Fatma,
In terms of considering some current case studies in entrepreneurial work,
the link that Bridget offered will be worth checking
http://www.lmu.ac.uk/enterprise/html/past%20events/GEW%2018112009.htm
and especially the sub-page there, of
http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/enterprise/resources/html/publications/casestudies.htm
There is also 'a useful competency map for enterprise capabilities and
skills which can be used by academic staff and students'
offered there.
I would be inclined to use that competency map as a starter to (conduct
self-assessment and) build awareness of the skills involved, and to ask the
questions 'Do I think that I have that capability?' 'Do I think that
so-and-so in my team has that capability?' and to also find out how the team
members see their own skill capabilities and the skill capabilities of
others in the team, including the team leader. That would be one way of
helping build self-awareness, of individuals and the team, against this
external source's indication of what capabilities are relevant to
entrepreneurial activity.
If I were being asked to offer 'examples of strategic planning from public
and private sector' I would be inclined, these days, to start with a Google
search using 'strategic planning case stud' and then scanning and refining
the search, if necessary, to separate out 'public sector' from 'private
sector'.
Dianne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fatma AL_Hinai" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: 'Questions in the practice of mentoring'
Dear all
Thank you all for your suggestions, looking at all the thoughts and
points of view i can see that there are many things should a mentor
consider before answering a mentee questions i am learning alot from
you all and i hope when i reach the stage of being a mentor to take
into my account such points.
Dianne, my focus on case studies of strategic planning emerges from
the course we are undertaking as pre- request for an entrepreneurial
skills needed for each team member and we were asked to design
examples of strategic planning from public and private sector .
Sarah,
Thank your for your suggestion to attend the event on 5th of June, i
am not sure but i will discuss it and will inform you later.
Best wishes to you all
Fatma
On 25 May 2010 19:14, Brian wakeman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Sarah,
>
> Alas I cannot join you at MK this year........ Grandpa duties!!
>
> I have been listening-in silently to the discussion on mentoring... but
> want to join-in.
>
> I work with a dozen or so PGCE teacher trainees as a Training Support
> Tutor
> for Chiltern Training Group, and as an adult watercolours mentor with up
> to
> 35 people.
> Here's my two-pennyworth
> 1. Mentoring is impossible without a willingness to cooperate, an openness
> in the learner. Receptivity is key.
> 2. No negative sharp criticism is allowed in my mentoring
> 3. The principles of feedback need to be agreed: developmental, with clear
> criteria for learning; right of answer etc
> 4. Emotional well-being should be supported
> 5. Too much is 'drowning'; too little is belittling. I limit learning
> targets (3 at the most)
> 6. Respect for the mentor needs to be 'won'
> 7. If the learner does not take ownership of the learning setting their
> own
> aspirations, mentoring can be counter-productive
> 8. I should not be afraid of addressing 'hard issues', challenging
> thinking
> 9. Learners need time to assimilate and to take new skills and ideas on
> board fitting them into their understanding and professional role.
> 10. Learning and targets should be reviewed by trainees. (I use an
> action-research framework with trainees)
>
> Much more could be said about Heron's "interventions", and "typologies of
> questions" but time forbids
>
> Brian
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kerry Jordan-Daus <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Tue, 25 May, 2010 12:42:47
> Subject: Re: 'Questions in the practice of mentoring'
>
> Dear all
>
> Thinking about Sarah's last post; "how far do I believe that the mentee
> has the answer inside them?" is a very good question - sometimes we are
> not sure of the "answers" we have inside, and the learning process might
> help us to come up with answers that are in part only coming together,
> these are answers in development. That is the exciting bit; when the
> mentee begins to construct an answer and the further refinement and
> construction of the answer is supported by our gentle questioning? (I
> think - I am now myself going through that experience of uncertainty
> about the "answer" (to Sarah's question) but because of her question
> beginning to find an "answer"?)
>
> I would like to add my own link
> http://www.trainingattention.co.uk/storage/Clean%20Feedback%20for%20Rapp
> ort%20PDF.pdf
>
> which explores questioning and feedback (the latter an integral part of
> the mentor/mentee learning relationship in an initial teacher training
> programme).
>
> What struck me about the Clean Feedback model was that it makes explicit
> the observer's interpretations which inevitably inform and shape the
> questions; thus Why did you ask Megan to share her ideas? Using a CLEAN
> FEEDBACK model; I liked the way you included Megan in the learning, she
> really had some interesting points to make, although she hadn't put her
> hand up to answer your questions. Can you explain to me why you asked
> her to share her ideas?
>
> I think asking questions should be more than "guess what's in my head"
> but share what's in my head and with the mentee explore whether this is
> in their head .....
>
> Finally, Sarah; I would be delighted to attend the mentoring event on
> 5th June in Milton Keynes - had it pencilled into my diary. Hopefully,
> there will be a small and devoted group of us there?
>
> Kerry
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BERA-MENTORING-COACHING [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Sarah Fletcher
> Sent: 25 May 2010 11:38
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: 'Questions in the practice of mentoring'
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I want to focus on what I see as an assumption in mentoring practice in
> our discussions;
>
> How far DO I/you believe that a mentee 'has the answers inside them' and
> we have to wait patiently (and presumably ask the 'right' kinds of
> questions) so our mentee might see this?
