PRODUCTS

                       All about my experience as a Mentor

Introduction

                  I have had the honor of being a mentor to young adults at the Boys and Girls Club, and the experience has been essential for both my mentees and me. In being a mentor, my goal was to be able to help young people set meaningful goals and provide guidance in their social, academic, and personal lives. Driven by the positive effects of my previous experiences as a mentee, this reflection discusses my experience as a mentor and what I learned in the process.

Why mentorship is good

                  I chose to become a mentor because the mentors in my life provided me with amazing support. The guidance I received had a significant impact on me as a person; it gave me purpose, and it improved my self-esteem. I wanted to do the same for the youth at the Boys and Girls Club, particularly for those who may not have a great support system or positive role model accessible to them. I realized that mentoring could provide the safety and encouragement they need, so I take pride in being someone that they can lean on while they explore their talents and overcome obstacles. In my time as a mentor, I focused on sharing three skills that I believe are necessary to be instilled in those who are being mentored: personal growth, communication, and problem-solving.

  • Personal growth entails supporting and developing an understanding of identity and purpose that encourages mentees to reflect on their values and make personal goals.
  • Teaching good communication is important to help mentees build relationships and confidence, and I encouraged mine by sharpening their skills in active listening.
  • Problem-solving means giving mentees advice on how to manage obstacles, such as talking about potential solutions, weighing the repercussions, and accepting responsibility for their decisions.

What it is like to be a mentor

                  Before I was a mentor, I thought that mentoring would mostly involve counseling and sharing expertise. As a mentor, I learned that mentoring is a team effort that requires adaption and a desire to share knowledge. I have had to work on my patience, empathy, and active listening skills to be an excellent mentor. I have learned to meet mentees where they are intellectually and emotionally and to acknowledge their distinctive challenges and experiences. In short, I tailored my approach to their needs to make them feel important. I also learned that building a relationship built on mutual respect and trust is the primary objective of mentoring, which often requires more guidance than supervision—for example, one of my mentees struggled with confidence in expressing themselves. Rather than just providing solutions, I focused on listening to her concerns and encouraged her to realize her strengths. I made sure to fix my guidance to her learning style, making sure to break down lessons and give constructive criticism at their pace when they are ready.

Challenges

                  Maintaining a balance between constructive criticism and encouragement was one of the most difficult challenges of mentoring. It was crucial to constantly analyze my mentees’ needs and comfort levels to know when to challenge them so that they can reach their true potential and even when to pump the brakes. While lots of people rely on routine and discipline, it is important to maintain the two so no one falls behind.  The more you are consistent and keep the routine going, it will eventually require you to be more disciplined and get you to the point of not wanting to ever fall behind.

The value of mentorship

                  Despite the challenges, my mentees growth and confidence showed the value of mentoring. My mentees’ usage of the skills we discussed and the moments of connection we’ve shared have made all the effort rewarding. I have learned a tremendous amount from this experience that mentoring is about aiding in growth, sometimes in minor ways and sometimes in ways that have long-lasting effects.

Conclusion

                  Being a mentor has been extremely fulfilling and has helped me develop in many unexpected ways. Initially, I focused on providing information as a mentee lacking knowledge and not thinking I could once be a mentor, but as a mentor, I realized that mentoring is a two-way street. My mentees taught me patience, adaptation, and perseverance. By providing them with the resources and confidence they needed to achieve their objectives, I hope I have positively impacted their lives just as much as they have mine. My passion for mentoring has been boosted by this experience, and I am excited to keep encouraging people, especially those with similar backgrounds.

All about my time as a Mentee

Introduction

                  Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by mentors. These are people who have provided precious advice, support, and encouragement. These examples have influenced me in ways I never would have thought were possible—especially the remarkable women in my life. In this reflection, I’ll explore the value of mentoring, the skills I gained through mentorship, and how this experience has impacted my development both personally and professionally. I’ll conclude with how I’ve eventually prepared myself to serve as a mentor in the future.

The value of mentoring

                  Mentorship is a constantly evolving connection that promotes growth, develops skills, and grows character. It goes beyond getting advice from someone.  Mentors act as role models, demonstrating both positive and negative examples. Some have demonstrated what I want to avoid, while others have displayed exactly what I would like to be. The bad experiences have shown me attitudes and actions I don’t want to duplicate, while the positive impacts have provided me with a vision of authenticity, leadership, and accomplishment. My understanding of what it means to be a mentee and leader has been greatly influenced by both kinds of role models.

