Thomas,
This is a great example. We all have the potential to do anything, however we let a lot get in our way. Sometimes we need someone to be there along the way to help.
Guy,
This is a great story. Some people have a sense to pick up on individual's potential. This is a great example of mentoring.
When I first started out as a technician my mentor was the shop forman at the dealership. He didn't just treat me like one of the techs. He got to know me personally and we eventually became friends. Ontop of being one of the smartest techs I've ever known. He was a nice enough guy to want to get to know me -- always asking about my home life -- getting envolved.
The effects it has on me for my role as a career educator is huge. I always try to get to know the students a little and help them with non automotive related problems. This has helped me build a solid relationship with them.
I try to emulate the actions and techniques I observed during my own post-secondary training. These instructors (not unlike myself) were not professionally trained "teachers" but rather current or former technicians in the field of my studies. Their "real world" experiences, effectively demomstrated and simply explained made a profound impression on me.
I had a mentor that I both loved and hated. He taught me a lot but held me back financially for many years. Who knows how my life would have been different. For all I know it could have been better without him.
I was never interested in becoming a teacher/instructor while I was in public school. Although I enjoyed the experiance, the teachers I had did not inspire me to emulate them. After high school when I attended an auto tech school, I was profoundly impressed by the personal attention I receievd. This became my inpiration to become an auto/diesel instructor myself and I try to use the techniques I observed in my own classes.
I had a couple of influences in this area, One was at the school that I am working at now that I was a student at a long time ago -- He said that "I could do ANYTHING I set my mind to " and he was right -- A few yeasr later I'm now teaching at the school that I graduated from!!
The most influential mentors were those who who were always calm,soft-spoken,yet direct and firm.
I had an English teacher in high school who was genuine and made no apologies for it. He had a profound influence on me to become an educator because he cared and showed he cared in many thoughtful and unsuspecting ways. I have actually modeled some of my techniques after him. After eleven years in this career, I have seen some of the same admirations I had for him come full circle in my direction.
When I moved to Florida 23 years ago I became a realtor. I then took a very intense real estate sales course.
Several times during the course the instructor expressed his concern that I was not working up to my potential. Even though I was completing the course sucessfully he felt I could be doing a lot better. Near the end of the eight-week program the instructor finally dropped me from the program. He said I was wasting both my time and his. He explained that I could repeat the course in the future but I would have to come back with a more serious attitude.
It was devastating at the time. I was very angry. But that experience was the catalyst for a lot of sole searching and emormous change in my life. I realized that he was right. This was the turning point for me that has resulted in a very sucessful and rewarding future since then.
I owe a lot to that teacher. He could have left me alone and I would have gotten through the course just fine. But he really cared. A lot more than I did!
Cynthia,
What I think is great about your story is that you can give the details of why your mentors were mentors in your life. Knowing that you can pass those qualities along to your students.
Gary,
That is what mentoring is about, being able to give to others from your experiences.
I had a high school english teacher that wouldn't let me off the hook easy. She would come to my study hall and gave me a chance to do the required work. The fact that she took the time to do that meant alot.
I wouldn't say that I have had a mentor, rather I would say that I have been influenced by how others react to situations and scenarios presented to them on a daily basis. I have learned from observing and have always tried to do the right thing. As an educator, I have had little to no mentoring, and have had to learn the ropes of teaching mostly by trial and error. I bring a lot of experience to the classroom and couple that with my desire to see students be successful and help them achieve their dreams and goals has carried me pretty far so far.
Nice going Cynthia!!! Great response.
Joseph,
Sounds like you've got it figured out with your students using your own personality and style.
Nice going!
i realy don't have any mentors from my past. you see my brother and i grew up dirt poor in a town that was geared to what your last name was. so since ower last name didn't mean nothing, then we didn't mean nothing. this is why i would perfer to teach a class of total screw ups and bad ass kids with attitudes then kids that are well manered and smart(book smart). the "bad asskids" in my book are more street smart and have more common sense. i know where they are comming from and if i "bring the hammer down" on them they know i do it becouse i care and i am trying to get them ready for the real world.
the "troubled students" never heard the phrase " mind your P's & Q's". (personal qualities). this is what i try to teach to them while teaching my course. and in the end , the students come back to see me all the time even though they are in other class's . they seek me out to say hey, or more than likely to bust my balls. this is also the reason why they call me papa"O". becouse i treat them like my own kids. now, do i get yelled at becouse of my kids?, -- yes--. but i wouldn't have it any other way. you see, when the students see i get yelled at becouse of them, then they see some one does care about them and that is when even the badest kids shape up and "there personal quailities" start coming out (even if they bottled them up for years).
then by the end of the time that i have them , those are the students that get the lab clean, garbage picked up, floors swept and mopped,ect...
the bad ass kids are not so bad. they just needed a mentor.
I have come across two mentors in my life. Both have been bosses in my previous career in business. The first hired me on the spot, without demanding much work experience. Most of our interview seemed more personal and not what I expected for a managerial position. Some time after being hired, I brought it up as if I really needed an explanation. He simply told me his company worked based on intelligent hearts and he looked for better emotional managers. He also enabled me to envision myself as a successful business woman, thus giving me direction in my life. Today I am still friends with him. That experience brought me much value, opportunity, and direction to my life that I know without him mentoring and monitoring me would have drastiically impacted me negatively. I realize students need the same involvement from their teachers/mentors to help build, develop and guide them. I will gladly pass on this knowledge!
Andrew,
This is a great story and example of mentoring. The key factor here is attention and time. He always had (made) time and was very attentive of your actions. I'm sure he gave the negatives just as much attention, but addressed them in a very postiive way.
Elizabeth,
This is an excellent point. The best mentors are those who model the same behavior as that being mentored. Students can easily tell if someone is being truthful and caring or just doing their job.
