations that leads to growth in some area that could have been missed otherwise. I have also gotten to know another worker better from being a mentor.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
For me, the tip "fight the instinct to give your mentee answers. Concentrate instead on asking questions that take their thinking deeper." is the one I have to remind myself to do the most. It is easy when you are busy just to give an answer. I remind myself that sometimes when we get something wrong or fail, is the time that we often learn the most.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteI believe this is my third time being an official mentor. I find myself working with first year teachers that I am not assigned to mentor. I love working with new staff. It brings back my excitement for the profession. It gives me a fresh perspective on situations that I might have become jaded to. Mentees bring in new ideas in all aspects of teaching. They remind me of why I went into special education in the first place.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
My favorite mentoring tip was "You must be frank an honest with your mentees if you want them to grow--it's essential for your relationship if it is going to progress." I am somewhat of an up front person. I want my mentee to be honest and frank with me just as I am with them. It is hard sometimes to be frank with someone that is trying so hard and maybe going down the wrong road. It doesn't do anyone any good if we let our mentees continue to make mistakes and not say anything. It is how you go about being frank and honest that makes the difference.
1.) What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteBeing a has mentor has taught me the importance of building a relationship and listening to your mentee. You must gain their trust so they will feel comfortable to approach you with any questions or concerns they may have as well as successes to celebrate. We must listen so we have a good solid understanding of who they are, how they learn, and what motivates them. Also being a mentor has allowed me they opportunity to get to know another co-worker better!
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
Fight the instinct to give your mentee answers. Concentrate instead on asking questions that take their thinking deeper. I think this is a good tip in general. It is always better to get one thinking deeper as opposed to just giving them an answer.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteBeing a mentor has taught me the importance of communication. Making sure that I am communicating effectively with my mentees has really helped me to be on the same page as them. It has helped me to know what they need from the relationship. I have also learned that sometimes just being there for them when they have a stressful day or need support from a peer is very important too.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
The most important tip I would give is to be patient. Each mentee will come to you with different levels of experience and it is important to be patient with their individual needs. It doesn't help you or your mentee when you lose patience or get frustrated. Take your time and get to know the pace that you can go with your mentee.
1. What have you learned from being a mentor?
ReplyDeleteI've learned I need to ask more specific questions and to check in more than I was in the beginning. I was checking in about once a month and I decided to make it every week - that helped a lot. We got to know each other better and were able to accomplish a lot more.
2. Which mentoring tip do you think is the most important?
Check-in often and be an active listener. Listen to what the mentee's needs really are and try to help them the best you can. Also, to be available, but not so available they aren't willing to try things on their own first. My mentee and I did a lot of things together first at the beginning of the year and now she's starting to feel comfortable enough to try almost everything on her own first and then has me check it for her. She's doing awesome.
I agree with all of you. Being a mentor was more about learning than teaching for me. Interpersonal skills were the most important aspect for me. Active listening and phrasing of responses lead to the most success.
ReplyDelete