Developing Virtual Mentors Wananga

Hot on the tails of 3 days PLD comes the amazing opportunity to be part of the VPLD hui for developing mentors!

I love when I am in a session to have ideas modelled that I can take and run with and share in my various roles.  Our time together started with a collaborative activity where we learnt each others names and a key idea about each other in a very short space of time.  As we moved into a look at the personal, professional and political aspects of each and everything we do I was reminded of my promise to keep a balance in my life! As we dug deeper into our views, assumptions, values we used the concepts of earth, wind, water and fire to really suface our concerns and get to our current needs and issues!  Thank you Hazel and Merrin for a MAGICAL start to our time together!

As we moved to our session with Dave we began by choosing an item/symbol from the table and sharing what it says for us in our mentoring journey and sharing a hope for our journey!  As we each shared I was absolutely in awe of the respect, empathy and aroha in the room.  I was quite overwhelmed by how emotional this experience was and I commit to using this activity this year!  

Very early on the first day I was able to use the wonderful term 'situational analyst'.  I love this phrase and have reflected on it at length since and I see it as the tasking of responding to the needs of the people, the situation, the time and the place, being reflective and active.  

As educators in 2014 - how are we committing to be situational analysts?

As we took the opportunity to set up and co-construct explicit guidelines for working together I commit to working with leaders and staff this year to ensure we are committed to the same journey. 

Definitions of Mentoring:

Working together to co-construct definitions and understandings of mentoring reminded me of the start of 2013 when I was defining 'facilitator' and my new role.  

We viewed a range of models of mentoring and my awareness of my role continues to stretch, grow, shape and excite me!

Is it:

• Moving beyond goals;
• SPCA
• Support
• Progress
• Challenge
• Accountability
• Development Alliance - a relationship between equals in which one or more of those involved is generated to:
• Increase awareness
• Identify alternatives
• Initiate action

As we concluded day one we ironed out our thoughts, found the wisdom in our muscles, walked around the block with a partner reflecting on the day and sharing a takeaway.  What an incredible powerful culmination!   

I eagerly await day two!  But first of all there is a walk around the CBD and a dinner together!