Amy,
Students have to choose us to be their mentor. We do not get to pick them. What were the things your mentor did to help you to choose her?
Jeffrey Schillinger
My one mentor throughout her whole life told me that I could be the best as long as I worked hard at it. When I got my BSIT even though she had passed away I knew that she would have been extra proud of me. She always took the time to celebrate the little milestones with me.
My other mentor is still around and he asks me every day how was school. Just like I ask my child how her school day was. It encourages me and helps me thru the bad (rough) days.
Both of these mentors have impacted my career as an educator because they showed me that I can still be approachable and caring even though I am teaching.
I have students who seek me out when they get a A in a class that is hard. And we celebrate either with a happy dance :D or chocolate :D
Very true Ted :) I think it is important to make sure that the students know that they can come to someone who is going to be excited for them when they get that awesome job in their field.
Thanks for sharing
My Mentors have impowered me to strive for the best, to learn from mistakes and how to celebrate my success. Metors alow you to emulate certain tasks and/or philosphies that you can later adapt as your own,
John,
What are some of your specific actions and philosophies that you hope your students will adopt?
Jeffrey Schillinger
When you have a good mentor this will help you achieve your goals. It's always nice to have someone there to help you along the way and support you instead of you being a number. This helps me know how I can help other students and be a good mentor to them.
Wendy,
Thank you for this post. What are some specific things you do to position yourself as a mentor to your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
My mentor in education truly guided me on the path to better both my career choices and my overall thinking in life. She continues to help with simple questions and curriculum choices and we frequently talk over a coffee. I would not be so successful without her positive influence in my life!
Megan,
What were some specific things she did to lead to you choosing her as a mentor?
Jeffrey Schillinger
She stayed after hours to help me and gave me many pointers for better classroom management. I do believe the most effective resource she gave me was video recording my lesson plans. This gave me a window into my own level of teaching and how I could improve as an educator.
Megan,
I was part of an "experimental" program in 1981 that filmed student teachers. I learned quite a bit from watching myself.
Jeffrey Schillinger
My mentor was my mother. She has long passed, but she was tough as nails, and yet was a loving and caring individual. She taught my siblings and I that we needed to take pride in our work and responsibility for our mistakes, but to learn from them. What made her a great mentor is that she listened. Few people do anymore.
I will never forget my first mentor. She was my childhood dance teacher. I could always run to her with anything I was going through and she would give the best advice. I remember when my mother was going to take me out of dance class. My dance teacher spoke to the owner of the studio and worked out a huge discount for us so that I would be able to continue. She was such an inspiration. Not only was she a great dancer, but she was a great person who truly cared about her students. We are still in communication and, to this day, I still consider her my mentor.
Cristela,
You are fortunate to have had this person in your life. What are some specific things you do that could lead to students choosing you as a mentor?
Jeffrey Schillinger
While I was in graduate school, I had a difficult time adapting to a major that I was not familiar with and it seemed that I lacked passion for the field. My advisor was always there to talk me through whatever concerns I had with the course content and to cheer me on. She always seemed to keep me level headed and helped me when I had brain fog on research topics. If it wasn't for her understanding, I wouldn't have been as enthusiastic about completing the program or even completing it at all. I will always remember her.
Looking back on it, I can't say there ever was one in particular. But I had a very corporate boss, many years ago who I thought very highly of - when I heard of the simple beginnings this person had come from, it was amazing what a transformation had been brought about.
Sometimes a "mentor" doesn't come in the form of one person, but a sequence of events or through various acquaintances that shine a light on an area of your life. We should look for mentoring not only in people but in experiences as well.
I had a mentor who taught me a lot about leading people. I worked for him more than 25 years ago but I still remember the things he taught me. Now I am able to pass those things onto others.
Through exploration I choose my path. I will be forever grateful.
I have a mentor who is my spiritual father. He has inspired me, by what he has done for me, and by his consistent actions, to look to what is hopeful and positive and forward-thinking, at all times, especially when an imperfect past tries to sway me otherwise. This has meant a conscious choice to immerse myself in culturally uplifting things, to celebrate the successes of others, and to strive to find something good to say, even when I don't feel like doing any of it. This goes all the way to my choice of what to read, what movies to watch, what to look at online, and what kind of company to keep. Despite my human frailties, I always try to return to the example set forth by my savior. I am not a career educator, but I am an integral part of a school, and my attempt to treat the students I encounter as I would want to be treated has paid off. I believe they are more encouraged by a kind word than rote professionalism, and they say they love to come to school because it feels "so good" here.
My R.O.P. teacher pushed me to go to a highed culinary school and my father gave me great moral guidence.
