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Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners
Revised and updated from the award-winning classic Effective Teaching and Mentoring, this second edition is a practical, engaging exploration of mentoring and its power to transform learning. Filled with inspiring vignettes, Mentor shows how anyone who teaches can become a successful mentor.
"Nowhere else are learning, development, and mentoring so vividly and engagingly written about than in Daloz's book. . . . Already a classic in the field, this second edition updates us all on the awesome power and responsibility inherent in the mentor's role."
--Sharan B. Merriam, professor, Department of Adult Education, University of Georgia
"Essential reading.... This book will help more of us grow into one of the most life-giving relationships we can have with another person, one that will bring deep fulfillment to our own souls. Daloz has given a great gift to all who teach and learn."
--Parker J. Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach
"Nowhere else are learning, development, and mentoring so vividly and engagingly written about than in Daloz's book. . . . Already a classic in the field, this second edition updates us all on the awesome power and responsibility inherent in the mentor's role."
--Sharan B. Merriam, professor, Department of Adult Education, University of Georgia
"Essential reading.... This book will help more of us grow into one of the most life-giving relationships we can have with another person, one that will bring deep fulfillment to our own souls. Daloz has given a great gift to all who teach and learn."
--Parker J. Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach
- GenresEducationNonfiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 1999
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March 30, 2018
Daloz, L. A. (2013). Mentor: Guiding the journey of adult learners (with new foreword, introduction, and afterword). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Text Purpose
Laurent A. Daloz’s book Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners is a call for educators to reflect on and embrace the role of mentor in their students’ lives (Daloz, 2013). This call for reflection centers on the relationship between teachers and students (Daloz, 2013). Key roles for teachers in this relationship include understanding students’ profession goals and personal aspirations, and how teachers with that understanding can participate as a mentor or be a guiding force toward achieving the goals of the student (Daloz, 2013). The author likens the relationship between student and teacher to that of a wayfarer in need of both direction and support and the guide who is familiar with the path, pitfalls, and terrain of the education process (Daloz, 2013). Moreover, the educational experience is equated to mythical tales of adventure and travel that lead to self-discovery, self-renewal, and independence (Daloz, 2013). For example, Daloz (2013) calls upon the narrative of Virgil leading Dante through the dangers of the Inferno and self-realizations associated with Purgatory before they separate leaving Dante to make his own way and find his beloved in Paradise.
Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners proposes that the association between student and teacher on the voyage of discovery begins the mentor listening to students’ goals with the intent of assisting them in creating an educational experience that will not only meet their professional needs but transform their worldview and enhance their emotional lives (Daloz, 2013). Daloz promotes the American liberal education system’s commitment to a well-rounded education that includes the study of the humanities (Daloz, 2013). The quest for a good education must be more than about acquiring knowledge and pragmatic skills (Daloz, 2013). Including the humanities allows lives to be enriched on such voyages through emotional engagement, challenges to deeply held beliefs, the development of new personal standards, and the unveiling of a fresh way to interact with the world (Daloz, 2013). After which, there will come a stage of the journey when wayfarer and mentor must separate and carry-on their journeys separately (Daloz, 2013).
Authors’ Background and Credentials:
Laurent A. Daloz holds an undergraduate degree in American history and literature from Williams College (Daloz, 2013). In addition, Daloz holds graduate degrees earned at Harvard University, a Master’s of Arts in teaching and in English as well as a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in educational planning (Daloz, 2013). Professional career positions for Daloz include being a faculty member at various institutions of higher education such as Norwich University, Johnson College, and Lesley College (Daloz, 2013). Moreover, Daloz has been a Peace Corps volunteer, a curriculum consultant, a classroom teacher, and a founder of the Vermont nontraditional community college system (Daloz, 2013). He is a senior fellow at Whidbey Institute which is an institute for developing leaders in the fields of generative leadership, ecosystem vitality, and community resilience (McDowell, 2018). In addition to the current text, Daloz is the co-author of Common Fire: Living Lives of Commitment in a Complex World (Daloz, 2013). Daloz is the author of book chapters, articles and scholarly papers that have appeared in publications such as Change Magazine, the Journal of Continuing Higher Education, Lifelong Learner and, Adult Education Quarterly (Daloz, 2013).
