My mentoring philosophy is based on the belief that an effective mentor promotes learning by helping their mentee develop skills. Therefore, my approach to mentoring is guided by an understanding that I must ensure that mentees have foundational knowledge and benefit from opportunities to implement new skills. Foundational knowledge equips mentees with the information needed to enhance their skillset. Meanwhile, opportunities to implement new skills ensure that mentees develop their proficiencies through practice. I believe that mentees have a right to autonomy and that my mentoring practices should preserve the autonomy of individuals I assist through mentorship. Additionally, I believe that conscientious strategizing is necessary to cultivate and sustain the motivation to improve any skill — thus, my approach to mentoring relies on critical thinking to ensure that my assistance through mentorship is relevant and effective.
Aligned with Dr. Peter Elbow’s suggestions to understand student needs and meet students where they are at (as writers, but also as individuals), I believe that the most useful feedback is personalized and tailored to the needs of mentees (Elbow). From my perspective, cookie-cutter approaches to guiding, motivating, and supporting people lead to unimpressive outcomes. Appealing to a prototype inevitability neglects the diversity of experiences and desires possessed by individuals. My approach to mentoring focuses on the needs of individuals. I use what I know about a mentee (particularly, their background, motivation, and tentative progress) to strategize and formulate effective solutions. Therefore, I would consider my approach to mentoring and the mentoring practices I use to be avant-garde. My approach to mentoring and the mentoring practices I use are “avant-garde” in the sense that I approach each encounter with a mentee with what is referred to as shoshin in Zen Buddhism, which means “beginner’s mind.” I strive to help mentees overcome challenges by conceiving strategies free of preconceptions and, thus, formulate novel solutions. In brief, I use an open-minded approach to help people develop their skills based on the needs and preferences of the individuals I assist through mentorship.
Mentoring is a practice that depends on competency, practicality, and a desire to help others develop their skills. Therefore, in academic and professional settings, I believe that mentors should present themselves as both approachable and knowledgable. As a Writing Mentor through the Writers’ Studio at Arizona State University, I had the opportunity to cultivate a friendly and scholarly approach to mentoring that paired well with my approach to providing feedback that was both considerate and meaningful. My knowledge of the English language and rhetoric combined with my insights pertaining to the tenets of compelling writing and personability served as assets that enabled me to successfully meet the seven different course learning objectives embedded within the ENG 484: Writing Mentor Practicum course curriculum.