Yes, mentoring is an art.
Mentoring is not something that is without hardships. Many of us can look back at a time when we were mentoring someone, either formally or informally, and felt like the person was wasting yours and their time. Just because someone asks you for help, doesn't mean that they will ultimately take it.
Dr. Daloz discusses in this chapter how he has not always found people to be easy to deal with. He talks about frustration that he has had with his students. He says he even at times feels betrayed, due to the students refusal to grow. We have all felt this way towards someone, and I am sure, we have all made someone feel this way towards us. When you are dealing with people, there is always a chance to be frustrated, upset, and angry. As educators, these feelings apply also. There are many times we become frustrated with students, because it may feel like we are spinning our wheels and not getting anywhere. This was the first time in the book, where I felt that Dr. Daloz was not just the Super Mentor, but as a real person, who loses it every once in a while.
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I think in these instances, the reward is in the giving. Even if someone won't take what the mentor has to offer, the mentor grows by trying to help another person. It's sort of like learning by "negative example," but it's learning nonetheless.
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