Roles for Mentors
As with any relationship, the role that mentors and interns play fluctuate depending on the context: how the day went, what experience or knowledge is being shared, how many unknowns there may be, the emotional state of each party, etc.
The book Mentoring Matters by Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman, with Carlette Humbard, describes three main roles that mentors take (descriptions taken from page 21). During the August pre-service training and throughout the year, the Magnolia Teacher Intern Program focuses on helping mentors assess and develop their skill in each of these areas:
Consulting: "to give counsel" This moves beyond simple advice giving. To offer counsel as a mentor is to provide the 'why', 'what' and 'how' of your thinking.
Collaborating: "to work together" As a mentor, this means creating a space for true, shared idea generation and reflection with attention to one's own impulse control, so the [intern] has room and an invitation to fully participate as an equal.
Coaching: "building" A mentor as a coach is a vehicle for transporting a valued colleague from one place to another. It is the [intern's] journey. The mentor/coach is a guide and support system.
The book Mentoring Matters by Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman, with Carlette Humbard, describes three main roles that mentors take (descriptions taken from page 21). During the August pre-service training and throughout the year, the Magnolia Teacher Intern Program focuses on helping mentors assess and develop their skill in each of these areas:
Consulting: "to give counsel" This moves beyond simple advice giving. To offer counsel as a mentor is to provide the 'why', 'what' and 'how' of your thinking.
Collaborating: "to work together" As a mentor, this means creating a space for true, shared idea generation and reflection with attention to one's own impulse control, so the [intern] has room and an invitation to fully participate as an equal.
Coaching: "building" A mentor as a coach is a vehicle for transporting a valued colleague from one place to another. It is the [intern's] journey. The mentor/coach is a guide and support system.
