3.1 Being an Effective Mentor
Rhea Terry and Noah King
Mentors play a pivotal role in shaping the professional development and confidence of Early Years students. Developing strong mentor-mentee relationships that are founded in trust and respect is essential for fostering students’ success during their field experience (practicum). A positive relationship between mentors and students can enhance learning experiences and create a supportive environment where students can reflect and grow. Andrusak’s (2019) research shows that strong, positive mentor-mentee relationships lead to higher retention rates and a deeper commitment to the Early Years field.
Effective mentors understand that their role goes beyond supervision and evaluation. Mentorship can be a rewarding and reciprocal process where mentors and mentees (students) can both benefit from the process when an intentional and collaborative approach is taken. Engaging in open, non-judgemental conversations and providing suggestions on areas for growth supports students in critical self-reflection and offers an opportunity for reevaluation of pedagogical practices.
Video: “Christina Lord – Faculty Advisor” at OER Design Studio [1:50] is licensed under the Standard YouTube License. Closed captions on video. Transcript is available on YouTube.
Remember, you, too, are Curious, Competent, and Capable!
The role of an Agency Mentor or Faculty Advisor can be challenging. Communication is a vital skill for mentors. Being able to share each other’s needs and expectations is one of the key ingredients to a responsive relationship. If you are having fun as a mentor, the student will have fun as a mentee. Don’t be afraid to share your experiences, including mistakes, with the students, and encourage them to share them with you. That builds trust in your relationship and allows for more open conversations.
Think about how you demonstrate these skills/traits:
- Personality: Personality traits like humour and empathy can create opportunities to connect with the student and can provide a place of comfort when uncomfortable situations occur.
- Active Listening Skills: As a mentor, being an active listener means listening and getting engaged in conversations.
- Maintain eye contact
- Be open-minded to new perspectives that the student may give
- Ask questions to avoid misunderstandings
- At the end of the conversation, repeat and summarize the important things said so that both you and the student are on the same page
- Constructive Feedback Skills: Sometimes, constructive feedback can be hard for a mentee to receive. However, through active listening and creating a supportive environment, you can develop trust with the student. The feedback that you provide to the students must be connected to their established goals to be successful. Ensure that when the feedback is given, both your voice and the students are heard.
Additional Resource
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