By David Paltza, AACRAO Peer Mentor Coordinator
- Teachers educate the learning individual (learner) with new knowledge via instructional and evaluative methods
- Mentors train the educated individual (mentee) by passing down wisdom and solutions from their past experiences
- Coaches push the trained individual (journeyman) beyond their limits to develop their own experience and solutions
Peer mentors develop and support each other shoulder-to-shoulder, exchange wisdom and experience as equals, and offer accountability for personal and professional goals.
No Hierarchy
The peer mentoring model does away with the hierarchical structure of the other models mentioned above—there is no mentor or mentee, i.e., one "over" the other. In this equal consultation mentality, individuals are partnered up without consideration of title, upbringing, experience, or education, each having their own strengths and areas of potential to contribute and glean from each other.
Obviously, teaching, mentoring, and coaching will always be absolutely critical toward our society and growth as the human race…how else will anyone learn? Hence, our vital roles in higher education and involvement in AACRAO. However, peer mentoring serves as that crucial yet often overlooked transition from the hierarchical model into the arrival stage of the equal, consultative culture and safe space that our society craves.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder
So, instead of a mentor who has "been there, done that," bearing all the wisdom and experience to impart to a mentee who is still growing and exploring in a seemingly one-way benefit, peer mentors enjoy a mutual benefit and growth as they compliment each other in their areas of strength and areas of improvement. One peer can share their expertise with their partner who is seeking to know more in that area, while that partner can share back a solution to a problem that the other is facing.
Shared Commitment
Of course, all this is easier said than done. It's imperative that each peer strives for a shared commitment and exhibits the behaviors and attitudes that foster a healthy relationship for a peer mentoring model, lest it revert to traditional mentoring or even a teaching or coaching atmosphere. When not careful, some mentoring relationships can tend toward a doctor/patient or counselor/client approach. Instead, we want peer mentors to focus on:
Humility
First and foremost for any of this to work is the beautiful virtue of humility. There is the saying, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall." Now more than ever, our society is craving for rights that are honored, for life that matters, for identity that is respected, and only by being humble and casting aside our titles and tiers can we truly respect and appreciate each other and what we bring to the table, and prevent many social inequities and "-isms" that surround us.
Initiative to Engage
Teachers can reward a student, and coaches can start or bench a player, but peer mentors must tap into their own internal, personal motivation to stick with the program and be faithful to their peers. Each should take the initiative to meet, engage, and show interest in each other's well-being and development since there is no other external push or consequence—the reward is the camaraderie, wisdom, and experience gained from each other.
Desire to Both Learn and Teach
Some people (like me, David) are students for life and enjoy putting themselves in positions of learning and soaking in information like a sponge. Other people are natural-born teachers and will even give their own friends homework for the next time they hang out (as my best friend does to me…we make quite a pair). However, to keep the "peer" in peer mentoring, it is important that both individuals come to each other with the desire both to teach and to learn, regardless of what their natural inclination, role in higher education, or level of experience might be. To the learner: don't be shy—teach. To the teacher: open your mind—learn!
Equal Accountability
A resounding positive remark of being part of a peer mentoring program and of an association like AACRAO is knowing: "I'm not alone." We are peers and colleagues going through the same struggles and having similar thoughts and should capitalize on the opportunity to check in with each other, encourage each other in our respective endeavors, and respectfully provide constructive feedback toward fellow success.
Join the Program
Did you know AACRAO has its own Peer Mentoring Program, which is provided free to all members and is now in its second round? If you have not yet applied, we invite you to join!
The application is now open and due this Friday, October 4th - Click here to apply.
Participants will take advantage of monthly Lunch-n-Learns, themed resources, mentoring tips, discussions on the Exchange, and virtual engagement. The program leadership also conducts regular surveys and check-ins to ensure everyone is empowered to make the most of this opportunity.
Here are some highlights peer mentors have shared:
- I enjoy meeting with my peer mentor to talk to someone else in the profession that is not at my institution (or local!). It is good to talk knowing others struggle with similar things at their institutions.
- I liked setting goals and figuring out how to achieve them. I liked having someone who is very knowledgeable in higher education be available to help me and answer questions about my position when I came into a school that had been without this position for so long.
- I was matched with someone who really is fantastic, and I think we will learn and grow from each other. So, the match is the best part.
Click here to read about the inaugural round of this program last spring.