Clarifications re MTEC, Mentor & Teacher Transitions, and Sponsoring Teachers
7-30-20
Dear Teachers,
I am writing you in my role of Mentor Support and also my role as MTEC -- Mentor Teacher Evaluation Committee. I have clarifications about these roles to pass on to you as members of our Teachers Circle. Please read the following points carefully so our organization remains functional, with clearly discerned lines of accountability.
- Please remember that Mentors have completed a very extensive program to become trustable and capable of holding the role of Mentor when meeting with individual students, and also when assisting teachers in sittings, courses, and other offerings (both core dharma and related dharma). Please invite only formally approved Mentors in good standing (listed on our website) to fill these support positions.
Lately there has been some confusion, as students who have not yet been approved as Mentors have been serving in the Mutuality Café and in virtual peer gazing groups. In these contexts, they are offering peer support; they are not serving as Mentors. This has proved quite workable and mutually beneficial, but peer support should not be confused with Mentoring.
Another factor that might have contributed to recent confusion was the March 2020 Thailand retreat, which certain Teachers and Mentors were unable to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. During that event, some participants who had not been officially approved as Mentors seemingly functioned as Mentors. Wonderfully and happily, this worked very well, but I am reminding us to fundamentally adhere to the training pathways we have carefully established over time for progressive learning and support when staffing assistants at our events.
- The accountabilities of the Mentor and Teacher Transitions role have been updated to eliminate overlap and duplication with the MTEC role. The Mentor and Teacher Transitions role is now accountable only for communicating the transition process as defined by the MTEC, and for updating the standard application forms after changes are approved by the TATC.
Mentor and Teacher Transitions is an administrative role that tracks details in the guidelines that might need to be updated. Upon approval by MTEC, Member Agreement Steward would later bring such changes to the Teachers Circle for a vote.
The Mentor and Teacher Transitions role does not interpret the guidelines, nor does it offer support to applicants in the transition process.
Sponsoring Teachers — not the Mentor and Teacher Transitions role or the MTEC role — are responsible to help applicants for Mentor and Interning Teacher understand the written guidelines, and to hold applicants through any uncertainty or concerns about the transition process.
Sponsoring Teachers should confer with the MTEC for help understanding how the transition guidelines are generally applied.
The MTEC reviews applications and assesses applicants’ adherence to the guidelines. Questions about an applicant’s adherence to the guidelines should be directed solely to the MTEC, which weighs and measures the entire application in a holistic manner. Recommendations may at times vary from applicant to applicant, depending on a range of factors. In other words, the MTEC applies both specific requirements as well as an organic understanding of the situation. As we say, evaluating is not a “cookie-cutter” process.
Thank you for your attention.
Love,
Sandra