Skills gained through mentorship

                  The variety of skills I have acquired while being a mentee has had many beneficial results in my life. The main four that have had the greatest impacts are professional, academic, social, and personal development skills.

  • Professional skills: I have learned how to network,  establish goals for my career, and make critical decisions from mentors who’ve guided me through development.
  • Academic skills: I’ve received assistance on how to manage my assignments to prepare for further study and navigate through college. I have also learned to balance and manage other obligations along with my academic obligations.
  • Social skills: Connecting with mentors has enhanced my ability to interact with my peers and professionals constructively. I now understand how crucial formal deep connections are for future encounters with real-world problems.
  • Personal development skills: I’ve been able to consider how mentoring has aided in my growth personally by teaching me resilience, patience, and how to accurately recognize my strengths and shortcomings. I now know how to set objectives for myself and hold myself responsible for my growth.

Being a mentee: lessons learned

                  Being a good mentee requires patience, open-mindedness, and a willingness to listen. Receiving guidance and the understanding of someone with more experience requires humility. A mentee needs to be proactive in seeking advice and ready to apply the lessons they have learned to real-life scenarios.

                  Although mentoring is beneficial, it can also present several difficulties and bumps in the road. Accepting support without feeling inferior or inadequate is one of the most difficult things I have had to do. It is hard to take criticism at times, even constructive criticism. Achieving the ideal blend between acting on my own and depending on a mentor can sometimes be difficult .

Conclusion

                  My personal development has been significantly supported by mentoring, which has given me opportunities for growth, support, and learning. In addition to seeing how my life has evolved, I now feel adequate to mentor others as well. Even if I don’t know about every single topic known to man, I can apply my prior knowledge as a mentee to become a successful mentor, and as I transition into the meskills role, the skills, and understanding I have gained make me resilient.  Active listening, meeting people where they are, and practicing patience have been essential on my journey. I know these lessons and experiences have equipped me to guide someone else on their journey now, too.


 

E-portfolio

15% Based on Collaboration

Engage with teammates to ensure products are done and made to perfection. Do my part as a team player to do what is needed for the project, and that gets done efficiently.The product is completed, and the message is clear and straight to the point. Teams can consistently work together and get things done. Projects that are proficiently done.

How did I implement this?

I actively collaborated with teammates to ensure projects were completed to the highest standards. By maintaining open communication and taking initiative, I contributed as a team player to address project needs effectively and ensure efficiency. As a result, the team consistently delivered clear, impactful products while maintaining a high level of quality and precision.

20% Based on Information Literacy

Diversifying who I communicate with in class. Having a thorough understanding of what is being given to me and being able to apply it to what is around me. I will show my progress within my projects and make sure to show how far it has come and all of my errors.

How did I implement this?

By understanding the material presented, I effectively applied it to real-world experiences, enhancing the relevence and quality of my work. I showcased the progress of my projects, transparently highlighting improvements, challenges, and lessons learned from any errors.

20% Based on Lifelong learning

Showing interest in something that is taught (extra engagement) Going above and beyond to further my knowledge on a topic. Informing others on said topic so that they aren’t ignorant of the teachings. Notes, citations, and references found that provide insight into the topic

How did I implement this?

I showed an interest in the topics taught by engaging in class discussions and listening opportunities to deepen my understanding beyond the curriculum. I shared my findings by pouring them into my reflections and products.

30% Based on Problem solving

With things that are absorbed during my readings, I will apply what I previously know and the things I am being taught. Accepting problems for what they are and trying to work through them and not around them. Use my resources. Projects that I may have struggled with but made better with trial and error.

How did I implement this?

I applied knowledge from my readings by combining prior understanding with new concepts, ensuring a deeper understanding of the material.

15% Based on Ethical reasoning

Applying ethics learned to class and applying to projects and other activities within class. Using origins to assure and check products. Research projects and notes from lectures that correlate and show origin.

How did I implement this?

I was able to navigate through my product with trial and error; I improved my work and turned my challenges into opportunities for growth.

Reflection 4:  Think about the target audience for each of your products. Now, consider yourself at the age of that target group and/or in the context of your other shared identities. What drew/draws you into people’s work? Think about aspects of writing, imagery, sound, design, etc. How might you shape/modify your own work with this in mind?

