Tag: Mentor

Differences Between Traditional and Pathways DTM Achievements

You decided to pursue a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award and would like to learn more about a traditional DTM and a Pathways DTM.

The requirements for attaining a traditional DTM and a Pathways DTM are available on the Toastmasters International website: https://www.toastmasters.org/education/distinguished-toastmaster.

Here are a few of the highlights you may be interested in exploring in order to determine which is right for you or a member of your club.

Timing

Members have until June 30, 2020 to complete the requirements for a DTM in the traditional program.

There are no deadlines for completing a Pathways DTM.

Support for Clubs

In the traditional program, a Toastmaster must complete the requirements for serving as a sponsor, mentor or coach.

In the Pathways program, a Toastmaster is required to:

  • Serve as a club sponsor, or conduct a Speechcraft, or Youth Leadership Program

AND

  • Serve as a club mentor or coach

Completing requirements

In the traditional program, Toastmasters may work on speeches and leadership requirements in a variety of manuals at the same.

In the Pathways program, individuals must work sequentially on completing requirements for Levels 1-5 in their paths.

High Performance Leadership (HPL)

In the traditional program, a member can begin working on an HPL project at any time as a component of their Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) award.

In the Pathways program, an HPL project, either a Level 5 requirement or an optional elective depending on the member’s chosen path, can be started when the member completes Level 4.

Continue to stay informed:

  • Toastmasters International website
  • Toastmaster magazine (print and online)
  • Coming Soon: Pathways resources on the District 83 website
  • Club Officer Training (next sessions take place June, July and August 2019)

Blog contributed by Su Brooks, DTM 2                                                              District 83 Training Coordinator and Social Media Strategist

Su has been a Toastmaster since July 2000 and has earned two DTM awards in the Traditional program. In Pathways, she is working on three paths: Leadership Development, Presentation Mastery, and Engaging Humor. In addition, she recently began the Pathways Mentoring Program.

For 2018-2019, she serves as the Sergeant at Arms for Talk of Monmouth, an advanced club in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and as the District Training Coordinator and a Social Media Strategist.

She is a member of No Limits Toastmasters in Staten Island, New York, where she serves as the audio technician on the production crew for Toastmasters in the Community, a cable TV show.

For 2019-2020, Su will take on the role of Destination DTM Chair for District 83.

Mentoring a New Member

For a traditional DTM, Toastmasters need to mentor a new member with their first three speeches as one of the components of the Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) award.

If you are planning to complete this before June 2020, planning ahead is very important. You can guide and encourage the new member, but please remember, even though you are eager to complete your ACG, It’s not about you, it’s their schedule. Be patient.

While working one of my ACG awards a few years ago, I had everything completed EXCEPT for this requirement. I began working with one of the new members who had to leave to the club.

Her husband landed a graduate teaching assignment that conflicted with the meeting night of the club and the couple had one car. That meant I had to start over with another new member.

I started again with another new member and was seeking to complete the requirement before the end of the Toastmasters year on June 30. However, my plans were delayed again. My friend had job responsibilities that took priority over Toastmasters.

Eventually, my friend presented her third speech and I completed my ACG. However, the entire process took much longer than I anticipated.

This advice also applies if you are completing a traditional program Competent Leadership (CL) manual requirement and/or if you have decided to enroll in the Pathways Mentoring Program, which you will be eligible to begin after completing Level 2 in Pathways.

Blog contributed by Su Brooks, DTM 2                                                                          District 83 Training Coordinator and Social Media Strategist

Su has been a Toastmaster since July 2000 and has earned two DTM awards in the Traditional program. In Pathways, she is working on three paths: Leadership Development, Presentation Mastery, and Engaging Humor. In addition, she recently began the Pathways Mentoring Program.

For 2018-2019, she serves as the Sergeant at Arms for Talk of Monmouth, an advanced club in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and as the District Training Coordinator and a Social Media Strategist.

She is a member of No Limits Toastmasters in Staten Island, New York, where she serves as the audio technician on the production crew for Toastmasters in the Community, a cable TV show.

For 2019-2020, Su will take on the role of Destination DTM Chair for District 83.

The Value of a DTM Mentor

Your (Distinguished Toastmaster) DTM mentor will support you with your goals whether you have decided to pursue a traditional or a Pathways DTM.

Your DTM mentor can be a member of your club or a member of another club. You and your mentor can discuss how often to meet to talk about your progress and next steps.

A mentor will help you define the timetable for your goal. Requirements for a traditional DTM must be completed by June 2020. A Pathways DTM does not have a deadline specified by Toastmasters International. You and your mentor should discuss the overall timing, then break your goal into manageable segments with short, medium and long-term goals for success.Perhaps you are looking for additional speaking opportunities. I mentored a few Toastmasters who were able to serve as a model speaker for evaluation contests at other clubs, areas, and divisions outside their own.

Your DTM mentor can also let you know about clubs who might have fewer members than your club and frequently look for Toastmasters outside of their club to fill a speaking role on their agenda. It’s a good idea to have your next speech ready to go in case a prepared speaker has to cancel at the last minute and you can readily fill in.

You and your DTM mentor can meet Toastmasters outside of your club(s) at training sessions, contests and conferences. Meeting new people helps generate different ideas to help you reach your goals.

At a conference planning meeting, my DTM mentor informed me about two people seeking their DTM. I learned that they scheduled two educational workshops at a library on a weekend and invited everyone in the district to attend. This way they were able to reach a large audience and could present their training sessions without having to take time away from their regularly scheduled club meeting time.

You might be seeking a leadership role and need advice and connections for serving as a district officer or a sponsor, mentor, or coach. Your DTM mentor can help you with that information to get an appointment. Contact the District Director for more information.

For more information about DTM mentors, please contact the District 83 Destination DTM Chair.

Blog contributed by Su Brooks, DTM 2                                                                          District 83 Training Coordinator and Social Media Strategist

Su has been a Toastmaster since July 2000 and has earned two DTM awards in the Traditional program. In Pathways, she is working on three paths: Leadership Development, Presentation Mastery, and Engaging Humor. In addition, she recently began the Pathways Mentoring Program.

For 2018-2019, she serves as the Sergeant at Arms for Talk of Monmouth, an advanced club in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and as the District Training Coordinator and a Social Media Strategist.

She is a member of No Limits Toastmasters in Staten Island, New York, where she serves as the audio technician on the production crew for Toastmasters in the Community, a cable TV show.

For 2019-2020, Su will take on the role of Destination DTM Chair for District 83.