Summary of Major Points:
The book Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners by Laurent A. Daloz Ed.D. likens the relationship between a student and teacher to a traveler and guide on a journey of discovery (Daloz, 2013). Through the assistance of myths and with tales of travel and adventure such as Homer’s Odyssey, Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Tolkien stories, Daloz calls upon and relates stories from his career mentoring and guiding students as comparable adventures along the road of transformation, knowledge acquisition, and enlightenment (Daloz, 2013). Examples of similarities between those classic tales of adventure and the processes involved in education include a mentor or guide leading the way, challenges that need to be faced and overcome, personal transformation happens along the journey, and a new understanding of the world results for students or mythical traveler (Daloz, 2013). Not only does Daloz (2013) recognize parallels between teachers and the mentor guiding the student or traveler, the author associates the traditional tellers of journey tales with modern day theorists on human development. Tales of travel and explanations of human development share a sense of direction by having an ordered sense of time, sequence and a sense of accomplishment or conclusion (Daloz, 2013). In addition to attempting to outline a sequence for a human lifetime, in terms of childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, declining years and finally death, the study of human development seeks to recognize common phenomena, events and challenges at various stages in these stages of the life process (Daloz, 2013). This is similar to how a good storyteller, such as Homer, Dante or Tolkien incorporates the stages of setting the scene, introduction and development of a conflict, an action climax, and declining action with conflict resolution or conclusion (Daloz, 2013).
In these narratives from Daloz’s career as an educator, students’ emotional pitfalls as well as the peaks and valleys along the developmental processes of life that travelers encounter on the educational journey are portrayed as the wayfarers’ trials, monsters or evil forces found in epic journey tales and myths (Daloz, 2013). Emotional pitfalls that students may fall into on this journey include excessive reliance on strongly held beliefs, the attachment to limited or provincial worldviews, anxiety over the process of personal transformation and an uncertain future (Daloz, 2013). Examples of the developmental processes in life that play roles in the educational journey particularly for adults include children leaving the home, death of parents, an awakening sense of one’s own mortality, and a determination to find purpose in life beyond raising children, earning money and preparing for retirement (Daloz, 2013). These challenges stand in contrast to the well-worn path that mentors point out and ask students to follow; that path involves the development of critical thinking skills, the enrichment of an inner dialogue, and honing the ability to articulate those critical thoughts and inner dialogues (Daloz, 2013).
Through listening, dialogue and experience teachers gain the diverse perspectives which allow them to be more caring and appropriately careful in their guidance to fellow travelers on the road of discovery through the complexities of human development (Daloz, 2013). These deliberate and meticulous listeners who hold the potential to be great teachers and mentors share particularly recognizable characteristics beyond just being good listeners (Daloz, 2013). These educators are distinguished by their willingness and ability to care deeply about both what and who are being taught (Daloz, 2013). Deeply invested educators who show the kind of care that Daloz (2013) refers to are more than just interested in, involved with and a guide for students. A hallmark of this special type of educator and mentor is the ability to put the lives of students in the context of their potential for growth (Daloz, 2013). The great teacher and mentor recognizes that passion is central to learning and providing emotional support as students grow (Daloz, 2013). These educators take the time to do the tedious and demanding work that positions them to be able to provide the best possible mentorship for their students (Daloz, 2013). This preparatory work involves a dedication to lifelong learning, a commitment to the process of emotional and spiritual growth as well as the acceptance that mentorship requires a passionate commitment to self for the sake of others (Daloz, 2013). In the context of education and mentorship, a commitment to self for the sake of others implies not only a dedication to consistent personal growth and enrichment, but it also implies the development of the kind of vision that recognizes the signs, stages and struggles of the education journey as well as the eloquence required to effectively communicate guidance and inspiration to others in those stages of development or facing those struggles during their pilgrimage (Daloz, 2013). This exemplary mentor type of educator cares for mentees by being willing to simultaneously embrace both the dynamic nature of human interactions and individuals’ needs for stability and order (Daloz, 2013). The pragmatism of stability and order can be established by mentors asking questions in a timely manner that will facilitate reflection and growth on the part of the student (Daloz, 2013).
