Good point, Dawn!
Quiet students need us to pay attention to them too.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I had a teacher in highschool who was really the first person (outside my family) to show an interest in my success. Because I was a very quiet person, it was easy to focus on the more outgoing students. I try to remember that when I have quiet students in my class.
The main mentor in my life was my father. By the example he set with his strong work ethic made me appreciate how important self-reliance is in my life.
My first true mentor was an instructor I had in 1991. I was afraid to take his class and I was sick to my stomach, but he took me aside and told me I was doing a good job. I felt like a huge weight was lifted off of me. After that weight was lifted I could learn what he was teaching. He made learning fun and at the same time he would push us to learn more. He wanted us to act professional at all times and work toward ower goals. I have never stopped trying to learn more and I try to be positive with the students I teach, so maybe the joy of learning will help them meet their goals in life.
Randall,
Your mentor was correct. Study after study show that the expectations of the teacher greatly influence learning.
Jeffrey Schillinger
One of the greatest mentors I have had in my life was a highschool teacher. He really pressed me to be better than I ever thought I could be. At any given moment I could turn around and it seemed like he was always there saying "Is this something you could step back and say you are proud of?" He never let me settle for close or even really close, perfection was what he saw in me and soon that was all I could see as well. I spent many years in my chosen field and when I looked at becoming an educator it seemed a perfect fit for me. He taught me that you will get out of your students exactly what you expect from them. If you believe in them, and let them know it, they can achieve great things.
I am fortunate to have had a mentor early on in my career who saw my potential. I worked indirectly and we would meet frequently and he would ask open ended questions about my leadership decisions. These made me think often about the impact of my decisions. When he felt I was ready, he put me on a career path that literally changed my life.
Jason,
How do you share stress training and supervision with your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
my mentors taught me to stress training and supervision
Laura,
Thanks for this post. Your father sounds a lot like mine.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Beth,
What are some specific things you do to postion yourself as a potential mentor for your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
My father who always told me that no matter what I wanted to be in life but to always do my best at everything I do. And an elementary teacher that always told that you have to keep trying if you want to get better at someting. I try to encourage my students when they don't feel good about their performance in the clinical skills. I always tell them that the only way to get better at somethins is by practicing. They have to strive to do their best every time they perform a procedure.
I would say that the biggest mentor I had that led me to my current position as an instructor was a professor in college. He was very willing to work with us, he encouraged study groups and was present at any of the student study groups in the lab, even if he had to bring his wife. He showed us that he was completely dedicated to his career, more importantly his students.
I was fortunate to have a college professor who left his position as a Creative Director in a large advertising agency in Delaware. He had a powerful impact on my overall college experience. When I graduated, he said that he was aware that college would not prepare us for every possible situation that we encountered as we entered the workforce. He told my class to contact him if we felt that we needed help with something that we did not have enough background in our education to handle.
I did have an opportunity to obtain a very large client but was not sure how to write the proposal to present to this client. I contacted him and he met me off-campus and spent a great deal of his time helping me and guiding the direction of my proposal. I did get the client.
Now, almost 40 years later, I am a Graphic Design Instructor, and I make the same offer to all of my graduating students. I have had over 14 graduates contact me with questions that involve everything from business to production.
I feel a great sense of satisfaction every time that I am able to help the graduates continue their development and become better people and gain more confidence in themselves and feel more qualified with their skills.
I had not intended to make this such a long answer. I think this answers your question and also reinforces my reasons to be an educator.
Ned Littlehales
Karin,
Thanks for this post. What are one or two specific things you do now to position yourself to be a mentor?
Jeffrey Schillinger
One of my mentors was a high school English instructor, who was very dynamic in the classroom. Every day was filled with humor, fun, engaging activities and a sense of caring, from him, in what would otherwise seem like a boring afternoon literature course. I would look forward to going to this class and wished other courses had been structured the same way. I have instilled those same methods in my teaching lesson plans and is one of the reasons why I went on to pursue a teaching degree. Other mentors in my life have done the same thing - through being models themselves and stimulating me, in turn, to have a healthy self-esteem and self-efficacy - they have mentored me in numerous ways that I include into my every day as an educator and citizen.
A real concern for my success. Suggestions for study habits and available for discussions involving my courses.
Rose,
What were some of the specific things these two teachers did to establish a mentoring relationship with you?
Jeffrey Schillinge?
Two of my teachers were mentors. While taking medical assisting classes They were my role models of what I wanted to be like. Now I get to work with one of them and everyday I have her support and knowledge to back me up!
Thanks, John.
Who outside of your family has served as a mentor in your life?
Jeffrey Schillinger
