Learning to Become a More Effective Research Mentor for Your Trainees:

Undergraduates to Post-Docs

Some Guiding Questions for Case Studies

(don’t limit yourselves to just these!)

Understanding: It Seemed so Clear…

• What can you do in the future to make sure your mentee understands what you are saying? How do you know if it’s working?

• How do you avoid sounding condescending?

• How can you help your mentees learn to accurately assess their own understanding?

• What if he understood everything you said but made an implicit wrong assumption you hadn’t anticipated?

• Why might students of similar potential have different levels of difficulty understanding?

• How do you balance independence with understanding?

• Have you said you understood but didn’t? Why?

Independence: Too much Free Rein?

• How do you foster independence? • How much is right for your mentee? How do you convey

your expectation? How do you allow this to evolve? • Mistakes. – How do you convey it’s ok to make mistakes? – How do you determine which are acceptable? – How important is it for a mentee to make mistakes to become

independent?

• Why does a mentee ask for constant advice? Never asks?• How do you determine if you are making assumptions

about a mentee’s ability based on background, ethnicity, gender, etc.?

• How do you question the details of a mentee’s work without making them feel like you do not trust them?