The Mentor Practice Profile (MPP)

Mentor: Builds relationships based on mutual trust

Builds relationships based on mutual trust

Mentor puzzle Piece

Core Components and Essential Elements

Contribution to Outcome

Proficient (P)

Developmental (D)

Needs Improvement (N)

MENTOR: Builds relationships based on mutual trust

The mentor’s relationships with students are based on mutual trust and open communication. The mentor focuses on promoting students’ educational success.

Increase protective factors

Decrease risk factors

The mentor models respect and expects respectful behavior from all students, using interactions as opportunities to teach appropriate social skills.

The mentor engages in two-way, open communication with students using a variety of different strategies.

The mentor uses strategies to build mutual trust with students, but open communication and respect are not demonstrated by the mentor across contexts with every student.

The mentor is unable to establish two-way communication with any student. The mentor has not employed any relationship building strategies with students (i.e., mentor only focuses on sharing check data during weekly meetings).

Examples

For example: 

  • When you meet with your students, you greet them by name and ask polite questions.
  • When you ask them a question, you model active listening and respond genuinely to what they have said.

For example:

  • You model effective communication strategies in your “Connect” meetings, but not when you encounter students in the hallways.
  • You develop good rapport with several of your students. With some students, however, you have not developed open communication, and you have given up on trying.

For example:

  • When you meet with your students, you do most of the talking, telling them about their data and suggesting what they need to do to improve.
  • Most of what you know about your students comes from secondary sources — other faculty, the student’s family, your observations — rather than from the student directly.

Reflective Questions

What are your strengths in building relationships based on mutual trust?

Where do you have room for growth?

What support do you need in order to improve in this area?