Mentoring Philosophy Alicia Srinivasagam

CMCL 507

As a learner I am incredibly hard-working and have experienced my fair share of struggles. I

have overcome a lot of these challenges and it is these experiences that have developed me into a
better learner and more mature individual. Part of this came from critical self-reflection on my
part, but the rest of this development was facilitated by the wonderful teachers and mentors I
have had in my life. These individuals were self-actualized and promoted a community where
students could be open, honest, and heard. In these environments I experienced intellectual and
spiritual learning, without these aspects I would not have experienced such profound personal
growth. This sense of community and togetherness created a deep and meaningful learning
experience that all students benefitted from. In university most of my classes have been lecture
based, but my music education in high school gave me the meaningful experience which fuelled
my desire for more of this deeper kind of learning.
Team-based learning courses showed me that meaningful learning was still possible in
the university classroom. Having students work together and bring their own unique experience
to the group was a much more effective way of teaching than simple lecturing and testing.
Moving away from this “banking concept” where students are expected to collect and absorb
correct information provided to them by teachers was key to creating meaningful learning in a
large university class. These experiences are what drew me to becoming a peer mentor. I wanted
to be part of providing this same experience to other students not just so that they could do well
in a specific course, but so that they could also learn more about themselves both as students and
as people. The union of the pedagogy of the mind and spirit is vital to meaningful learning, and
this can only be created through community built in the classroom. My idea of ideal
teaching/mentorship involves the use of self-reflection and metacognitive thinking for students to
understand themselves as learners and as people, and collaborative learning strategies to create
a sense of community where students can share their true selves and learn from the experiences
of others. These strategies promote personal development, but a classroom culture that values
vulnerability is key to reaching the heart and soul of students and going beyond the pedagogy of
the mind.
In order to continually realize their full learning potential, students need to think
metacognitively by evaluating their progress periodically and altering their learning strategies
when they are faced with challenges. In this sense, learning can be very individualized. Each
student learns differently and may need different strategies to achieve success. Metacognition
involves thinking through one’s learning process to learn more about oneself. Analysis of one’s
learning process improves academic success and helps students to develop personal learning
strategies which can be used in any learning experience (academic or not). By monitoring their
understanding and identifying possible confusions before exams/assignments, students increase
their chances of success and develop deeper understanding. After classroom assessment, students
can evaluate their progress and make changes to their learning strategies to achieve their desired
result. As a peer mentor I believe that this metacognitive thinking can only be encouraged (not
forced) in students. Encouraging self-reflection and facilitating discussion about learning
weaknesses and alternative strategies helps students to begin thinking metacognitively about the
way they learn. As mentors share their own personal strategies, successes and struggles they
encourage students to think about their own learning styles. Peer mentors can also teach
metacognitively by checking in with students as they explain, to monitor student understanding
and emphasize the fact that they are encouraged to clear up any confusions they may have. I have
developed my personal learning strategies over time through metacognitive thinking;
encouraging this thinking in students is an essential part of my mentoring process. I believe
metacognition leads to acquisition of lifelong learning strategies and a better understanding of
one’s self as a learner and as a person.
Although self-reflection is essential to understanding one’s learning, learning itself is a
social process. Collaborative learning allows students to acquire new skills and learning
strategies from each other instead of their instructor alone. In my own experience I have always
achieved deeper understanding through team-based learning because of the diversity of
perspectives that working in a group brings. Each individual has a unique background and set of
life experiences which has shaped their unique way of thinking. Combining the ideas of several
people allows for the consideration of multiple perspectives, and results in more meaningful
learning that cannot be achieved by one individual working alone. When faced with learning
challenges such as a difficult concept, peers who are working together can find a novel solution
using teamwork. Most importantly, learning collaboratively makes students feel less alone in
their struggles because the team is working towards a common goal. This sense of togetherness
creates a nurturing learning environment which not only allows students to gain new
perspectives and develop teamwork skills that can be used outside of academics. In my own
experience working in groups, positive encouragement from peers also increases student
motivation since emotion and motivation to learn are so closely linked. Through my role as a
peer mentor, I was able to facilitate collaborative learning among students in the lab. I found that
it was important for me to encourage open, honest discussion and promote active collaborative
learning. This strategy of mentoring gave students greater autonomy in their learning and
resulted in deeper understanding, as I was able to guide them to give each other feedback and
compare ideas.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of effective teaching and mentorship is
vulnerability. Without a classroom environment that creates a sense of community among
students and encourages honesty and open discussion, students cannot develop through
metacognition or work collaboratively. Students must be heard and able to express themselves in
order to experience personal development that goes beyond academics. Vulnerability set as an
example by teachers and mentors sharing their own experiences is essential to creating a learning
environment where student’s true selves can show. I have experienced this sense of community
in my own education, and experienced learning that went so much deeper than the course itself.
Pedagogy of the heart and soul affects student’s lives outside of school, and this dimension can
only be reached in a vulnerable and open classroom environment. In a traditional classroom
setting student expression is discouraged and learning is treated as a very individual process. I
believe that this is incorrect, life itself is a ‘we’ concept and learning should be treated as such as
well. Humans have a desire to be part of something bigger than themselves, and this spiritual
quality present in each student should be recognized by instructors and mentors. However, the
soul cannot be forced out and this spiritual learning can only be achieved by creating an
environment that welcomes the soul of each student. I have experienced the spiritual growth that
comes from learning in this communal classroom culture; therefore, creating this type of
environment to connect pedagogy of the mind and soul is essential to my ideal mentoring
practice. I believe that vulnerability is key to reaching students heart and soul, and it begins with
instructors and mentors. Throughout my practicum I made efforts to be vulnerable about my past
academic and personal struggles. Through this vulnerability I was able to make meaningful
connections with the students and establish myself and a non-judgemental source of advice and
support. The students provided the same support to me when I returned to school after my
accident and injury, they shared their own experiences with me and actually told me that they
really appreciated my openness and the connections I built with them over the semester. I hope
that this dynamic helped to reach a more spiritual dimension of learning. Through vulnerability I
believe that teachers and mentors can learn who each student truly is and launch spiritual
learning that is powerful and develops the student’s inner self.