Becoming a Better Mentor to Your Students

1. Becoming a Better Mentor to Your Students Don W. Morgan, Ph.D. Department of Health and Human Performance

2. Some Personal Thoughts About the Mentoring Process • After years of serving as a research mentor to students, I’m still learning how to be an effective mentor • The process of mentoring remains somewhat mystical to me • When students graduate, I still ask myself if I’ve done the best job possible in mentoring them, realizing that they will likely mentor other students • Hopefully, I’ve learned from my successes and mistakes • Often, how we mentor students reflects how we were mentored • There are many different mentoring styles

3. Origins of Mentoring • Odysseus placed Mentor in charge of his palace and his son, Telemachus, when he left for the Trojan War • Homer described Mentor as a “wise and trusted counselor” • Athena, in the guise of Mentor, became the guardian teacher of Telemachus and helped him deal with a number of personal dilemmas

4. What is a Mentor? • Someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less-experienced colleague • Someone who takes a special interest in helping another person develop into a successful professional • A mentoring relationship takes time to develop and during this time, a student’s needs and the nature of the relationship between the mentor and student can change

5. What is a Mentor? • Sometimes students find mentors elsewhere – perhaps a fellow student, other faculty members, a wise friend, or another person with experience who can offer guidance and support • A good mentor seeks to help a student optimize their educational experience, assist the student’s socialization into a professional discipline, and help the student find suitable employment • These obligations can extend beyond formal schooling and continue into or through a student’s professional career

6. Mentoring is Multifaceted Zelditch (1990) “Mentors are advisors, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge; supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement; tutors, people who give specific feedback on one’s performance; masters, in the sense of employers to whom one is apprenticed; sponsors, sources of information about and aid in learning about professional opportunities; and role modelsof the kind of person one should be as a professional”

7. Features of an Good Mentoring Relationship • Characterized by mutual respect, trust, understanding, and empathy • Good mentors share life experiences and wisdom, as well as technical expertise • Effective mentors are good listeners, good observers, and good problem-solvers • Good mentors make an effort to know, accept, and respect the goals and interests of a student

8. The Mentor as Faculty Adviser • Help those you mentor towards greater initiative, independence, and self-reliance • Some general points: • Take students seriously • Don’t dictate answers • Help students develop self-esteem • Address fears or concerns • When discussing potential career goals, encourage students to explore options, talk to other students and professionals, and seek practical experiences

9. Mentoring Graduate Students • Help students to select a graduate program that will be a good fit for them, in terms of matching their interests, curriculum, and overall feel • Encourage students to visit schools, if possible • Help students choose an adviser • When considering accepting a student to work with you, look at the whole picture • In terms of curriculum, encourage students to take courses that will expand their knowledge base and help them become independent, productive, and self-reliant once they leave school

10. The Mentor as Faculty Adviser • When working with students on research, help them identify a well-defined project(s) that interest(s) both of you • Some general points: • Set a clear time line; encourage careful planning and use of time • Set high, but realistic goals • Help students develop the expertise needed to conduct the project and know what your role will be • Whenever possible, link the project with previous course work • While project results are important, a primary purpose of student research is to help them master techniques, learn to think critically, acquire strategies for problem-solving, and learn patience and perseverance

11. The Mentor as Faculty Adviser • If a graduate student has an interest in conducting research beyond the MS or PhD degree, the selection of a thesis or dissertation topic is absolutely critical, because it can set the stage for the student’s future research agenda • Work closely with students in disseminating their research at scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed journals • The skills required in conducting well-thought out research projects that are completed in a timely manner with measurable and valid outcomes have potential application to a variety of professional occupations (i.e., teaching, research, industry)

12. The Mentor as Career Adviser • Assist graduate students to prepare for job interviews by: • Helping them put together or revise a curriculum vitae • Talking about the suitability of various job openings • Evaluating teaching and research presentations • Prepping them to answer potential questions raised by members of the search committee and ask appropriate questions during the interview

13. Mentoring Junior Faculty • Valuable resources are invested when junior faculty are hired and it is important to nourish them, retain them, and help them develop into productive faculty members • Guidance can be provided through formal or informal mechanisms • Senior faculty and department leadership can help set the tone and agenda for mentoring junior faculty and helping them mentor their own students

14. The Mentor as Skills Consultant • As a mentor, valuable skills that you can help students develop and hone include: • Communication skills • Teaching • Writing grant proposals • Planning and organization skills • Obtaining professional credentials • People skills (the ability to listen, share ideas, and express oneself) • Leadership • Teamwork • Creative thinking

15. The Mentor as Role Model • By who you are, by what you say, and how you act as a mentor, you can be a role model for students and provide them with a personal window on a possible future • Your ethical, scientific, and professional behavior all leave a strong impression on students, as does your attitude about your work • Communicate your feelings about your professional career • Communicate the importance of mentoring and your hope that they will some day be mentors themselves • Talk with your students about how you balance work and personal life

16. Take-Home Messages • The sum of all your actions as a mentor is what students take with them as they move on in life • At its core, good mentorship involves building honesty, trust, and good communication with students