[Marianne]

John, thank you for the helpful answers to my questions, and you have given me a lot to think about here. I am going to think on these things before responding, except for now to say that I really “get” what you say about a negative teacher not being a mentor since the negative (“bad”) teacher is not invested. The word “invested” here is so clearly definitive–thank you so much. I also like the ideas you give about mentoring in smaller groups aside from a larger group where mentoring is less apt to take place. I recall some college profs who would sometimes join in at writing students’ discussion circles much like a round table whether the table was round or not and whoever was there that evening had that sense of being mentored, developing that closer relationship. Wine and poets, yes, that was a classic key!

–Mary Ann