
Isabelle Barrette-Ng, Serge Chalhoub, Mayi Arcellana-Panlilio, Barb Brown, Jo Towers, Lorelli Nowell
Taylor Institute
Oct. 11, 2019
Isabelle Barrette-Ng, Serge Chalhoub, Mayi Arcellana-Panlilio, Barb Brown, Jo Towers, Lorelli Nowell
Taylor Institute
Finding the right mentor can transform your career. A mentee can benefit from opportunities for critical reflection and support through professional challenges. A mentor can benefit from a renewed sense of commitment to their field, a chance to work on their leadership skills and an enhanced sense of satisfaction from assisting less experienced colleagues.
Dr. Isabelle Barrette-Ng, PhD, teaching professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and 3M Teaching Fellow, and Dr. Lorelli Nowell, PhD, assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing, led an initiative through the University of Calgary Teaching Academy to build on the group’s collective experience in mentorship to create The Mentorship Guide for Teaching and Learning.
Here are five strategies from the guide for a successful mentorship:
Applying these strategies can help both sides ensure the mentoring relationship is productive. Nowell says, “One of the common challenges in sustaining mentoring relationships is unclear expectations and goals. I encourage those entering mentoring relationships to speak openly and honestly about their needs, expected behaviours, patterns of communication, and ways they will be accountable to each other.”
Mentorship is just one form of lifelong learning. It can take many shapes throughout your career, whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out. Barrette-Ng reflects, “Invaluable mentors helped me to develop a much broader perspective on teaching and learning for a much greater diversity of learners. I have also been privileged to gain equally or even more valuable insights into learning and teaching from mentees who have generously placed their trust and in sharing their experiences and ideas with me.”
Download The Mentorship Guide for Teaching and Learning
The 2020 University of Calgary Conference on Post-Secondary Learning and Teaching will explore Mentorship in Higher Education. We encourage all members of our university community to submit session proposals. The call for proposals will open Oct. 15 and close Dec. 11, 2019.