As shared in Seedling’s article, The Top 10 Rookie Mistakes in Running a Marathon (and in Mentoring) it takes preparation, agility, perseverance, perspective, and a healthy dose of humility to properly mentor a child. With this in mind, read on for refreshers and interactive activities to help you “stay the course” and put in the work to be at your best in your mentoring marathon!
- Practicing Empathy
Renee Spencer, PHD at Boston University, has spent many years researching empathy. She has found that practicing empathy is very important in mentoring relationships, as it creates a meaningful connection between the mentor and mentee. Being empathic plays a strong role in a mentor’s ability to offer support, which is more likely to be both welcomed and impactful to their mentee. Conveying empathy is not necessarily a skill that comes easy to everyone, yet it is a skill that can be learned!
- Incorporating Fun and Play
University of Texas-San Antonio Professor Michael Karcher has long been an advocate of the importance of play in mentoring relationships. His extensive research on mentoring confirms that “it is the best way to enter the world of a young person-no matter what age-because doing so extends a sign of respect to youth.” Play can serve to equalize the power imbalance between mentees and their mentors, form bridges that transcend differences and mistrust, and make you appear more real, personal, and open in a way that helps forge a connection. You can incorporate play regularly in mentoring, to make you and your mentee smile!
- Honoring Youth Voice and Building Power
In her article “Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People”, Elizabeth Santiago believes “At their core, mentors need to have an unconditional positive regard for their mentee and a belief that all youth are poised for greatness.” This practice empowers our mentees to be their authentic and full selves. Honoring youth voice and building power can look different depending on your mentee’s age. One very important fact we must remember as adult mentors is even though we have experience being young, we do not have experience being young in today’s world. Be open to learning from your mentee and honoring their uniqueness.
- Goal Setting and Support
In his article “Goal Setting and Support”, Professor of Youth Development Leadership at Clemson University Ed Bowers, Ph.D. writes, “As young people navigate increasingly complex worlds, setting and pursuing goals can help them in several ways.” Goals help young people:
- Make sense of their world
- Meet their needs in the face of changing demands and opportunities
- Promote their own positive development
Mentors can play an important role in helping mentees set and achieve their goals. Setting goals can be fun and put your mentee on a path to success.
Additional resources:
Source: https://www.mentoring.org/resource/becoming-a-better-mentor/