The Two Types of Mentoring

Mentoring is a training tool that is very much under used. There are two main types of mentoring – active and passive. Active mentoring occurs when there is an understood relationship of teaching between mentor and apprentice. The teacher must be aware that she is imparting and the student needs to know that she is receiving what is shared. In order for mentoring to be effective the learning must be welcomed and wanted by the understudy. Further, good tutelage doesn’t just happen. Both the trainer and trainee must do their best to ensure that planned mentoring sessions and meetings do not get squeezed out of their schedules due to the busyness of life. The second type, passive mentoring, occurs when there is not an understood instructional relationship and acquisition on the part of the person learning is primarily achieved through his observation. In fact, the two people concerned may never meet. A musician (or - dancer, videographer, singer, actor, painter and so forth) can learn a lot by observing, dissecting and reading about the art of others. Some mentoring relationships may involve both active and passive mentoring. However, nothing can replace a veteran musician intentionally sharing with a novice artist through a developing relationship how to be proficient. God created us to be in relationship and relationship is more important than any creation of art.