Comments on: Experiences Can Create Mentoring Opportunities

By: Jim Stellar

Jim Stellar — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:41:05 +0000

Vanessa,
I think this is a great comment, and I agree. The parallel seems strong between teachers and physicians (or other health care providers) in the role of nonverbal communication.
Let me push one step farther to mention the decisions we may make in our limbic system (the other lobe), taking the trust and inspiration of the mentor into our choies about a field. How many of us work in a field that was our mentors? Of course, it does not always have to work that way. For example, Elena from the orginal blog did not enter my field of neuroscience, and she had multiple mentors. Then let me push another step farther and suggest that our direct experience with that field also feeds these same circuits and universities ought to be setting up such experiences for their students. Working in a lab is only one of them.
-Jim

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:42:40 +0000

This is an older post, sorry for the delayed comment but something just sprang to my mind. To answer your main question Jim, a personal connection IS necessary both between the mentor/advisor and the student AS WELL AS the student and the experience/knowledge they are gaining. There really is a kind of mental appraisal that goes on during a mentorship that proves beneficial. This actually reminds me of some studies that Judy and Tom Boone among others have done on physician-patient relationships. It turns out, unsurprisingly, that physicians, pharmacists, etc with higher nonverbal sensitivity levels are rated as being more efficient, personable, and effective by their patients. Clearly, the patient-doctor relationship parallels the student-teacher one. Maybe nonverbal communication is an area where such relationships are strengthened… and become “important” so to speak. Nonverbal communication is likened to experiential education because it is indirect and unconscious. Both experiential ed. and nonverbal communication differ greatly from “academic learning” and verbal communication, which are arguably the more direct lines of behavior. I think nonverbal cues may play a huge role in this connection- and is other lobe related!!!

By: science fair projects

science fair projects — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:10:52 +0000

Thanks for sharing your research and insights into education. It’s fun to read informative posts which have been simplified for the average person.

By: Jim Stellar

Jim Stellar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:11:36 +0000

Kristen,
Thanks for your comment. I often tell my students that a mentor is like an advisor who thinks he is your uncle or she is your aunt. That extra dimension of connection not only helps the information flow between the mentor and mentee, but it also creates a kind of inspiration (or passion as you say) for both parties. It is a human connection, not just a professional association. Sometimes these relationships even continue after the goal is reached. Elena and I have remained friends these last few years she has been at Harvard and even get together a few times a year across town to catch up. I would be interested in hearing from any other readers as to whether they think this family analogy works.
-Jim

By: Kristen

Kristen — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:13:18 +0000

In my experience, a main distinction between adivising and mentoring is the trust involved. When I think of an advisor, I think of meetings to organize a class schedule, or internships to consider for certain career paths. When I reflect on mentorship, it transcends the black and white and takes into account our personal story, passions, etc and to get to that point with an advisor, personal connection is required. Personal connection provides trust, allows us to be open about who we are, and form a meaningful relationship that supersedes the confines of advising. Perhaps because I am a product of Northeastern, all my mentors have come out of experiential education — through co-op, studying abroad, and pursuing undergrad research. One of my mentors came out of the classroom, but we did not form that relationship based on the classroom material. So for me, convening where the rules are less clear was critical to mentorship; I put myself out there, and relied on a common interest with my mentor to guide me, and that gave us room to know each other, to care and work toward the common cause.