Professional Reflection/Application
Daloz’s text (2013) was particularly thought-provoking and inspiring for this reviewer. At stage in my life and career, I find myself both being mentored and offering mentorship to others. I want to be a better prepared, more skillful, and more insightful mentor to people embarking on a career and education. The text allowed me to recognize and name not only some of the developmental stages that I currently face, it has allowed me to articulate and nominalize some of the processes that led me to where I am today (Daloz, 2013). At this middle-aged stage of life’s journey, I find myself needing to redefine for myself a sense of purpose. I currently review and take mental note of the contributions that mentors have made in my life. Moreover, I am motivated by a desire to give back to the profession that has given purpose to my life so far, and the determination to push past the purgatory of a comfortable and settled career. Like the many of the people returning to college seeking renewal in Daloz’s (2013) narratives, I find myself in a graduate school program that is driving unexpected transformations and providing new ways to view life.
Text Purpose
Laurent A. Daloz’s book Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners is a call for educators to reflect on and embrace the role of mentor in their students’ lives (Daloz, 2013). This call for reflection centers on the relationship between teachers and students (Daloz, 2013). Key roles for teachers in this relationship include understanding students’ profession goals and personal aspirations, and how teachers with that understanding can participate as a mentor or be a guiding force toward achieving the goals of the student (Daloz, 2013). The author likens the relationship between student and teacher to that of a wayfarer in need of both direction and support and the guide who is familiar with the path, pitfalls, and terrain of the education process (Daloz, 2013). Moreover, the educational experience is equated to mythical tales of adventure and travel that lead to self-discovery, self-renewal, and independence (Daloz, 2013). For example, Daloz (2013) calls upon the narrative of Virgil leading Dante through the dangers of the Inferno and self-realizations associated with Purgatory before they separate leaving Dante to make his own way and find his beloved in Paradise.
Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners proposes that the association between student and teacher on the voyage of discovery begins the mentor listening to students’ goals with the intent of assisting them in creating an educational experience that will not only meet their professional needs but transform their worldview and enhance their emotional lives (Daloz, 2013). Daloz promotes the American liberal education system’s commitment to a well-rounded education that includes the study of the humanities (Daloz, 2013). The quest for a good education must be more than about acquiring knowledge and pragmatic skills (Daloz, 2013). Including the humanities allows lives to be enriched on such voyages through emotional engagement, challenges to deeply held beliefs, the development of new personal standards, and the unveiling of a fresh way to interact with the world (Daloz, 2013). After which, there will come a stage of the journey when wayfarer and mentor must separate and carry-on their journeys separately (Daloz, 2013).
Authors’ Background and Credentials:
Laurent A. Daloz holds an undergraduate degree in American history and literature from Williams College (Daloz, 2013). In addition, Daloz holds graduate degrees earned at Harvard University, a Master’s of Arts in teaching and in English as well as a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in educational planning (Daloz, 2013). Professional career positions for Daloz include being a faculty member at various institutions of higher education such as Norwich University, Johnson College, and Lesley College (Daloz, 2013). Moreover, Daloz has been a Peace Corps volunteer, a curriculum consultant, a classroom teacher, and a founder of the Vermont nontraditional community college system (Daloz, 2013). He is a senior fellow at Whidbey Institute which is an institute for developing leaders in the fields of generative leadership, ecosystem vitality, and community resilience (McDowell, 2018). In addition to the current text, Daloz is the co-author of Common Fire: Living Lives of Commitment in a Complex World (Daloz, 2013). Daloz is the author of book chapters, articles and scholarly papers that have appeared in publications such as Change Magazine, the Journal of Continuing Higher Education, Lifelong Learner and, Adult Education Quarterly (Daloz, 2013).
Summary of Major Points:
The book Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners by Laurent A. Daloz Ed.D. likens the relationship between a student and teacher to a traveler and guide on a journey of discovery (Daloz, 2013). Through the assistance of myths and with tales of travel and adventure such as Homer’s Odyssey, Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Tolkien stories, Daloz calls upon and relates stories from his career mentoring and guiding students as comparable adventures along the road of transformation, knowledge acquisition, and enlightenment (Daloz, 2013). Examples of similarities between those classic tales of adventure and the processes involved in education include a mentor or guide leading the way, challenges that need to be faced and overcome, personal transformation happens along the journey, and a new understanding of the world results for students or mythical traveler (Daloz, 2013). Not only does Daloz (2013) recognize parallels between teachers and the mentor guiding the student or traveler, the author associates the traditional tellers of journey tales with modern day theorists on human development. Tales of travel and explanations of human development share a sense of direction by having an ordered sense of time, sequence and a sense of accomplishment or conclusion (Daloz, 2013). In addition to attempting to outline a sequence for a human lifetime, in terms of childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, declining years and finally death, the study of human development seeks to recognize common phenomena, events and challenges at various stages in these stages of the life process (Daloz, 2013). This is similar to how a good storyteller, such as Homer, Dante or Tolkien incorporates the stages of setting the scene, introduction and development of a conflict, an action climax, and declining action with conflict resolution or conclusion (Daloz, 2013).
