MT-Mentoring path: Building autonomy step by step, Self-determination, autonomy skills and teenagers’ development

Each mentoring path is singular, and this is part of its richness. Therefore, no structured mandatory activities will be suggested for the 9 sessions of mentoring. Instead we propose to give suggestions for mentor and mentee to consider and to implement, with the flexibility and adaptation that are needed.

 

For this meeting, the suggestion is for the LCP to focus on discussing:

Part A

    • Review of the previous sessions’ experiences – major positive elements, what needs change/improvement, emotional state of mind during and after the sessions;
    • Help develop a doable action plan and support its implementation (regarding the topics addressed so far): give support on identification of objectives, signalization of initiatives/actions, definition of major steps to accomplish; objectives, definition of monitoring strategies.
    • Provide constructive feedback;
    • Identify strengths and achievements and explore options;
    • Coach on specific areas of difficulty/needs if need;
    • Create opportunities for mentees to gain experience.

 

Part B

    • Self-determination, autonomy skills and teenagers’ development

a. What those concepts mean for the mentee – accordingly to this:

i. Strategies to enhance self-determination

ii. Promotion and reinforcement of autonomy skills

iii. Knowing “my own” development

A. Reinforce of autonomy

a. Give support during automatization

b. Provide help in difficulties, frustration and/or during absence

c. Support the enhancement of intrapersonal reinforcement strategies

B. Self-determination, autonomy skills and teenagers’ development

  1. “Self-determination, autonomy skills and teenagers’ development”: What do these concepts mean to me?

Justification: It is essential that mentee reflects critically on what “Self-determination, autonomy skills and teenagers’ development” mean to him/her, previous to specific actions to enhance knowledge and skills.

To accomplish this, we suggest implementing a derivation of the Phillips 6-6 technique:

    • The LCP and mentee write 6 key elements that characterize each of the three concepts and write them in colour posts-it (green for self-determination, pink for autonomy skills and yellow for teenager’s development – another colour system can be used, of course).
    • Each colour post it will be glued on a scenario paper.
    • For each topic, major similarities and differences will de identified and jointly discussed – divergence is welcome!
    • A brief description of each concept will be produced – and accordingly to it, the main priorities for mentee development will be established.
  1. “Making a balance of this mentorship programme”

Justification: Once the mentee has defined the concepts and identified the priorities (previous activity) it is important to assess: (i) the knowledge and skills already developed during the mentorship, and (ii) other knowledge and skills that need to be prioritized. This can be done by creating a pyramid of priority skills and knowledge for each dimension.

  1. Let’s make an action plan!

Justification: It is not enough to identify needs and priorities – it is important to act, promoting opportunities to actively develop them. This activity is, essentially, devoted to the making of an action plan to develop the knowledge and skills previously identified as priority – please take in consideration that this action plan must be doable and should be integrated with all contents of the plan(s) made in previous sessions.