Learning to Become a More Effective Research Mentor for Your Trainees: Undergraduates to Post-Docs Some Guiding Questions for Case Studies (dont limit yourselves to just these!)

Understanding: It Seemed so Clear… What can you do in the future to make sure your mentee understands what you are saying? How do you know if its working? How do you avoid sounding condescending? How can you help your mentees learn to accurately assess their own understanding? What if he understood everything you said but made an implicit wrong assumption you hadnt anticipated? Why might students of similar potential have different levels of difficulty understanding? How do you balance independence with understanding? Have you said you understood but didnt? Why?

Independence: Too much Free Rein? How do you foster independence? How much is right for your mentee? How do you convey your expectation? How do you allow this to evolve? Mistakes. –How do you convey its ok to make mistakes? –How do you determine which are acceptable? –How important is it for a mentee to make mistakes to become independent? Why does a mentee ask for constant advice? Never asks? How do you determine if you are making assumptions about a mentees ability based on background, ethnicity, gender, etc.? How do you question the details of a mentees work without making them feel like you do not trust them?