As a young man, I had a senior supervisor take me under his wing and teach me not only a excellent trade but also how to become successful by being helpful to others. I have taken this knowledge into my educational career and hopefully have put students on the path to success.
True Mentors are priceless!!!
My father is my best mentor he has always told me that a school does not make the student the student makes the school. I believe in this the student needs to make a sincere effort to learn and ask and make sure the instructor is motivated to teach and answer.
Once a student "connects" and "trusts" a Mentor they become motivated. They need to feel that you care.
My Dad was also my Mentor. He would remind me that life isn't fair, you only get out of it what you put into it. Thanks to him I learned the value of hard work and helping others. What you put out you are sure to get back, and sometimes from unlikely places.
I was fortunate to have a mentor who had a great work ethic and was a very caring person. Many times I have been in decision or reaction situations and before I would respond, I would reflect back and think of how I thought my mentor would respond to this situation. While this process was not a cure all, it put a very positive spin on some challenging situations.
As a Chef and Director of Student Affairs, my mentor is our college president. He instills customer services in all of us.
It is said that we only have 4 to 6 true Mentors in our lives. You are fortunate to have one as the college president.
I learned all that I know about teaching and how to teach my subject from my father. He is a CPA and also taught college for extra money when he was first starting out. I would go to classes with him. I would see how he interacted with the students. Even now, 30 years later, people will see my last name and talk about how my dad taught them accounting and how much he inspired them. I intend to do the same.
You are fortunate to have your father as a mentor. I am sure you are very proud of him and now you get to continue to pass the wisdom on.
I had a teacher years ago who said one day, "Can't never did a thing". Now, in my class, I have written on my board the same message and I strive to teach by that. I have never forgotten those words and feel that it is something to share with those just starting out in this field. Another mentor, presently, instills the words "No Negativity". She is the most fair, honest, caring, kind, dependable, reliable and intuitive person I know and I'm happy to call her my friend. She instructs her classes with her being. What better mentors can a person have?
Wasn't your success important to you, also? But I see that you became successful because of your mentor. It became a compliment to him.
Doris, you are fortunate to have had mentors and friends with the "Intelligent Heart." You are one as well!!! Keep up the good work.
Too many times I don't think about me - yes, now that you mention it, my success is VERY important to me. I just think of the fact that I learn something everyday, no matter how small or big.
When I was 15, I had a difficult time with writing papers for my English class. My teacher for that class encouraged me not to give up. She would give me suggestions on what to do to improve. Give me some helpful books. Most important she would ask me things about me that had nothing to do with school. She took the time to get to know me. This effected me in a big way. It showed me that I mattered and I wasn't just a student in a big class. From that moment on I always wanted people to know that they are important. I work hard to show that to each of my students.
You learned from a mentor how to be an "Intelligent Heart."
We pass good mentoring skills on to students and in turn they pass them on to others as well.
mentoring a student the first time will build confidense in the student and also hone your skills as a professional educator.
My father had taught me by example. He was in sales and he greeted everyone from the managers to the stock boys. He always inquired about their weekends, families or such. He always gave 110% of himself whether it was paper work, billing etc.
I also had great teachers in my profession. When I got to retirement age I didn't want to quit working so I decided to teach. My goal was to become the kind of teacher that I had had. And to give back to the profession that I love.
I don't have a mentor that has significantly influenced my thoughts, actions, and directions. I was brought up to be self-affirming and diligent and to strive for excellence in all areas of my life. I am a self-motivator. I believe in thinking things through, making a plan, executing the plan, and evaluating the outcome. This is not to say that I have received no advice along the way; but, there is no one person that I consider a mentor that has impacted my life. As a career educator, my goal is to help my students become thinkers, affirm themselves, and adopt a sprit of excellence. I try to model these characteristics for them.
