A Definition of Mentoring
Mentoring, or the process of mentorship, is really a growing, strengthening bond that occurs between a mentor, who is more experienced, not necessarily older, but who is certainly wiser; and his or her protégé, a mentee or someone who is less experienced and wise, and who therefore needs to be guided by the mentor. The concept of mentorship has long been known and tracked in history. In fact, it was Homer’s Odyssey that first gave rise to the term “mentor” through its character called Mentor, who, despite the fact that he is presented as a somewhat debilitated old man, is actually used by Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, to guide Odysseus’ son Telemachus through a difficult time in the young man’s life.
The concept of mentorship also takes various forms in different cultures and periods of history. The Ancient Greeks had the concept of pederasty, in which teachers could hone young men to greatness. The Hindu and Buddhist religions have the concept of the guru, where a wise, religious man serves as the spiritual guide of someone who is misguided or who needs to know the Truth. In Judaism and Christianity, the concept of discipleship forms both history and current practice, as clergy or deeply spiritual people guide their respective flocks or followers. Lastly, in the medieval guilds, an economic system was built in order for apprentices to learn from guild masters and thus ensure the longevity of their respective crafts.
There are many famous mentor-protégé relationships in history. Take, for instance, the triplet of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three great minds in philosophy who actually preceded each other. That is, Socrates was the mentor of Plato, and Plato was the mentor of Aristotle. Aristotle was even the mentor of Alexander the Great. The Christian faiths owe a good deal of their spread to the letters and preaching of St. Paul. In the music industry, the rapper Dr. Dre is mentor to younger rappers Eminem and Snoop Dogg. In the movie industry, the famous and late British actor Sir Laurence Olivier served as mentor for multi-awarded actor Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Even fiction has its own share of mentors and protégés. There are the Jedi knights of the famous Star Wars epics, where Qui-Gon Jinn mentors Obi-Wan Kenobi; when Qui-Gon Jinn dies, Obi-Wan Kenobi takes on Anakin Skywalker; Luke Skywalker, Anakin’s son, is mentored by Yoda. The master-padawan relationship in the Star Wars series is actually akin to that of a mentor and protégé, not so much fighting or sparring partners.
In the employment arena, there are also mentoring programs to help employees do better. For instance, in new-hire mentorship, new employees are taken on by experienced persons in the company in order for them to work better and be accustomed to the company culture and climate. In high-potential mentorship on the other hand, existing employees that show promise are taken on by experienced persons who may be interested in seeing them progress higher through the company hierarchy.
These are only a few facts that are associated with mentoring. There are many mentoring and mentorship programs available, and you can find out more about them through the Internet.
Comments
Menu
My Articles
Best Practices In MentoringPeer Mentoring – Helping The Teens Beat Pressures Of Adolescence
Mentoring Nurses As A Way Of Empowerment
What To Avoid In Mentoring Programs
The Growing Need For Mentoring In Healthcare
Learnings From Mentoring Quotes
Tips On Successful Implementation Of Mentoring
Mentoring Teachers Programs – Improved Professional Competence And Educational Reform
The Proper Way Of Mentoring Special Educators
The Concepts Of Coaching And Mentoring
Improving Student Performance Through Mentoring
Breaking The Ice: An Important Part Of Mentoring
Preparing A Proposal For A Teacher Mentoring Program
All About Juvenile Mentoring Programs
The Concepts Of Mentoring, Coaching, And Directing
Teacher Mentoring Defined: Uses, Advantages And Limitations
Mentoring: A Glue That Binds African Traditions
Why Join A Mentoring Program?
Effective Mentoring Relationships
A Definition Of Mentoring
How Mentoring Programs Establish Self-Confidence
The Fine Art Of Mentoring
The Importance Of Mentoring For Children Of Prisoners
Saving At-Risk Youth By Mentoring
My Articles The Growing Need For Mentoring In Healthcare Of the many programs that have been introduced and.. Preparing A Proposal For A Teacher Mentoring Program An established teacher mentoring program is an important asset for any.. Effective Mentoring Relationships The Mentor-Mentee Relationship The role of a mentor is to aid the mentee in.. What To Avoid In Mentoring Programs What is mentoring? Before we can effectively look at the.. |
|
|
Related News:
|