Throughout this book, you will find suggestions for journal writing, questions for discus- sion, and other activities interspersed in the text. These can be adapted for use in a mentor training group or course, on your own or in working with protégés. The activities are intend- ed to: • Help you as a mentor to identify and reflect on your skills, perspectives, strengths and challenges as a teacher of young children and as a mentor to other adults; • Build your awareness of the context that shapes mentor-protégé relationships, includ- ing adult development, adult learning styles, culture, the structure of mentoring pro- grams, and the adult learning environment in early care and education settings; and • Strengthen your ability to articulate your own practice as an early educator, and to adapt your mentoring strategies based on your own skills, your protégé’s skills and the context in which you work. Each chapter concludes with a list of “References and Further Reading.” While many of these are cited directly in the text, others are listed as additional resources that provide more information on the major themes of that chapter. 4 AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS