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Mentoring Skills: Effective Ways of Helping

 

Course Number	LWL210
Objectives	At the end of this course, you will  1) understand the need for mentoring, 2) recognize the characteristics of a mentor, and 3) know how to demonstrate mentored behavior.
Credit Hours and Fee	3.0 CE Credit Hours with a fee of $24.00
Instructor	Rudolf Klimes, PhD (Indiana University), MPH (Johns Hopkins University); Adjunct Professor at Folsom Lake College, Folsom CA.

 Welcome to this  3-contact-hour Continuing Education  course with instant online processing and certification 24/7.  Study the course below, take the 12-question multiple-choice TEST, register and pay  online. If you score 75% or above, you may print your CE certificate on your printer as soon as you finish. If you have difficulty printing your certificate, click here. You may retake the test once.

This short online course is intended to confront you with your need of one or more mentors and to help you find a mentor. It touches your personal life in all its aspects, namely physical, mental, social and spiritual. Be prepared. "If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done."

 Outline  

1. Mentees feel special needs, and are responsive and accountable to mentors. 2. Mentors are accountable to mentees and help provide directions to resources, guidance, coaching and modeling. 3. Mentoring is based on an agreement that includes the purpose, time-lines, periodic evaluations, and closure.

CONSIDER LearnWell in a team: A team can be spelled with two letters--WE... Coming together is a BEGINNING, keeping together is PROGRESS, working together is SUCCESS... We didn't all come over in the same ship, but we are in the same boat... Many people are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges... None of us is as smart as all of us...As spokes get nearer to the hub of the wheel, they come closer together...Everyone who is not wise is a fool...As fools becomes wise, they become mentors.

ERIC_NO: ED442907, The Mentor's Guide. One in a Series on Youth Development. Hammond, Shirley D.  1999
ABSTRACT: This handbook has been developed to offer guidelines and suggestions to volunteers in mentoring programs to help them strengthen the mentoring relationship. The program for which the handbook was designed, the Mentor/Tutor Network in Madison, Wisconsin, has evolved into a comprehensive support system for schools to collaborate with community groups to pair adult volunteers with struggling students. The topics covered in this guide include: (1) history of the mentoring program; (2) expectations for mentors; (3) what students say; (4) what mentors say; (5) ideas for outings; (6) when you are an adult friend of a struggling student; (7) helpful hints for mentors; (8) steps toward positive interaction with youth; (9) discussion of students with needs for extra support; (10) considerations in mentoring students from different backgrounds; (11) the importance of listening; (12) tips for those mentoring Southeast Asian youth; and (13) characteristics of gifted and talented students. A mentor's agreement is included.

ERIC_NO: ED385732, Mentorship: The Essential Guide for Schools and Business. Reilly, Jill M. 1992
ABSTRACT: This book describes a highly successful mentorship program in "how-to" terms that are easily applied and adaptable to a variety of situations. Following an introduction, chapter 1 addresses the question: When does a student really need the help of a professional mentor? Chapters 2-7 examine the underlying principles of the mentor program. Chapter 2 presents methods for checking students' readiness for a formal mentorship. The topic of chapter 3 is the mentor seminar, through which students finalize their preparation for the mentor program. Chapter 4 examines the process of finding mentors and supporting them in their efforts to work effectively with students. Chapter 5 includes strategies for reinforcing and advancing skills students develop in preparation for the mentorship and for clear and efficient communications with students and mentors. It describes the teacher's role in effectively monitoring each student's progress and guiding the class as a unit. Chapter 6 explores the role of school personnel, parents, and community members within the program. Chapter 7 discusses the recognition and evaluation that complete the cycle of one school year and generation of a vision for the next. Chapter 8 provides information to persuade others to become involved. Chapter 9 presents an example of one student's growth as a direct result of his experience in the mentor program. Sample forms are provided throughout.

What others said...

"Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A "you can do it" when things are touch."
Richard M. De Vos

"Not only must you know what you want, but you must really want what you want, if you are to get what you want."
Anonymous

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results."
Kenneth Blanchard

"You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it."
Bill Cosby

"Learning is finding out that you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers."
Richard Bach

"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.  You seek problems because you need their gifts."
Richard Bach

"One change makes way for the next, giving us the opportunity to grow."
Vivian Buchen

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to something until you get there."
Josh Billings

"Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on."
Henry Burton

"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you make them feel."
Bonnie Jean Wasmund

"People, like nails, lose their effectiveness when they lose direction and begin to bend."
Walter Savage Landor

"You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."
Arthur Ashe

"Confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions."
Earl Gray Stevens

" You will learn and grow according to the nature and consequences of your actions."
Robert Anthony

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."
Franklin P. Jones

"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them."
Anonymous

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own."
Benjamin Disraeli

"Coming together is a beginning...Keeping together is progress...Working together is a success." 
Anonymous

Prepared and Distributed by: The Training Connection

INSTRUCTIONS: Below you will find short cases to which you are asked to respond with true or false or two choices. When you press the buttons, pages will appear that tell you if you chose the correct or incorrect answer. The cases are not hard, but they are intended to help you think through important issues. This is NOT a test.

