The video provided a lot of good inspiration for someone becoming a mentor. What stood out to me was the emphasis on spending the time to be there for your mentor and the time to build the relationship so there is a good foundation to work from. When thinking abut myself as a mentor, I still frequently spend time with previous student teachers-on the phone, by email or in person- even with them being years into their own teaching. We built a relationship and they trust that I will still be there when they need support, advice or to bounce ideas off. Making sure as a mentor that you have the time to commit and spend with your mentee, especially in the beginning stages, is so important. Recognizing that despite having a "schedule", there may be on the fly times your mentee needs you is also important. Spending time to build that trust so you can help them grow and succeed is a must.
When doing the self assessment, I found thinking back to my influential mentors, that the biggest thing that I connected with was knowing that people were caring and relatable. I was fresh out of college when I started and very insecure due to my age an inexperience. Mentors that showed me that they could be down to earth, relatable and caring without making me feel judged or "less than" gave me a safe space to confront some of those insecurities and grow as a teacher. I think as a mentor, I have the ability to provide that same caring and safe space for new teachers and spend the time building that trust and comfort level.
As a mentor for Sweet Home, I think it will be important to have thoughtful assignments and to be given the time before the school year starts to reach out to my mentee and make them feel welcome/start building that relationship. I also would want clear expectations and guidelines for my role and responsibilities. I'm sure these would already be considerations if I was picked to be a mentor.
When doing the self assessment, I found thinking back to my influential mentors, that the biggest thing that I connected with was knowing that people were caring and relatable. I was fresh out of college when I started and very insecure due to my age an inexperience. Mentors that showed me that they could be down to earth, relatable and caring without making me feel judged or "less than" gave me a safe space to confront some of those insecurities and grow as a teacher. I think as a mentor, I have the ability to provide that same caring and safe space for new teachers and spend the time building that trust and comfort level.
As a mentor for Sweet Home, I think it will be important to have thoughtful assignments and to be given the time before the school year starts to reach out to my mentee and make them feel welcome/start building that relationship. I also would want clear expectations and guidelines for my role and responsibilities. I'm sure these would already be considerations if I was picked to be a mentor.