As we wrap up the month of October, we hope that you are even more encouraged and inspired to serve as a mentor this year! Thank you for choosing to Be the One for your student!
Today, we will be looking at the last “growth” word we’ve chosen to focus on in the month of October. These four words aren’t the only necessary ingredients for healthy mentoring relationships. But, they may be some of the most important ones as we help students grow into healthy adults. As we mentioned at the beginning of the month, growth of any kind is a process. And, it’s a process that takes time, care, help, and patience.
What does patience look like in a mentoring relationship?
Patience in mentoring chooses to see your student from a long-term perspective. It chooses to focus on the big picture more than all the little details that make up the big picture. One of the best ways that we can learn patience as mentors is to remember what we were like as teenagers. We needed time to learn and grow in order to become the adults we are today. And, we needed people in our lives who were willing to be patient with us in that process. So here are some ways to demonstrate patience with your student.
Be the One who has faith in your student’s potential and encourages them to reach it.
Be the One who accepts your student’s mistakes as an opportunity to help them learn.
Be the One who graciously gives guidance while avoiding communicating judgment.
What are some other necessary ingredients for healthy mentoring that you’ve discovered? We’d love to hear from you as we learn together how to be mentors who help students grow into healthy adults!
—Jason Matthews, Mentor Coach