1. My Need To Be Mentored

I can't do it alone, I need help.

 1.1 Robert wrote on his test: "The blood circulates through the body by flowing down one leg and up the other." He obviously needed some help in his studies. When he got older, he saved his first $60. One day he saw a nice old car for sale for $60 on a car-lot. The main problem with the car was that it did not run. He bought it anyway. He worked on it, but he could never get it started. So he sold it again.

 1.2 Herbert believed in Murphy's Eighth Law: "If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something." He was a natural skeptic from Missouri. His motto was "Show Me." He believed only what he saw. But then he learned that he often could not even trust his own eyes. In spite of this, he wanted to trust those that showed themselves constantly trustworthy. He realized that in this difficult world, he needed someone who would mentor him and always...

 1.3 Jane found herself at the end of her rope. She found that "inside every small problem is a large problem struggling to get out." She felt like she was living in the dark and perishing. Her husband had recently left her. She was unprepared to take on the burden of three children alone. She did not consider herself wise. The stress was getting to her. Jane was too proud to seek help from her family, friends or an agency. She felt that there was...

Mentoring can play a key role in developing one's career. Generally speaking, a mentor is someone of substantial experience, talent or professional standing who nurtures the career of a protégé (e. g., apprentice, intern or understudy). It is a wide-spread practice in many organizations and professions, and usually occurs informally. The best mentors combine technical competence, experience, the ability to communicate, and most importantly the ability to listen. 

Mentoring is a relationship that includes learning, information sharing, and networking among people. These relationships can be essential to success and a vital resource to help communities. Partnering allows professionals to bring their expertise and resources into collaborations to further their objectives. 

Following are some characteristics of relationships:

• They are mutually beneficial; a "win-win" situation for both parties involved. 
• They usually involve a long-term commitment. 
• They rely on successful personal relationships and trust-building. Source

 2. My Mentor at Work

I trust my mentor to guide me. My mentor was there before.

A mentor is a wise and trusted teacher or counselor who wants the very best for his friend. His work is not condemnation, but construction. The mentor works toward changes from destructive and self-destructive actions to constructive behavior. A mentor takes an unwise person and leads him into wisdom.

 2.1 The way up Mount Fuji was steep and difficult. The going was slow. Discouraged, some in our group wanted to turn back. They had no argument with Murphy's Second Law: "Everything takes longer than you think." Two people spoke up. One said "I was here last year. The hardest part is already behind us." Another group member said: "The path is getting harder. I cannot make it. I'm turning back." The fact that the first speaker was there last year made him more believable. The group was able to accept him.

or

 2.2 In school, Mary had a way with words. She wrote: "The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top and you sit on the bottom." Later she became famous and successful. But now she was just another retired senior. She had been there before and usually knew what she was talking about. The majority of those who knew her considered her a has-been who's time has past. The majority was right.

or  

 2.3 Someone had told Bill: "If at first you don't succeed, you are doing about average." He needed help. Now he has a friend that is most unusual. He has never met him in person. He communicates with him over long distances. He has read his life story and over time learned to trust him fully. He greatly admires his past and present values, character and and courageous acts. But he feels that he cannot be his mentor because he his not right there in person when he needs him.

or

ERIC_NO: ED440922. Using WebCT Bulletin Board Option To Extend Transitional Classroom Walls. LaMaster, Kathryn J.; Morley, Laurie, 1999
ABSTRACT: This paper describes a study that used WebCT Bulletin Board, a program for breaking down geographical barriers to collaborating in distance education. Participants were preservice teachers, mentor physical educators, and university professors. WebCT was used to support electronic bulletin board communication. Students utilized WebCT's internal homepage development feature. Creation of homepages provided participants with a vehicle for learning and established a sense of community. Students and mentors were encouraged to access homepages and learn more about their online peers. Students selected another student with whom to exchange e-mail messages. Every 3 weeks, a university professor posted a case study and guided questions. Participants were encouraged to respond to the cases and questions by posting replies. Data sources for the project included responses to case studies, interactions between students and mentors, and survey results upon completing the project. Overall, students found electronic interaction a meaningful, enjoyable experience, though some expressed frustration with utilizing WebCT. Students considered WebCT easy to use and believed this type of teaching should continue in the future. Students enjoyed the general forum, with all messages posted to one main site, while mentors preferred small group forums. Mentors were extremely positive about using WebCT to communicate with students.

 Mentoring Programs

 3. My Unusual Mentor

My mentor has a large heart and hears well. He goes by rules.

3.1 Oliver wrote that "experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. " Bill couldn't wait. He realizes that he needs major changes in his life now. His own wisdom had proven to be just foolishness. He must have a new start. He was born physically 30 years ago, socially some 25 years ago, and he got his fine motor abilities some 24 years ago. Now he needs an awakening. Some 20 years ago his brain "ruthlessly destroys its weakest synapses, preserving only those that have been magically transformed by experience" (Time, Feb 3, 97, p. 56). His new life can bring together his life goals, the meaning of his existence, and his perspective on his relationships with others. He knows that this awakening is necessary before he can get his act together.

