David,
My parents were my mentors as well.
Jeffrey Schillinger
My Father was a huge mentor in my life. He always listened when I needed to talk, He always spoke without being triggered, his advice was always through experience and he was always positive. He also taught me the importance of good strong morals and work ethics. My high school automotive instructor was another mentor. He pushed me to my limits to learn. He made me find the answers to my own questions with great leadership. He really made me build on my own independence. I try my best to take what I have learned from these two men into my own lifestyle and classroom teaching skills every day.
I would have to say my parents were both great mentors. If nothing else I learned common sense and how to treat people with compassion and understanding. I also have had some teachers and bosses who again just treated people fairly. What a great model to follow. I have also had teachers while I was growing up that were not positive influences on the class. This is also a mentor of how not to act and now that I am grown can look back and see that, so I can be sure NOT to use that behaviour.
i worked in ciro's group for over a year and picked up on many things that i have used in my professional career, of course not everything i was able to learn from him could i use as an educator, but skills when dealing with people i am able to use today. he has many attributes that make a good mentor, one of which, he was very patient when making corrections to my work because i was not following instructions we had discussed, he did not even seem stressed at spending all that time for us to re-do the 'face'. i try to give my students the same patience because i know how much trust we can share from a stressful lab, for example.
Jeff,
How do you take what Ciro taught you and apply that to your teaching career?
Jeffrey Schillinger
as one of my very first jobs as an adult i worked in a grocery store. i started as a courtesy clerk(bagger) and then was tried out as a night stocker. it was at that time i meet ciro gonzalez, the leader of night crew. he showed me the mechanics of stocking shelves and of making them look good. ciro was the fastest of all the night stockers and very well respected for his skills. i was able to pick up from him some details i found saved time and increased (my) case counts. i noticed that at times ciro would talk in great detail on making the shelves look good. he sounded like a lunitic at times but i realized he made sense and was able to put together some advise that i could include in my own work. when we would compare the aisles that we been stocking all night and his would always look better. he kept working with me and it took what seemed like forever,but after some time, ciro's and my aisles looked the same as his and
nobody could tell the differance. it was great to see the improvemant in my work and just as great to work with ciro, a person that i did not know very well but he showed me the value in training and in working (at length)
with someone who never had prior experiance.
Michael,
I always smile when someone mentions their father in this forum as my father was my greatest mentor. Teachers are often mentioned as well.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have had several mentors in my life. The first was my father, he taught me so many things but one I will never forget is that hard work will always pay off. Another of my mentors was my grandfather, he taught me patients and persistance. Another of my mentors and probably the reason I am an instructor now was my auto instructor when I was in high school. Mr. Powell taught me the meaning of professionalisim, that what ever you CHOOSE to do with your life "BE THE BEST AT IT". Mr. Powell brought out the best in me and all the other students in his class.
An English Professor I had in high school made such an impression on me that it completely altered my path in school and in life. She instilled in me her passion for reading and taught me to write college level essays through mentoring. Learning to communicate effectively and on an adult level opened up educational and employment opportunities I had never considered. I know that if she had not mentored me I would not have been as successful as I am today because she taught me how to focus on what was important and how to achieve my goals. I try to do the same for my students because I know how hard it can be to struggle alone, and that success is often a comment away.
Thanks, Paula,
What are one or two specific things you do to position yourself as a mentor to your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
There were many people who influenced my life both personally and professionally. We tend to look up to people that have gained our respect and trust to follow their example. The person who influenced me the most in my career would have to be an instructor I had during my degree completion studies. I had many questions about my chosen field, what opportunities were available to me. He took the time to go over this with me and also gave me new avenues to explore. I will always be grateful for his valuable advice.
Paula Blankenbiller
Instructor
Jody,
How do you use what your boss has taught you to become a mentor to your students.
Jeffrey Schillinger
It was my freshman year in high school, History teacher. I totally could not stand her. As I grew older and began teaching, I realized that I copied her teaching style. It at first was scary, but she did become my mentor and although she constantly got onto me, she made me realize the correct way that things should be done. I appreciate her for that and today sixteen years later I still see her as my mentor and I mimic her teaching style.
I have had several mentors in my life/career. My boss now has made a huge impact, showing me the ropes and letting me shadow her. She has given me responsibilites and I have proven to her that I can handle them.
I have become a better worker/instructor because of my boss. Showing me the ropes and taking me under her wing.
Rose Ann,
Thanks for sahring this. Many of your peers talk about parents. It is nice to see a comment about a spouse.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Mentor #1-My husband
i met my husband while i was still a college student and not doing very well academically. he gave me a stable relationship and taught me some very important skills in organization and time management. In addition to love and support, these skills helped me to become a successful student in undergraduate, graduate and professional school. In my professinal life, i was always known as someone who could get alot of things done WELL in a short period of time. to this day, i hate to be late, keep a calendar and always get my work done on time.
Mentor #2-my mother
My mother was committed to the notion that her daugher would go to college. She encouraged, conjoled, enforced, demanded excellence in everything that i did. she taught me that only i could truly determine my success or failure at anything that i did.
Beth,
What are some specific things you do to make your students "feel smart?"
Jeffrey Schillinger
Scott,
A kind word is sometimes very powerful.
Jeffrey Schillinger
The school I went too from K-2 had to become an integrated school. To make room for the children coming in, my street was chosen to be bused an half hour to an inner city school. This is where I meet my 3rd teacher Mrs. Smith. She would call on every child to answer a question in class, but would only chose a student that she knew the awswer to the questuon she was asking. I would get science questions, but not any math questions. She made us feel so smart because you could answer a question in class and our confidence grew. By the mid-year all students were raising their hands to answer questions first. It inspired the students to work hard in other subjects and learn. I studied hard and learned all my times tables up to 12 by Christmas so I could be called for Math questions. (we only needed to know 1-6 by christmas). She changed my way of thinking and learning and I think of her often what she did for every child she taught and cared about.
I have been fortunate to have several mentors. My previous boss was great about simply stopping for no reason but to say hello and ask what she could do for me. I especially appreciated that when I was also going back to school. My chairman of my thesis committee remembered those specal little details and would always follow up on how the family was, or other classes, etc. These 2 mentors both showed care and concern in different but effective methods. Just having someone stop and check on the non-work life factors helps make the stresses of work more tolerable.
