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Katelynn Malecha

HONR 401-02

Ashley Kanak

11 December 2015

Growing My Own Mentor Philosophy

What is a mentor? Can anyone be a mentor? What is the proper way to mentor? In all

reality, everything connected to mentorship is personal. Kindergarteners understand the concept

of mentorship. In most classes, children must travel somewhere as a class, hence a line leader is

needed the mentor of the group. Every child has the opportunity to be the line leader, in the

back, and in the middle of the line. We all have different roles at different times and sometimes

being a follower allows us to grow and be better mentors from seeing how others mentor.

In Platos work, knowledge is common concept that ties into perception. What is

knowledge? Knowledge is perception and perception is ones beliefs, not factual. Knowledge can

be learned in many different ways: we can attend classes, follow mentors, experience various

aspects of life, and some interactions we have with others. Similarly to the concept of

knowledge, there is no one way to mentor; everyone has a different style of mentorship. As a

mentor, we must recognize that some mentees may need us to try something different by being

flexible and recognize differences, a stronger connection may be established. This is essential to

my job as Learning Community Coordinator. When having events or talking to fellow students,

everyone is an individual and require different elements. We must attempt to see what others see,

to try to understand their perceptions.

Plato and Deweys works bring up experience. Plato presents the metaphor of midwifery

to experience and mentorship. I interpreted this as to be a midwife, one must have had to give
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birth (experience the process of carrying a child and then giving birth) or be surrounded in that

environment frequently. For example, a man could be a midwife if they have witnessed a lot of

pregnancies or births; therefore, the experiences one has in their own life can assist others who

are in a similar situation. From living in a learning community (LC) my freshman year, I am able

to reflect what my LC all did, to currently of how to lead a LC, and then how to encourage the

LC members to participate this year.

Dewey explains that experience can be associated with doings and sufferings which are

in a way what mentoring is. This makes me think that something is never 100% positive nor

100% negative. A balance exists that our experiences are both experimental which leaves room

for mistakes, but also near perfection. Nothing can ever be replicated in the exact manner but

experiences can be similar. Some people may find one experience amazing while others may

suffer through the entire experience. While mentoring, this must be taken into consideration

when sharing our own experiences and having new ones. From speaking with previous LCCs,

and seeing how the have lead, it has given me insights that I would never have thought of. For

example, the previous LCC gave me ideas for the Make a Difference Celebration and how to

properly request grocery bags from a store.

Dewey also has a powerful metaphor of a child and flame. A child gains experience from

feeling pain and burn from a flame rather than the simple act of touch. It is the feelings

associated with the event that attributes to the experience. The events a mentor can host or

encourage mentees to attend can assist mentees in building experiences and themselves. These

events can be specially directed to bring up feelings or interactive ones that allow the mentees to

complete activities on their own. It makes me think of when I hold LC events to make sure that
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everyone has voice. It isnt just me holding the meetings, everyone needs to share a high and low

and everyone must listen or follow others.

Every event in the world marks in active conjunction with some other existence. (as

cited in McDermott, 1981, p. 83). This means that every event leaves a mark on ourselves, but

also those around us. This quotation reminds me of everything happens for reason. Whether

something be negative or positive, everything we do affects something else. In mentorship, this

is key to remember, people look up to me in my job. They ask me questions about the Honors

Program and as a result, some that were considering leaving the program decided to stay.

Sometimes just saying hi can brighten someones day its the little things that can leave a

huge impact on someones life. One mentee can change a whole mentors perspective on

mentoring or vice versa.

If no man can assess anothers experience better than he (as cited in Plato, 1992, p.

27). This makes me think of how we all access our own experiences, or in other words, how we

reflect upon our experiences. Our experiences are ours, but how we can explain to others and

what we take out of it can really help us grow as mentors. No reflection is incorrect, but some

may be stronger than others with specific examples and using the past as a foundation to support

us into the current times building up into the future.

Reflection is expressed in Deweys reading as putting together connections and how we

learn. Everything we do is based off of taking our experiences and classes to ultimately

determine where we came from, to where we are now, to where we are going. We do this all the

time in the Honors Program. Reflection is key to not only developing and defining ourselves, but

how we use ourselves to help others. Taking all of this information can be applied to mentorship,

we look upon our own experiences to build upon future ones. Our experiences form us and our
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experiences can help others. Reflection is the critical thinking that is necessary to move on. For

example, how I went to high ropes course, I could just write down that I went on high ropes I

would be learning nothing. But if I thought critically and how the activities we did were not only

thought provoking, but the ultimate goal associated with one that I will get so much more out of

the event. I can take that event and later reference it. We can all take our challenges to motivate

us to do our best. Dewey explains that mentorship is composed of challenging events that help

create experiences to later mentor. Some of the most influential aspects of life are when others

challenge us for success.

Platos book also assisted me in thinking in alternative ways. The book is written in a

very different way that taught me to persevere when I do not understand. Sometimes being

confused is okay as long as one can talk through ones own and others frustrations. This can

directly be applied to mentorship, especially when mentoring other people. Being a Learning

Community Coordinator (LCC) definitely makes me think of how clear I need to make things for

other people and open myself up for questions too. Theaetetus questions Platos thoughts all the

time so I should allow LC members to question me. This allows for an open relationship in

which people can come to me about anything and if I cannot help them, I know someone that

can.

The relationship a mentor and mentee hold is unique. The mentors can be responsible for

providing a safe zone which includes allowing people to express themselves. A mentee must be

comfortable with the situation before even trusting the mentor. This may mean being an active

listener rather than an advisor. By being the LCC, I must make sure everyone knows that they

can express themselves or come to me when conflicts or something does not go right. They must

know that I am there or them. Similarly to a mentor is responsible for holding a mentee
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accountable (A. Kanak, personal communication, August-December 2015). Just as the mentee

is responsible for holding the mentor accountable. The relationship is a two way street. The

mentees share stories as the mentors share stores; such as, ones about failure.

Everything in life is a learning process, between the failures and successes, every failure

can attribute to a success. Failure is in human nature and inevitable and a good mentor should

share stories and experiences about their own failures or weaknesses (A. Kanak, personal

communication, August-December 2015). By doing this, it opens up the door to talk about things

that dont always go right. It allows the mentee to see the mentor in a way that doesnt make

them seem like some sort of super human. Failures can become successes, nothing in life is a

complete waste. I can prove this to my LC members by talking about last year when I failed my

first test. I was the stereotypical straight A student in high and school and college was not the

easiest transition for me. I failed an exam and it crushed me, but now I know that failure is

normal and inevitable its about what one does afterwards to not allow the same failure to

occur again. What I can share with my LC may be personal, but a mentor should allow

themselves to share their experiences, including the failures, to allow themselves to grow and

those around them to see it.

If I were to take anything it would be a mentoring relationship should be a symbiotic

relationship both gain from the experience (A. Kanak, personal communication, August-

December 2015). I must continue to grow as a person as I help others to grow. Dewey, Plato, and

the Honors Program will always be a challenge, but learning who I am how I work can assist

others to grow as people. From others in my learning community to challenge me between my

supervisors, mentors, or the LC member, I have been able to be the line leader, in the middle,
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and following in the back; each of which have allowed me to define myself and grow as a

person. My philosophy now has a base, but it will continue to grow as I grow.