Getting Actively Involved in National Mentoring Month – and Beyond

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By Terry Orr

I grew up where mentoring and helping others was a daily occurrence throughout my naval and consultant careers. It is the right thing to do! It is helping others to help themselves and others. Paying it forward!

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There are many organizations, companies, communities and individuals actively participating and making a difference each and every hour of the day.

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“…the gap between the number of mentors and the number of young people who need a mentor continues to grow.  Today, 15 million young people need a caring adult mentor in their lives.” (National Mentoring Month 2013 Press Release)

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After reviewing several sites in research for this article, I believe these ten tips are sound and solid best practices, in any environment.

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Top 10 tips to help you be the best mentor (from Management Mentors):

1.    Listen more often than you speak.

2.    Approach challenges with a positive attitude when strategizing with your mentee in finding solutions.

3.    Be consistent in terms of having contact with your mentoree

4.    Tell the truth. Having an honest exchange about an issue will help build trust in the relationship.

5.    Be objective as much as possible. Your mentoree's perspective in only one viewpoint; so present other views when possible.

6.    Affirm your mentoree when they accomplish something or arrive at a new perspective.

7.    Ask permission when needing to share feedback that may be difficult for the mentoree to hear. This is a gentle way of preparing the mentoree.  If the mentoree opts not to have you share the feedback that is their choice.

8.    Engage the whole person. It's not just about how a mentoree thinks, but also how they feel.

9.    Let them grow and let them go. Be ready to let the person move away from you when the time comes. It's a sign of independence as a result of the work you've done with them.

10. Enjoy the relationship and you will gain as much as you give.

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I personally believe we all have something to share with others and should seek an opportunity to help others.

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References and Links:

http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/nmm.asp

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/focus_areas/index.asp

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy/nmm/intro.htm

http://blog-aauw.org/2013/01/17/nmm-3-tips-from-a-guru/

http://www.management-mentors.com/about/corporate-mentoring-matters-blog/bid/76006/10-tips-to-help-you-be-the-best-mentor

National Teacher Appreciation Day

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By Akindman

Each of these quotes are excellent topics for standalone articles onto themselves as they speak to the core of the need for high caliber teachers.  Please take a few moments to read each and reflect them.  Thank you.

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"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~William Arthur Ward

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"In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less." ~ Lee Iacocca

"Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to; convinced that on their good sense we may rely with most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty." ~ Thomas Jefferson

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"Information is the currency of democracy." ~ Ralph Nader

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." ~ Mark Van Doren

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"Compassionate teachers fill a void left by working parents who aren't able to devote enough attention to their children. Teachers don't just teach; they can be vital personalities who help young people to mature, to understand the world and to understand themselves. A good education consists of much more than useful facts and marketable skills." ~ Charles Platt

"Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth."

~ Helen Caldicott, author and peace activist

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"The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth." ~ Dan Rather

"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards." ~ Anatole France

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"There is an old saying that the course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education. In a democracy such as ours, we must make sure that education wins the race." ~ John F. Kennedy

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We would love to hear from you.

Thanks to all those dedicated teacher past, present, and future!

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Links:

http://www.teacher-appreciation.info/Teacher-Appreciation-Week-2012/

http://www.nea.org/grants/1359.htm

Mentoring Matters

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By Akindman,

National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring in the United States. It was inaugurated in 2002,[2] and is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

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Participants in the National Mentoring Month campaign include leading nonprofit organizations and numerous governors and mayors. Designated nonprofit and governmental agencies are responsible for coordinating local campaign activities in communities across the country, including media outreach and volunteer recruitment. Local lead partners include state and local affiliates of MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, Corporation for National and Community Service, Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, America's Promise Alliance, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Communities in Schools, and United Way of America.

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January 24 and 25, 2012 was the 2012 National Mentoring Summit held in Washington, DC “Invest in the Future: Mentor a Child Supporting Youth through Mentoring”.

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National Mentoring Month (www.nationalmentoringmonth.org) is an excellent web site to start your own journey in becoming or refreshing your skills as a mentor.

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Mentor National Mentoring Partnership (www.mentoring.org) is another excellent site to visit and get involved.

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