In these narratives from Daloz’s career as an educator, students’ emotional pitfalls as well as the peaks and valleys along the developmental processes of life that travelers encounter on the educational journey are portrayed as the wayfarers’ trials, monsters or evil forces found in epic journey tales and myths (Daloz, 2013). Emotional pitfalls that students may fall into on this journey include excessive reliance on strongly held beliefs, the attachment to limited or provincial worldviews, anxiety over the process of personal transformation and an uncertain future (Daloz, 2013). Examples of the developmental processes in life that play roles in the educational journey particularly for adults include children leaving the home, death of parents, an awakening sense of one’s own mortality, and a determination to find purpose in life beyond raising children, earning money and preparing for retirement (Daloz, 2013). These challenges stand in contrast to the well-worn path that mentors point out and ask students to follow; that path involves the development of critical thinking skills, the enrichment of an inner dialogue, and honing the ability to articulate those critical thoughts and inner dialogues (Daloz, 2013).
Through listening, dialogue and experience teachers gain the diverse perspectives which allow them to be more caring and appropriately careful in their guidance to fellow travelers on the road of discovery through the complexities of human development (Daloz, 2013). These deliberate and meticulous listeners who hold the potential to be great teachers and mentors share particularly recognizable characteristics beyond just being good listeners (Daloz, 2013). These educators are distinguished by their willingness and ability to care deeply about both what and who are being taught (Daloz, 2013). Deeply invested educators who show the kind of care that Daloz (2013) refers to are more than just interested in, involved with and a guide for students. A hallmark of this special type of educator and mentor is the ability to put the lives of students in the context of their potential for growth (Daloz, 2013). The great teacher and mentor recognizes that passion is central to learning and providing emotional support as students grow (Daloz, 2013). These educators take the time to do the tedious and demanding work that positions them to be able to provide the best possible mentorship for their students (Daloz, 2013). This preparatory work involves a dedication to lifelong learning, a commitment to the process of emotional and spiritual growth as well as the acceptance that mentorship requires a passionate commitment to self for the sake of others (Daloz, 2013). In the context of education and mentorship, a commitment to self for the sake of others implies not only a dedication to consistent personal growth and enrichment, but it also implies the development of the kind of vision that recognizes the signs, stages and struggles of the education journey as well as the eloquence required to effectively communicate guidance and inspiration to others in those stages of development or facing those struggles during their pilgrimage (Daloz, 2013). This exemplary mentor type of educator cares for mentees by being willing to simultaneously embrace both the dynamic nature of human interactions and individuals’ needs for stability and order (Daloz, 2013). The pragmatism of stability and order can be established by mentors asking questions in a timely manner that will facilitate reflection and growth on the part of the student (Daloz, 2013).
Professional Reflection/Application
Daloz’s text (2013) was particularly thought-provoking and inspiring for this reviewer. At stage in my life and career, I find myself both being mentored and offering mentorship to others. I want to be a better prepared, more skillful, and more insightful mentor to people embarking on a career and education. The text allowed me to recognize and name not only some of the developmental stages that I currently face, it has allowed me to articulate and nominalize some of the processes that led me to where I am today (Daloz, 2013). At this middle-aged stage of life’s journey, I find myself needing to redefine for myself a sense of purpose. I currently review and take mental note of the contributions that mentors have made in my life. Moreover, I am motivated by a desire to give back to the profession that has given purpose to my life so far, and the determination to push past the purgatory of a comfortable and settled career. Like the many of the people returning to college seeking renewal in Daloz’s (2013) narratives, I find myself in a graduate school program that is driving unexpected transformations and providing new ways to view life.
July 26, 2019
I don't fancy when the learning education book is written in fiction writing rather than factual. Overall, this will work for a person who prefers it as a light material to read. I am expecting in-depth coverage on mentor and mentee relationship and how can someone gain mutual benefit from that relationship. Again, not suitable to bring over in class discussion.
September 7, 2014
great textbook from a pervious stab at a PhD in Adult Learning.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews