Call to Newbies AND Mentors

[Flaire-FireStar]

After some discussions, we have decided to go back to using the Questionnaire format. However, I want to come to you, the folks who will be using the program to help determine what some of the questions should be; what you feel should be and should not be on the questionnaire.

Mentors: What questions do you find helps you when you take a newbie under your wing?

Additionally, would you prefer to have the program run where someone pairs newbie and mentor, or would you prefer to seek each other out?

Thanks for anyone who offers their $0.02. :)

[Toki Wartooth]

I think these things may be useful in the questionnaires:

- What you want to be called (if other than username)
- At least an age range (pref. within 5-10 years)
- Time zone/general location and if in rural, suburban, urban, whatever area
- Description of own path
- How long the person has considered him/herself "pagan" (and whether they're an HP/HPS, have taken classes somewhere, &c.)
- About how much time a day/week the person would say s/he devotes (or can devote) to spiritual stuff
- What someone is looking for in a mentor/"newbie" (or student)

Some may say a couple of those are unnecessary, but I would find them rather helpful, for the most part.

Uhhh. I don't know that I have a preference between letting someone else handle the "matchmaking" or whether people play seek-and-seek. *Shrugs* Whichever ends up working the best for people, I guess...I don't know that one method satisfies the majority, but I could be wrong.

[AmadoreEdana123]

What qualifies your to be a mentor and how do you become one? Like for this site or for paganism? Confused!

[Astara Seague]

I like Tokis questions adding on when is the best time to be online with them to talk/PM
I had a couple of newbies before it was really hard for us to connect at the right times also I wasnt sure what they wanted and they werent sure either if that makes sense so I think that question is important as well

and I think it may be best to match people up so one or two dont get all the newbies and others get none, and some newbies may have a hard time picking some one to help them

BTW I will be happy help out as a mentor again

[Darkest Eve]

What areas of paganism (the occult, etc) are you interested in learnings about?

What areas of paganism have you already explored?

Is there anything in particular you want/need from a mentor?

I remember the original. :) I don't have any of the stuff anymore, but I remember. :lol:

What is your learning style? (Lessons, Q&A, Visual Aids, etc.)

What is your teaching style? (For the mentors)

[LisaT4P]

Agreed on the learning & teaching style. That would be important. :)

I also like Toki's idea of wanting to know the ages involved. Maturity does play a role in how we learn and teach, whether we like it or not.

For mentors, what is the main focus of your current path and what areas of expertise do you have.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

For Newbies:

-what is your path, or what direction are you drawn to if you do not claim a path?

-in addendum to the above, what scientific systems if any are you drawn to?

-what previous faith based experience do you have? (ie church if so what denomination?)

-how long have you been exploring paganism/ occult/ polytheism/ Wicca/ alternative faiths etc?

-where do you see yourself with your practice or faith in 5 years/ 10 years/ 20 years etc.

-If you were given a ball of clay, a piece of paper and a pen, or a canvas and paint set, through which medium would you best be able to represent or describe yourself?

-How would you describe your learning style? (hands on/ read and repeat/ etc)

-How much daily time/ weekly time can you devote to a path?

-Are you willing to do "homework"?

-Would you be willing to join a local "meetup" group/ coven/ or study group to enhance your studies on your own?

-when are you available for "face time" with your mentor?

For mentors:

-What path are you currently on?

-What is a brief description of how you got there? (ie I started out as a green witch, and became much more interested in the overt occult rites so now I am a [fill in the blank])

-How long have you been studying on your path?

-Do you have a scholastic background in your path?

-If so what is it?

-How much time do you have available a week/ day to set aside for mentoring someone?

-What is your teaching style? Are you willing to put together lesson plans, or be directed if that is what your newbie needs?

-Are you willing to speak with your newbie via PM or on the phone if they need personal guidance?

-Are you willing to follow up with your newbie on a regular basis?

General questions:

So, all of the above being questions for newbies and mentors, what happens if one or the other goes off the reservation so to speak?

If my Newbie/Mentor doesn't contact me for an extended period of time (say 6 weeks) with no mention of why they have disappeared into the ether, am I within my rights to dissolve that contract and seek another Newbie/Mentor, (heretofore referred to as "Newbentor").

If myself and my newbentor's styles of learning or teaching are incompatible, how would I discreetly apply for a new newbentor? Just because I don't work well with someone doesn't mean that I want to advertise our inability to work together to all of MW.

I think if this is going to actually happen, it might be a good idea to have mediators that are not newbentors in order to facilitate the finding of a new newbentor in the event that the old newbentor doesn't work out, ie incompatible, mismatched schedules, or just plain don't get along.

See me what I'm saying?

[dandalion]

*stands and raises her hand* ... I am a newbie and would love to have a mentor, whose or which questions do you need me to answer?...

[Toki Wartooth]

*stands and raises her hand* ... I am a newbie and would love to have a mentor, whose or which questions do you need me to answer?...

You don't have to answer any questions right now. We're just brainstorming what kinds of questions to put on the questionnaire in the future.

[aranarose]

I think kchoye's list is great.

