Effective Mentoring and Feedback for Learning and Growth

1. UTAs Roles’ in Learning & Mentoring Copied from Mt. Holyoke MaGEprogram

2. Growth Mindset • Focus feedback on student progress, strategy, persistence, and effort. • Recognize that preparation and ability are not the same thing. • Feedback should offer specific guidance on how to change. • Do not lower standards for success. • High quality feedback when pointing out missteps

3. Self-Efficacy • Confidence in ability to complete a given task in a domain • Where is your self-efficacy high or low? • How does a student’s self-efficacy affect their performance?

4. Goal-Orientation • How do you view the purpose of your goals??

5. Self Observation Self Regulated LearningSystematic, goal-directed behavior What are you doing? Start with what you know (Syllabus, Office Hours, Class). Set Goals, try certain plans of action. UTA contributes to feedback loop Self Reaction Self Judgment Make changes as needed Am I making progress?

6. UTA 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

7. Peer Mentor as Mirror • We reviewed self-regulated learning • 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

8. Qualities of Effective Feedback • Specific and Timely • Focused on both what went wrong and what is going right (and why) • Pointing toward options/strategies vs. 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 can help

9. Written vs. Spoken • Written feedback has no cues/received privately • To be discussed further but has a big impact on feedback across social identities/inclusiveness • What is needed to help learner to listen into message? • What trust will be established before? • How have you received written feedback positively/negatively?

10. Activity: Serving as a Mirror • Avoid jumping into advice • First: ask questions, listen, reflecting back • THEN Giving 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

11. Practice • Try it: • Pick something like applying to graduate school or a major project that the person has on her/his mind right now • Have the person talk you through their plan • “Before I can help you, I need to learn more about what you are thinking and how you work.” • Try asking questions, listening, and reflecting back. • Try it: • With one of the tougher coding assignments in 201 • One person is the UTA, one person is the 201student.

12. Mapping/Encouraging: Serving as a Coach • 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 (otherwise: “you said to do X and it did not work”)

13. Other Roles • Are you a teacher/facilitator? • Active learning session • Are you an editor? • When do you go into the code and direct edit? • Are you a tutor? • What if the student needs more help? • Are you a friend? • Managing boundaries- discuss • What is the role in the Discussion or Helper Hours?