>
> Let's think about mentoring in initial teacher education, if we may? As
> a school based mentor and as a university based mentor to school based
> mentors and their mentees I have used modelling (both demonstrating
> teaching techniques and embodying values I believe are crucial in the
> self-development of not only teachers' actions but also in the
> development of teaching as a profession). If modelling is an essential
> part of learning to teach then I/we are specifically NOT saying that
> mentees have the answers inside them - we are introducing new practices
> and by our questions encouraging mentees (and us) to reflect reflexively
> and embody new ways of practice and evolve new values systems as
> practice develops. I think that coaching with its psychotherapeutic
> roots differs from a mentoring relationship and firmly believe that
> coaching is involved in mentoring practice.
>
> Karen - I would be grateful for your assistance in developing my
> learning about this too.
>
> Then there's the practice of 'clean questionning' that our list may find
> useful to discuss?
> I have found this link to what seems to be a useful article
> http://www.cleanlanguage.co.uk/articles/articles/47/1/Emergent-Knowledge
> -and-Clean-Coaching/Page1.html Thoughts?
>
> Where mentoring involves assessment of practice as it increasingly does
> in initial teacher education (when I began working as a school based
> mentor being an assessor was THE principal bone of contention) then we
> are judging whether a mentee does evolve answers when exposed to new
> practices rather than looking for answers to emerge from questions posed
> by the mentor to the mentee? I was reminded of this Dianne when I read
> your reply to Fatma this morning - you are asking (as I understand it)
> for clarification of what Fatma wishes to develop but not expecting her
> to come up with all of the answers all be herself?
>
> Fatma, I feel profoundly honoured by your suggestion of a visit to the
> Oman - and it has spurred me to reflect on how we (as a list and as a
> BERA SIG) can learn alongside you. Would it be possible in the shorter
> term for you to visit England and meet some of us to assist you in
> developing entrepreneurial practice for teachers embedded in a research
> mentoring framework (I like Dianne's use of the word scaffolding - is it
> the same thing?)
>
> When I read your email Fatma, I was SO excited as avenues for
> e-mentoring opened up - exchanging comments on-line about how we see
> teachers developing their entrepreneurial practice, maybe? Using
> web-based platforms (thanks Brian - very, very useful suggestion).
>
> Because I have been ill I haven't confirmed our programme but there is a
> booking at the Holiday Inn in Milton Keynes as a conference venue -
> could we meet you on 5th June?
> Jean Rath and I will be there - can others on list come - Brian?
> Bridget? Karen? Kerry?
>
> Warmest regards,
>
> Sarah
>
> Sarah Fletcher
>
> Consultant Research Mentor
>
> http://www.TeacherResearch.net
> Convenor for BERA Mentoring and Coaching SIG
> Details at http://www.bera.ac.uk
>
> --- On Mon, 5/24/10, Dianne Allen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>
> From: Dianne Allen <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: 'Questions in the practice of mentoring'
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 9:53 PM
>
>
> Sarah,
>
> Thank you for sharing your reflections and indications of
> practice, and change in practice.
>
>
> As I read that, and attend to it, I recognise two important
> aspects of the process: (1) the frame of real inquiry [and seen also in
> Karen's remark about 'genuine curiosity'] as mentor you recognise you
> really do need, and want, to know where your mentee is coming from (a
> first step in 'scaffolding'; and respecting that the mentee has real
> knowledge that needs to be respected and worked with; and the current
> and following work involves developing mutual understanding; and that as
> mentor you are humble enough to recognise that in the process you will
> be learning too); (2) the focus on appreciation - getting out, into the
> open, important information between you, of what the mentee does well
> and how they themselves recognise that (what criteria constitute their
> in-practice evaluative processes), and then being able to work with
> these to help the mentee work with themselves into other currently less
> successful territory. As Karen says "I know the person sitting across
> from me has the answers, and the resources, they need, and that my role
> is to trust them - and to help them to trust themselves when their
> confidence is swamped by 'stuff'" and when Janet finds herself "amazed
> at how knowledgeable some students are regarding their own subject"; and
> Kerry has given us a good working example of what this looks like by
> sharing "That was a great activity; how can you tell that the pupils
> liked it so much? Why do you think the pupils liked it so much? .....
> Can you explain to me what you were trying to get from the learners from
> the activity? How did your planned activity enable the pupils to
> demonstrate their understanding and ability to write in the desired
> style?"
>
>
> I also like your comment "a position that any taxonomy of
> questioning differs (perhaps not too surprisingly?) according to the
> context in which mentoring/coaching will be taking place" as it
> reinforces my suspicion that Bateson's claim that context, and
> recognising its importance, is the key to operating with another level
> of learning, and the level of learning that is most relevant to dealing
> with issues that may require the exercise of creativity, and so where
> the leverage for real change/ transformation, and by dealing with the
> clash of values, and perhaps instrumental values compared to deeper
> ('spiritual'?) values, comes into play. This may well relate to what
> Karen says when she remarks about questions "generating energy and
> suggesting that there might be possibilities and truths as yet
> unexplored"
>
> Thank you all, for your inputs, and for opening and offering
> your practice to the scrutiny of thinking about questioning.
>
> Dianne
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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