ABSTRACT
In mentee-centered mentoring, reaching identified benchmarks is easier when both the overall goal and specific steps are in view. The ultimate goal of mentoring is for mentees to take ownership of their professional development as they both learn autonomously and take responsibility for their growth. Identifying benchmarks and then articulating the smaller steps along the way is an important way to give mentees voice and personal investment in the process of learning teaching. One method for depicting these smaller steps is to write outcomes. Another method that may fit better with a collaborative mentoring relationship is to frame outcomes as essential questions. Readers are asked to decide between the two as they begin to articulate specific aims as part of a mentoring plan while keeping in mind the ultimate goal of learner ownership.
