“Rhodes proposes that mentoring affects youth through three interrelated processes: (a) by enhancing youth’s social relationships and emotional well being, (b) by improving their cognitive skills through instruction and meaningful conversation, and (c) by promoting positive identity development by serving as role models and advocates.” – Caring Connections

Mentoring and teaching are as interrelated as the above mentioned processes: nether teachers who only want to provide content knowledge without making personal connections with students nor people who only want to mentor but not provide quality instruction will be successful in the role as an educator.  The human element of teaching has always been what has drawn me most to the profession: connecting with others is what drives me and brings meaning to my work.  I would quickly sink into a depression if I had to retreat to a cubicle every day and work in a solitary state.

While mentoring is what draws me to teaching, it is often exhausting and overwhelming.  Many people are well-intentioned  in their desire to help others, either through volunteer work or their profession, however too many are unaware of the real commitment they are making.  Mentoring is the same as any other relationship, it must be cultivated, cared for, reciprocal and significant.  The high-minded person that begins a mentor-ship to feel good about themselves is doing no youth a favor.  Working in a community school for 4 years I saw many volunteers come and go.  In our current society people often want things to people fast or convenient.  Mentoring is neither.  It is a challenging, frustrating, time consuming job.  Yet there is nothing more rewarding than seeing  someone grow, achieve and come into their own.

“In addition to issues concerning socioeconomic status, programs tend to gloss over the particular needs related to gender. Single-sex programs (e.g., Big sister of Greater Boston) are finding themselves under increased pressure to become coeducational, despite evidence that they may be more advantageous to adolescent girls. The mentoring movement has grown so rapidly that research has lagged behind, particularly in the area of gender differences….Such differences may not be directly addressed in the pre-match training that goes on at coeducational programs, diminishing the likelihood that mentors are adequately prepared to build strong relationships with their little sister.”
– Rhodes, Davis, Spencer, & Prescott, “Caring Connections: Mentoring Relationships in the Lives of Urban Girls” (p. 151) Continue reading How complicated about mentoring? →

“Growing evidence suggests that a close and enduring connection must form in order for youth to benefit from a mentoring relationship. Relationships that are less close tend to have little effect, and those of short duration can actually make matters worse for some youth.” (Rhodes, J. E., Davis, A. A., Prescott, L. R., & Spencer, R., 2007, p. 148)

Mentors can play an important part in an adolescent’s development especially in “urban youth” or “at-risk youth”. Normally we tend to look at mentoring programs and the relationship between a mentor and an adolescent as a positive thing that can help adolescents through difficult times. However, not all mentoring is beneficial and in “Caring Connections – Mentoring relationships in the lives of urban girls”, Rhodes et al. briefly introduces the possibility of the negative and possibly damaging consequences of mentoring. Continue reading When mentoring can actually do more harm then good →