Mentoring Expectations from Students

As an FYS mentor I have had students come to me for help often and it is interesting to observe the way I approach their needs. I have noticed that I tend to start out as a minimalist because I ask my students what I can help them with and what their concerns are about the paper or assignment. Often they are able to tell me, but they have no idea how to approach their concerns. This is when I tend to become more directive or we would both sit there in silence. It can sometimes be frustrating when you do not want to tell the student exactly what to do, but they are not responding to your questions or I have had a student actually say "ok well I don't know, what do you think I should write here". It seems that most students expect mentors to be directive and to tell them exactly how to perfect their papers. It is difficult for me to let them learn on their own because I do know exactly how to fix their papers since I took the FYS last year, but I am there to guide them and not tell them exactly what to do. They will not learn this way. It is difficult because most students expect the answers and not a lesson.