Getting your fellow mentors on board

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

Inconsistent mentoring philosophies drive students away (we lost at least four a few years ago on this). They don't have to be identical, but they can't be too disparate. If you don't have a common purpose, you don't have a team.

My experience is quite literally the exact opposite.

And they DO have a common purpose - inspiring STEM 'n such.

I'm not talking mentors who are at odds, I expect them to behave like adults. But things like level of hands on, tone of voice, and the like. For example - I expect students to either know how to do something or come and ask, I don't have a lot of patience for people who sit and do nothing because they don't know how to do it. I tend to treat students as adults until they demonstrate they can't be. I trust them to do their job or find one. Other mentors have a different approach to student interactions - they hover more or perhaps are a little less blunt.