Mentoring In Education

MentorMentoring in Educationing in Education

International Language School Group

International Teacher Training

&

Development College

Learning Journey EQUAL Conference Cardiff

Leslie Simonfalvi A/67 HU-35 21 November 2006

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Some provocative Some provocative introductory questions introductory questions

What is Mentoring? Is Mentoring necessary in the

School of the 21st Century? Who can become a Mentor? Can a Teacher play the role of a

Mentor?



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What is MentoringWhat is Mentoring??

A definition that comes from Greek Mythology: the Mentor is a fully trusted Helper

Background information: Odysseus entrusted the baby Telemachus and his whole household to Mentor when he joined the coalition against Troy



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Is Mentoring necessary in the Is Mentoring necessary in the School of the 21st CenturySchool of the 21st Century??

YES since 15 – 30 per cent of all Students

show signs of LD 25 – 30 per cent of all Students

leave the Elementary Education as functional illiterates

a growing number of Students have a handicap of some sort



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Who can become a MWho can become a Mentor?entor?

Anyone who meets the original definition, i. e. anyone who is a fully trusted Helper

If we slightly modify the original

definition, anyone who is fully trusted by the Baby, and who can effectively help the Baby



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Who can become a MWho can become a Mentor? (2)entor? (2)

Anyone who meets the original definition, i. e. anyone who is a fully trusted Helper

If we slightly modify the original

definition, anyone who is fully trusted by the Student, and who can effectively help the Student



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Can a Teacher play the role of a MentorCan a Teacher play the role of a Mentor??

YES if he honours some important principles

(1) Mentoring is not teaching. Rather, it is a helping process that makes room for some otherwise blocked learning.



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(2) The Mentor is a learning and developing being.



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(3) The Mentor has a very clear picture of his own development.



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(4) The Mentor is deeply concerned but he does not create dependency.



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(5) Mentoring always has a clear aim.



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(6) The precondition of successful Mentoring is a warm, welcoming, accepting environment.



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(7) In Mentoring we only step backwards to gain momentum, and jump longer forward as a result.



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(8) Mentoring is not an analysis. Rather, it is a catalysed synthesis.



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(9) The Mentor will profit from the process by giving and there is no guarantee for a return.



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(10) Mentoring can only be effective in an atmosphere of mutual trust.



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(11) The Mentor – Mentee relationship is based on a very clear contract.



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(12) The Mentor – Mentee relationship starts with a voluntary and autonomous decision on both sides.



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(13) The Mentor must know the limits of the mentoring process, as well as his own limits.



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(14) The professional basis of the mentoring process is a successful self-mentoring.



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(15) The ‘All-rounder’ or ‘Jack of all trades’ Mentor is only a fiction.



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(16) The Mentoring process may bring about both positive and negative results.



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(17) The Mentoring process may bring differences in opinion and friction to the surface in critical issues.



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(18) A synergic group can act as a very highly effective Mentor.



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(19) The Mentor does not want to replace the family or friends.



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(20) The Mentor must not meddle into topics the family or a friend are actively working on.



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(21) The Mentor has to be aware of his attractions as well as his repulses, and has to be able to handle them.



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(22) The Mentor gives his active attention, rather than merely his time.



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(23) The Mentor does not give advice.

The Mentor could only give very troubled advice since he is part not only of the problems, but also of the solution to the problems.



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(24) Mentors should find or create a forum where they can exchange ideas in the form of case studies.



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Some further thoughts Some further thoughts aaboutbout mentor mentoringing

(1) The Mentoring process takes the Mentee from tunnel vision to insight.



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(2) The ‘AHA’ experiences shape the development of both the Mentee and and the Mentor.



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(3) It is very important to reach and then keep the coherency between the knowledge about people and their problems, and our own experiences about people and their problems.



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(4) Mentoring may bring a number of ethical problems to the surface.



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(5) Who ‘owns’ the ‘material’ that is produced in the Mentoring process?



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(6) The high level of trust that is present in the Mentoring process will allow topics that are generally pushed down or silenced.



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(7) Mentoring may bring about the development of ‘double-loop learning’. It is the sort of learning that not only helps the solution of existing problems, but it also helps avoiding similar problems in the future by studying the causes of those problems.



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(8) In the Mentoring process the Mentor and the Mentee have to aim at using equal time in the long run.



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(9) Mentoring may give a new definition to failure. We can see ‘failure’ as a postponed success.



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(10) The qualification the Mentor is very important. There is one thing that is even more important and it is the quality of the Mentoring process.



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What has been left out of thisWhat has been left out of this Introduction Introduction??

Needs analysis – client-mapping Mapping the sorts of problems the

potential Mentor can handle 10 wishes of psychological origin as the

basis of motivation Sympathy + empathy vs sympathy Deficiency analysis: what was missing

that caused the problem



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Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention..