What is mentoring?
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This section is designed to help students who will be
working one to one or in groups with young people
either on campus or in schools and colleges.
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This may include:
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Visiting schools and other settings to talk to pupils
Providing one–to-one mentoring
Working with groups of pupils
Planning and giving talks to visitors to the university
Giving presentations and/or performances
Delivering subject focussed sessions
Contributing to Summer schools
Providing Information, advice and guidance
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What is mentoring?
It has been defined as ‘the art of facilitating
the learning and development of others.’
Downey ( 2001)
At the University of Worcester, mentoring is defined as
including any student employment opportunity that
supports the access agreement, including the work of
the Outreach Ambassador. There are many different
definitions of mentoring. At its heart is the process of
linking an experienced person with a less experienced
person to help foster professional growth,
aspiration and development.
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Mentoring and Communication Skills
The key mentoring skills are:
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Building rapport
Listening for meaning
Questioning for understanding
Prompting action
Moving on
They are underpinned by Communication Skills :
speaking, listening, active listening, showing empathy,
challenging, questioning, paraphrasing, summarising,
focusing, giving presentations and providing information,
advice and guidance.
Spend some time reflecting on this skill set.
Where are your strengths?
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Mentoring Qualities
The essential qualities of the effective mentor :
• A good role model
• Self awareness and understanding
• An advocate with an interest in developing others
• Respectful of diversity
• Well organised and reliable
• Enthusiastic and encouraging
• A challenger of assumptions
• The ability to form professional relationships with young
people
• The ability to personalise the University of Worcester
demonstrating sincerity, enthusiasm, credibility, interest
and helpfulness
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Self Awareness
Fundamental to being a good mentor and outreach
ambassador is self awareness – the ability to know yourself.
Where are you most and least confident?
Keeping a reflective diary of your experiences as a mentor is a good way to
support your learning journey and to reflect on the development of your
skills
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Description of Mentoring
There is a vast body of literature on the subject of
mentoring.
David Clutterbuck, in Everyone needs a mentor (1991, p.
36), draws from his research to compile a description of the
mentoring role.
This helps to illustrate the essential qualities of the effective
mentor and Outreach Ambassador.
He used the following description:
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Description of Mentoring
•M-
Manages the relationship
Maintains a steady presence,
has high level self-management skills
Is assertive, clear about boundaries & management skills
Has excellent interpersonal skills
•E-
Encourages
Motivates others
Is a good role model
Able to provide clear and objective feedback
finds & focuses on the positive
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Description of Mentoring
•N-
Nurtures
Fosters independence and personal responsibility
Is able to maintain work-life balance
Acknowledges need to maintain health
Respects higher goals, values spiritual needs
•T-
Teaches
Understands the mentee’s learning needs
Offers opportunities for learning
Provides or directs to resources
Accepts and responds to different learning styles
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Description of Mentoring
•O-
Offers mutual respect
Accepts differences in values and interests
Avoids judgement
Maintains a relationship of equality
•R-
Responds to the mentee’s needs
Does not seek to impose advice on the basis of own needs
Acts as a resource base
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Values and beliefs
Part of developing your self awareness is knowledge
of your core values and beliefs. Often these are taken
for granted assumptions.
What are your core values and beliefs?
HONESTY – FAIRNESS – LOVE OF LEARNING –
JUSTICE – INTEGRITY – LOVE – OPEN MINDEDNESS –
SPIRITUALITY – TRUTH – CREATIVITY – KINDNESS HUMILITY – HOPE – FORGIVENESS – EQUAL RIGHTS
and OPPORTUNITIES
What are your values and beliefs in relation to Education?
How might these inform your work as an Outreach
Ambassador?
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Any Questions?
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