As far as the newbie/mentor matchmaking process, it's a bit difficult to say which way would work best.

On the one hand, as a potential mentor, I like the idea of being able to peruse the newbies and choose one that I feel I could possibly connect with.

On the other hand, this could leave some newbies being last one picked, or never picked at all.

It's because of that second possibility that I think having newbies and mentors matched up might be ideal.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Thanks annarose.

I'd really like to see this program get off the ground.

I think it might be a good idea to have a panel or group of mods take a look at the applications for the Newbitors and match people up. Sometimes people's perceptions of someone can cloud their compatibilty in a learning situation.

One of my concerns is that mentors may choose newbies based on friendship or some other such type thing and not take into full consideration how well they will work together. My other concern is that having the mentors choose the newbies doesn't really give the newbies a chance to make a choice in the matter unless they are picked by multiple mentors. Frankly I don't think we have the numbers to make that fly.

I think it would be a good idea to keep it at a 1:1 ratio until Newbitors proove that they can handle the work load. It's a lot of responsibilty to teach someone, and an equal responsibility to learn and accomplish goals.

[Flaire-FireStar]

I think kchoye's list is great.

As far as the newbie/mentor matchmaking process, it's a bit difficult to say which way would work best.

On the one hand, as a potential mentor, I like the idea of being able to peruse the newbies and choose one that I feel I could possibly connect with.

On the other hand, this could leave some newbies being last one picked, or never picked at all.

It's because of that second possibility that I think having newbies and mentors matched up might be ideal.

This is my concern as well.
However, if there are dedicated folks who can help run it (I have one person definite at the moment) I think it'll be easier to mix and match student and teacher.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

This is my concern as well.
However, if there are dedicated folks who can help run it (I have one person definite at the moment) I think it'll be easier to mix and match student and teacher.

I am more than willing to give a hand, I don't really have a path, nor am I inclined to take one right now, however I do enjoy this environment and would love to contribute.

[Kalika]

:thumbsup:

I have a bad habit of disappearing with personal issues... but hopefully that's past. I'm here if you need me.

(And I gotta say, it is so cool to see this still going 3 years later.)

[Flaire-FireStar]

:thumbsup:

I have a bad habit of disappearing with personal issues... but hopefully that's past. I'm here if you need me.

(And I gotta say, it is so cool to see this still going 3 years later.)

Kalika, if you wouldn't mind, could you PM me on how you were running it originally? :smooch: Also, if you have any advice?

:giggle:

KChoye: Thanks for the offer. Once we really get going here, I'll probably contact you about it. :)

[trueseeker]

So a few encompassing questions would be:

Mentors:What qualifies you to teach?What practice qualifies you to be a mentor?

How much time would you dedicate to your student,and if it's a complicated student like me,meaning with such a thirst for knowledge,would you consider this enthusiasm a blessing or a curse?

Can you demonstrate practically?For example make a spell the student takes as an example,that the student can see the result in a chosen area of study,that would exclude casuality

What is your opinion about magic?

Are you courageous?Are you afraid of anything?What makes you happy?

Would you tell the truth ,and nothing but the truth,so bless your soul?

Would you ever hurt your student?

What is your moral set of values?

Do you regard magic through religion or through science?Doesn't it upset you that paganism is seen most of the time as another faith/religion?Don't you consider that dangerous?

What faith were you born in,and how it has influenced you pagan path?How is it different now?

Are you married?Do you have children?Are you their mentor?

Do mind being asked a ton of questions?

Do you mind being challenged?

What is your lesson plan?Are you available for practice more than philosophy?

If there is a confidentiality request from a student would you respect it ?Would you be friends also?

Do you have a system to detect a newbies natural capabilities or magical talents?

Newbies:
Where did you hear about magic or paganism for the first time?What did you feel about it?

What do you feel drawn to,and what books did you read until now?

What would you like the mentor to teach you?

What method works best for you in learning?

Would you hold on to what you started? etc lots but I'll think about it.

[Kalika]

A general pool of frequently online members being available to answer questions right away might be a nice addition too... You know, like you can chat online with a help desk with some companies right away if you don't want to wait for an answer....

And yeah, Flaire... I'll PM ya. :lol:

[Phoenix]

I think we need to be careful about how long/in depth the questionnaire is. A long list of questions or questions that are too difficult to answer might scare off some newbies, especially those who are VERY new.

[CelticMoon11]

I think keeping it relatively short and simple and then perhaps suggesting matches and then the newbies/mentors can PM their own personal questions to be answered and a brief discription of themselves, etc will allow people to either connect or decide it is not for them?

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

I agree with the short public questionnaire. Maybe PM a list of suggested questions for prospective Newbitors? When someone signs up for the program and answers the questions on the public forum, email or PM a list of suggested in-depth interview questions so that if they get stuck in discussion they can refer to the listed questions.

[CelticMoon11]

I think a few descriptives: age range, location etc, then religion are u interested in/teaching, what other areas of the occult interest you, e.g. tarot, herbalism etc, then a brief summary of what they know about, e.g. nothing, a little on spells, a bit on this, a bit on that, expert.

