What is a Mentor?
There are many definitions of what a mentor is. Here are three:
1. Webster’s Universal College Dictionary defines a mentor as “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.”
2. John Reh, an expert on mentoring in the business world defines a mentor as “an individual, usually older and more experienced, who helps and guides another individual’s development. This guidance is not done for personal gain.”
(http://management.about.com)
3. In education research, McBrien & Brandt (1997) say that a mentor is “a role model offering support to another person.” They also say that a mentor “has knowledge and experience in an area and shares it with the person being mentored.”
(McBrien, J. L., & Brandt, R. S. (1997). The language of learning: A guide to education terms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD).
Compare your brainstorming list to the words you see in bold in the above definitions and answer the following questions:
1. When you look at the list you brainstormed to describe mentors, and you look at some of the words that Webster’s, Reh, and McBrien & Brandt use to describe mentors, do you see any words that you have in common?
2. Did you come up with any words that they didn’t?
3. Do you agree with their definitions?
4. What are some words that you do not agree with?
5. Are there any words that you would like to take off your brainstorming list?
When you are done thinking about these questions, go to the next section
entitled, “Why Is Mentoring Important?”
IPSP
Module Series