https://sites.google.com/a/mtholyoke.edu/mage-training/home Peer Computing Expert Training Lesson 4 Peer mentor’s role and effective feedback Borrowed liberally from the Mount Holyoke MaGE Training Course educational materials https://sites.google.com/a/mtholyoke.edu/mage-training/home

Peer Mentor Roles When you think of mentoring, what comes to mind? It’s important to review the images and anticipations we have of mentoring These images/anticipations may not actually be what the role calls for at various times A small note to discuss mentoring often evokes a sense of anticipated gratitude from the learner which may not be provided SPARC PCE Training

Peer Mentor as Mirror Feedback, information, checking on process all help the learner to improve, gain confidence and skill because learner gains internal sense of progress Peer mentors have to walk a fine line If the mentor plays too strong of a role “doing too much for the learner” then the student is not helped in the longer run If the peer mentor withholds and makes the student guess too much, the student gets frustrated/angry SPARC PCE Training

Effective Feedback Specific and Timely Focused on both what went wrong and what is going right (and why) Pointing toward options & strategies, not just end states Appreciation of the learner’s effort Convey attitude that learner will get it Growth mindset Be careful with “this is easy” (even if it is don’t say it) Be careful with “I struggled with X” – you don’t know if the learner identifies with you, but it might help SPARC PCE Training

Serving as a Mirror Do this : Avoid jumping into advice Tell me more about what you are doing I hear you saying this works. What happened when you tried X or Y? Where did you get that information? Walk me through it so I can see how you are thinking about this Avoid jumping into advice First: ask questions, listen, reflecting back THEN give broader context (or process) within which the learner is situated which steps were taken, which options remain (pros-cons of those), what might happen next SPARC PCE Training

Being a Coach Do this: Are you willing to try a new strategy? One option is to … An alternative would be … I’m going to try to map where you are, and a short list of steps that might help you to move forward When you tried those things, which worked for you? Avoid saying what you would do; focus on the strategy’s usefulness “many people find…” Feedback: Appreciation of effort is important Coaching helps if the person is willing to take responsibility SPARC PCE Training

Other Roles Are you a teacher? Are you an editor? Are you a GTA? When do you edit the code directly? Are you a GTA? What if the student needs more help? Are you a friend? Discuss: Managing boundaries SPARC PCE Training

Learning & Motivation Video created by Ngoc Vu, student at Mount Holyoke College https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2vOgn7rB7HPeUx5d3l3TXlDcFk/preview SPARC PCE Training