Learning Styles and UAL Mentoring

Although we did a few exercises, etc, about learning styles in the February MA workshop, I didn't write up about it before. However, recently I have looked at all this again in some training I have been at:

http://see.arts.ac.uk/opportunities/careermentorship/

I am mentoring arts graduates from University of the Arts London (!). It was quite an interesting training day, and I realise I have done considerable mentoring and training before - for Koestler, for Create to Learn, and peer mentoring recently. Some of the approach never ceases to be counter intuitive, and basically, one must resist leaping in with suggestions, reflect back with new perspectives, and guide rather than lead discussions. Of course, there is so much more than that, but we spent quite a bit of time on learning styles. I've never given too much credence to them before, because I feel my own responses could vary so much, and that I could come out as a completely different type each time I fill in the questionnaires. It's a bit like finding something relevant in every horoscope.

However, as part of Reflective Practice, and with circumstance pointing the way again, I thought I would investigate this more.

http://www.myersbriggs.org/

http://compendium.open.ac.uk/

http://compendium.open.ac.uk/institute/

Gina Wisker

1st July 2013

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Update on mentoring

I have now completed 5 sessions each with my UAL mentees and the programme is completed.
Some of the references I mentioned to look at I have read about considerably since, especially around the area towards my PhD proposal. (what a dyslexic sentence!). I also now have a new Koestler mentee - an exoffender who has been in and out of prison most of his adult life - I go to continuing mentoring training and support sessions at Koestler. In addition , I trained to mentor young people for the OYAP trust:
http://www.oyap.org.uk/. So all in all, I have quite a bit of training and experience as a mentor and all its many challenges.

It's hard to unpack all those soft skills, except to say that mentoring, like tutoring, is a highly reflective process and one where I learn so much about myself and the way I work, learn and think.

3rd April 2014