For my product to reflect on the mentee, my target audience would have to be a mentor, and with the reflection of the mentor, it would be vice versa. As the mentor or mentee is reading, they can understand the perspective of their mentee or mentor and what has been an advantage or disadvantage within their relationship to aid the benefit of the partnership. Personally, I understand that to help guide people in understanding, you have to be willing to go through trial and error. The mentee-mentor relationship is a constant trial and error due to the constant growth between the two, which will be an advantage as the relationship continues to progress. Something that would attract me to both sides of the reflections would simply be imagery and the writing. The writing would have to be intriguing and keep my attention even if it is short, sweet, and straight to the point. Sometimes the unnecessary words and long paragraphs can steer me away because sometimes it doesn’t seem genuine and comes off more scripted. When things are coming from the heart and feeling, they tend to be less wordy and more descriptive due to the emotion that is being sought after.

Reflection 3 : Which of the five principles has been most relevant in your work with CODES in previous semesters? Which of the five principles is most relevant now?

The reading states, “Effective communication is not just about getting your message out; it requires you to strategically tap into what shapes people’s feelings and values.” I think the two principles that have been relevant in my work would be “join the community” and “communicate with images.” Joining the community is the most impactful due to CODES work having a strong emphasis on community and making sure we are having an impact on those we do meet and have around us. In our research teams, we have been constantly working to show that within the community we can have one another’s back and make sure that we consistently hold one accountable. Communicate with images has shown us how to use our platforms and voices to embark on new territory. This could mean communicating with our peers with something they would enjoy and understand. With images, you are able to convey a message to those who may need to interpret it into their own way of thinking so that it isn’t an one size fits all understanding.

Reflection #2 What aspect(s) of “land as pedagogy” do you see reflected in your work in CODES/in your life?)

 Land as pedagogy explained by Oxford is, “Land education from an Indigenous perspective can be understood as the learning of deep social, political, ethical, and spiritual relationships on and with the land. By extension, the approach of land-as-pedagogy applies the understanding that the primary and ultimate teacher is the very land itself.”  My understanding is that instead of doing busy work, even doing unnecessary classes, or sometimes learning things you may never use, the best teacher is to do it. From what I have experienced within CODES, it has been us having our research teams, and instead of a worksheet or writing useless essays, we have been putting in hands-on work to do what we believe is necessary for our communities and our futures. Mainly, showing up and being willing to learn through trial and error and sometimes just outright failing within what we interpret as failure can be the best teacher. The mentorship program was made possible by researching what impacted the students we worked with and what simply grasped their attention to want to participate.

Reflection 1: How has the process of planning your individual products and group project been going so far, and how can aspects of Adrienne Maree brown’s Emergent Strategy inform the work you continue to do?)

I feel our group planning has helped because we can bounce ideas off one another and get a lot done. It is more efficient because some people may have another perspective, and the different perspectives help to see a new outlook. Emergent Strategy can support our work by showing us a transformative approach by informing us about adaptability, resilience, and the power of hard work paying off. All the key elements from our reading in class are used to show us how we are to approach our projects and our group work to help us get things done efficiently.

Contract

Grade Contracted For  __X__ A        ____ B            ____ C

What concepts are you going to learn, or skills are you going to develop?How will you learn the content/ develop the skill?What evidence will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning?How will you and I assess the evidence of your learning/skills?
(15%) Based on (12) Collaboration  Engage with teammates to assure products are done and made to perfection. Do my part as a team player to do what is needed for the project, and that gets done efficiently. The product is completed, and the message is clear and straight to the point. Teams can consistently work together and get things done. Projects that are proficiently done  Actively participating in class and readings and applying it to the projects the team works on.  Grasping an understanding of togetherness within a class to make sure that no one falls behind.  
(20%) Based on (6) Information Literacy  Diversifying who I communicate with in class. Having a thorough understanding of what is being given to me and being able to apply it to what is around me.I will show my progress within my personal project and make sure to show how far it has come and maybe all of my errors. It will show based on the efficacy of my work, how well it is being shown, and how well I have learned in past classes.
(20%) Based on (7) Lifelong Learning  Showing interest in something that is taught (extra engagement) Going above and beyond to further my knowledge on a topic. Informing others on said topic so that they aren’t ignorant to the teachingsNotes, citations, and references found that provide insight into the topicBeing able to teach it to others. Leading the classroom on the appropriate facts and information.
(30%) Based on (9) Problem Solving  With things that are absorbed during my readings, I will apply what I previously know and the things I am being taught. Accepting problems for what they are and trying to work through them and not around. Use my resourcesProjects that I may have struggled with but made better with trial and error.Have a better understanding of my beliefs in my project and is able to properly explain and teach to others.
(15%) Based on (3) Ethical Reasoning  Applying ethics learned to class and applying to projects and other activities within class. Using origins to assure and check productsResearch projects and notes from lecture that correlate and show origin.Proper understanding of lectures through positive work review, regarding participation