[Flaire-FireStar]

Here is the basics of what I've done so far, with your suggestions:

Mentor Questionnaire

What is your path?
How long have you been following your path?
In what areas of paganism can you help mentor?
Are you trained in any specific areas?


What time zone are you in?
Preferred method of communication? (PM, IM, e-mail, etc)
How much time can you devote to mentoring a student?
What is your teaching style? (Can you provide visual, just text, a mixture of both?)
What age range are you willing to teach?
Are you willing to follow up with your student on a regular basis?

Student Questionnaire

What path are you interested in?
How long have you been studying?
What areas of paganism have you already explored?
What areas of paganism are you interested in?
Are you drawn to any specific deity?

What time zone are you in?
Preferred method of communication? (PM, IM, e-mail, etc)
How much time can you devote to learning?
What is your learning style? (Do you need visual, just text, a mixture of both?)
What is your age?

_______________

Additionally, Kalika mentioned about length of time one should be on the site for. What it was when the program was first set up was that the Mentor should be here for at least 3 months; newbies for 1 month.
There are similar regulations for Guides and Teachers, to help prevent flaking, so I'm going to bring this back into effect for the Mentor program. ;)

[Flaire-FireStar]

What qualifies your to be a mentor and how do you become one? Like for this site or for paganism? Confused!

Hi Amadore, sorry I missed your question earlier.
What the program is, is someone with experience dedicates their time to help someone new to the Pagan path. (And maybe, in addition, helps out with the site...but those new to the site can feel free to PM me, or any of the other admins, if they have any questions.) :)

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

I think that's great FFS! It's simple and it gives plenty of room for expansion in answers by the newbitor.

[Kalika]

:thumbsup:

You rock Flaire! :)

[Toki Wartooth]

Looks great to me. :thumbsup:

[Flaire-FireStar]

Cool beans. :thumbsup:
Let's give it a couple of days, time to get the 2 helpers all set up and such, then set it loose early next week. Unless someone can think of something else I haven't, of course. :bigblue:

[Arianne Weaver]

Please consider me as a mentor.
I was on the list before, had just one person PM me but they just faded into the ether. It might be nice to have a central place/moderator to request a change if the mentor/newbie relationship isn't what either wants, for whatever reason - after all, it's almost a random chance if you get on.
The questions suggested so far seem good ones.

[Toki Wartooth]

Are we there yet?! ...I'm actually quite excited about this whole thing, but I didn't want to seem nerdytastic. :lol:

[Flaire-FireStar]

Hopefully on the weekend; I had a family emergency come up, so some things have been pushed to the background.

[Toki Wartooth]

Oh, weird, missed this post. My bad.

No worries! Just excited. Please take your time and take care of you and yours. :)

[Lain Kisaragi]

I myself have the basis amount of knowledge surrounding topics such as;
chakra and reiki, mythology, and the science of astrology.
I have experience in readings as well.

My goal is the manipulation of my personality and the ability to control my environment.
Spirituality unlike a cult can be used as a tool for repairing or shifting one's self and develop a deeper inner perspective.
I'd like a guide that could help me find more of the old word, or at least give me a entry into the practice of using reiki and a proper introduction to a deity, while ever expanding my mind-set past the basic and into the vast worldly possibilities.

Although I do favor more eastern and western view points.

[Flaire-FireStar]

I'll let it go Live tomorrow sometime, unless the rumbly in my tummy is the flu and I'm flat on my back tomorrow. But otherwise, if you see me on, look for it. :thumbsup:

[Astara Seague]

Here is the basics of what I've done so far, with your suggestions:

Mentor Questionnaire

What is your path?
How long have you been following your path?
In what areas of paganism can you help mentor?
Are you trained in any specific areas?


What time zone are you in?
Preferred method of communication? (PM, IM, e-mail, etc)
How much time can you devote to mentoring a student?
What is your teaching style? (Can you provide visual, just text, a mixture of both?)
What age range are you willing to teach?
Are you willing to follow up with your student on a regular basis?

Student Questionnaire

What path are you interested in?
How long have you been studying?
What areas of paganism have you already explored?
What areas of paganism are you interested in?
Are you drawn to any specific deity?

What time zone are you in?
Preferred method of communication? (PM, IM, e-mail, etc)
How much time can you devote to learning?
What is your learning style? (Do you need visual, just text, a mixture of both?)
What is your age?

_______________

Additionally, Kalika mentioned about length of time one should be on the site for. What it was when the program was first set up was that the Mentor should be here for at least 3 months; newbies for 1 month.
There are similar regulations for Guides and Teachers, to help prevent flaking, so I'm going to bring this back into effect for the Mentor program. ;)

:thumbsup:looks good Flaire

[dandalion]

I'll let it go Live tomorrow sometime, unless the rumbly in my tummy is the flu and I'm flat on my back tomorrow. But otherwise, if you see me on, look for it. :thumbsup:

:boing: Yay!!

[Toki Wartooth]

Fantastic! :D

[Flaire-FireStar]

Closing this guy down; other threads to come up momentarily. ;)