Reflection & Empathy in Mentoring
The second characteristic that we saw in the list of good mentors was about
accepting beginning paraeducators. Much of this good mentoring skill involves
empathy. The key to having empathy is to think about what it is like to
be in someone else’s place. The following questions can help paraeducators
think back on what it was like to be a beginning paraeducator.
Now get your pen and paper again and jot down some answers to each of the
questions.
1. What did I have trouble learning when I first started?
2. What would I want another paraeducator to explain to me?
3. What is the easiest part of this job?
4. What is the most confusing part about this job?
5. What is the best part of this job?
6. Which teachers are the most helpful?
7. What makes these particular teachers helpful?
After answering these questions, think about how you responded to some
of the paraeducators who have started their jobs after you. Did you help
them the way that you would have liked to be helped? Is it easier now to
see how difficult it is to enter the field of paraeducating? Do you have
any ideas now about how you could do a better job of helping any new paraeducators
or paraeducators who are working in a new situation that you have already
been in?
Besides reflecting about how it was as a beginning paraeducator, there may
be other things that you can think of to do to show appreciation for paraeducators
at your school. Good mentors create an environment of support, respect,
and teamwork.
Pick up that pen and paper one last time. Time yourself for another three
minutes. In that three minutes use those brainstorming skills that you have
honed during this module and make a list of all the ways that you as an
individual paraeducator could start developing further your mentoring abilities
by helping other paraeducators, teachers, and administrators value the work
of paraeducators. In other words, what are some of the things that we as
mentors can do to make sure that other paraeducators, teachers, and administrators
are valuing paraeducators?
Now that you have brainstormed, how many ideas did you come up with? How
many are feasible? Which ones can you start doing tomorrow? Great! Get to
it!
In the next section, entitled, “Mentoring Never Ends,” we will
conclude this module and sum up the importance of mentoring as a paraeducator.
IPSP
Module Series