3.2 Some consider life just a terminal disease. Is it? A good mentor loves his work and the person he or she mentors. The mentor wants the very best for his mentee and may go to great length to demonstrate that concern. The mentee's job, on his part, is mainly to believe his mentor. Thus the mentee does not perish in the world's confusion but has a life. The mentor alone is responsible to see his mentee through.

or

 3.3 As Bill rereads the Nicodemus story, he realizes that he believes many things he has never seen in person...the pictures of the TV news teams...the finding of scientists...the reports of his far-away former classmates. Bill further explores the life and teachings of Jesus and finds that he has mentored millions to a fullness of life. "Love isn't love until you give it away." Those who believe their mentors and trust them do have unusual strength to live better lives.

or

 4. My Mentored Life

 4.1 Bill's main job is not to get people to like him, but for Bill to like people. He tells them: "Consider yourself hugged." He knows that the final test of a good mentored relationship is improved behavior on the part of the mentee. Daily Bill has a choice of living truthfully or living a lie. "Having a good time can be deadly." " A fool and his money is soon parted." Bill chooses to live truthfully, and so he has nothing to hide. He does not have to play games with people in order to gain an advantage. His advantage is in his new insights into the facts and situations as they present themselves.

 4.2 Even with a good mentor, Bill still gets into trouble. Often he asks:" Was today really necessary." He knows that in theory, everything works, but it is not just seen reality that matters. He still often feels like a fool. His current failings are mainly the result of...

 4.31 According to Greek mythology (before 850 BC), in Mentor, Odysseus found a person who 1) disciplined his son Telemachus, 2) evoked in him trust, and 3) fostered in him personal integrity.
4.32 Rudolf Klimes (the author of this course) found Larry Smart who was his mentor and 1) pointed out his limitations, 2) guided him in good ways, and 3) encouraged him to walk honestly.
4.33 In Jesus, Nicodemus found a mentor who 1) confronted him with his weaknesses, 2) opened up before him continuous rich living and 3) and empowered him to experience it. (The result of good mentoring is honest, skillful and constructive living.)
4.34 "Life is only hopeless if you walk away." For various purposes, you may need different mentors. For your career, your boss may be your mentor. To build better relationships, you may choose an older friend as mentor. Children and youths may accept their parents as their mentors. "Clever is getting out alive."
4.35 A friend can be your mentor and help you 1) recognize your weaknesses, 2) differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and lies, the wise and the foolish, and 3) live honestly. He can help focus you life goals, give meaning to your existence, and a healthy pattern to your relationships.

or

ERIC_NO: ED341924. The Mentoring Guidebook: A Practical Manual for Designing and Managing a Mentoring Program. Crockett, Lib; Smink, Jay, 1991
ABSTRACT: Mentoring at-risk students has become one of the fastest growing and frequently used strategies across the nation to help young people. This document examines the structure and implementation of mentoring programs. Chapter 1 discusses mentoring as an appropriate and effective strategy. The mentoring relationship is examined, natural versus planned mentoring is discussed, and program types and examples are provided. Chapter 2 considers needs assessment issues. Analysis of data, program costs, liability, and support are discussed. Chapter 3 looks at program management; goal setting, clarifying objectives, evaluating a program, goals and rationales, setting timelines, and a timetable for a mentoring program are addressed. Chapter 4 discusses the identification, selection, and recruitment of protégés, training, and orienting. Chapter 5 deals with finding and selecting mentors and publicizing the program. Also discussed are matching mentors and protégés, mentor orientation and training, and the first meeting. Chapter 6 contains information about managing the program; mentor contact, protégé contact, and supervising the match are discussed. Also included is information about group activities, recognizing mentors and protégés, expanding and refining the program, and terminating mentors and protégés. Sample forms which can be used by program planners are included and discussed in the appendices.

 5. My Plan for Being Mentored

Complete the following blanks and implement your plan.

5.0 My greatest needs are __physical, __mental, __social, __spiritual (check one).

5.1 My life goal is to_______________________________________________________________

5.2 The characteristics I seek in my mentor are_________________________________________

5.3 Two people who could mentor me are______________________________________________

5.4 Of these, I will recruit one by_____________________________________________________

5.5 As mentor, I am choosing _______________________________________________________

5.6 My mentor notes my needs. I am remade in________________________________________

5.7 My mentor loves me much. I trust him with_________________________________________

5.8 My mentor encourages me. I do the truth in________________________________________

5.9 I have reviewed this plan after __2 months,__4 months, __6 months, __9 months.

Mentoring Self-assessment  

Take this course for free. Or study this web-site for an approved (RN-CEP 11430, MFT- PCE 39) 3-hours Continuing Education Certificate (0.3 CEUs) and take the 12-question multiple-choice test that is linked to the bottom of this page. 

Mentoring Library  

Best Practices Resources
International Mentoring Association
Online Mentoring 

TAKE TEST   

Study this web-site for 3 hours for an approved (RN-CEP 11430, MFT- PCE 39) 3-hours Continuing Education Certificate (0.3 CEUs).  Click here for the self-correcting test & online payment, and 2) receive your certificate immediately online. All is online, nothing by post-mail.