Between Fall and Spring: Mentor Training, Part II

Mentors, you’ve been together with your mentee for a few months now: long enough to fall in love, become firmly ensconced in like, and pinpoint any challenges to the growth of your relationship. The cold, gray space between fall and spring – that is, midway through the Girls Write Now season – is the ideal time to take a closer look at your mentoring experience and pick up some tools to help you out through the remainder of the season. 

Lead by GWN Advisory Board member Julie May, NCPsyA, LP, LCAT, Mentor Training, Part II will highlight YOUR needs and concerns as mentors, as well as:

• Helpful hints for moving between talking and writing
• “She Never Calls Me Back,” and other mentoring adventures
• “We’re in a Rut:” Tips for jumpstarting your pair sessions
• Editing and Criticism: tips for empowering your mentee to master her own inner editor

Pre-Training Questionnaire
Use the following questions to explore your thoughts on your mentoring relationship and to help leaders customize the day to meet your needs.  Feel free to write as much or as little as you'd like on each question.  Email your responces to Julie@girlswritenow.org.

1. What were your expectations of the mentoring experience? Aside from helping your mentee, what were you hoping for? Write about ways your expectations have been realized or not. What surprises have there been?
2. How do you identify with your mentee? Does this help your relationship or get in the way?
3. Think of a positive experience you shared with your mentee. What do you think made this special?
4. Describe any frustrations you've had with your mentee? How have you worked to resolve them?
5. Have you had any serious concerns about your mentee's safety or mental health?
6. Can you think of some advice you might give to someone about being a mentor?
7. What are the issues raised here that you think would be most valuable to discuss more?
8. What advice/guidance are you still looking for, if any?