Thank you, William.
You were fortunate to have two such individuals in your life. What were some specific ways that your mentors did to "push" you?
My greatest mentor was my grandfather. He always taught me that you take time to put people first. Never talk down to anybody, make them feel important. In the classroom I treat my students the way I expect to be treated. Always talk to them straight across the board. Never make them feel like since I'm the instructor I'm smarter and better than you. The respect I dish out comes right back to me. This puts the whole classroom at ease. And we can get down to whats important, teaching and learning.
kevin,
You have described a very important teacher behavior. Thanks!
One mentor that that I had significantly impacted my early career and helped give the structure necessary to be successful later in my career. He instilled work ethic and professionalism in me at an early age. These ideas are still important to me and effect how I teach my classes today.
Thanks, Jeff.
What were some of the specific things your mentor did to instill a professionalism and a work ethic?
Rod Serling and the Twighlight Zone series made an impact on how I relate to the human condition.
Intersting response, Gail. How did Mr. Serling make a personal impact on you?
When I attended school I informed several of my instructors that I was interested in teaching. I had one instructor who took the time to discuss all the good things that he enjoyed about teaching. He offered suggestions as to where to obtain additional resources and information. Conversely, I had another instructor who told me all the negatives. He said that it would take me 10years to become an instructor, it doesn't pay well, it is stressful, etc. I obviously focused on the first instructor's comments. That experience has made me always try to encourage my students to pursue there career goals.
I recall 2 supervisors that called me aside when I was gowing through some difficult life changing circumstances that resulted in me not getting to work on time on several occassions and both informed me of their observation and asked if they could be of any assistance or get me some outside help. They both stated they had gone through similar changes at one time or another understood the turbulence very well.
Larry,
Individuals who are seen as "similar others" tend to be the most effective mentors. That is why it is important for us to let students know that we have been where they are and that we had folks to help us in the same ways that we are willing to help them.
Several years ago, I made the switch from a role in Human Resources after 15 years, to a new challenge as an education manager, primarily sales and operations. My mentor was our COO who had confidence that my people skills from HR would be of great use in my new role. Instead of overwhelming me with a new skill set, she took the ones I had, and molded them into my new role along with setting up biweekly operations meeting where we would spend concentrated time on the nuances of sales in the public education environment. Her patience and knowledge, plus her confidence in me really made the transition enjoyable and definitely a worthwhile career choice.
patricia,
It sounds like you had a really good mentor. What did she do that you now do for those you mentor?
Most definitely I value the atypical skills that go "outside the box" from their past experiences. This definitely enhances the "typical" requirements of a position and our learners love it too!
In high school I had an english teacher who preached think outside the box it helped me to see the world differently
One of my undergraduate psychology professors made a lastinf impression on me. His name is Dr. Murray. He was a clinical psychologist who inspired me to pursue my passion. His belief in me helped me to obtain a Ph.D.
Earl,
What did Dr. Murray do that made such a lasting impression on you? How can you do the same for your students?
There is a psychological concept known as observational learning. I believe many students look to their instructors for guidance. It is important that we project a professional image at all times.
I believe we tend to remember those teachers who often stretched our imagination.
Dr. Murray was very strict and held high expectations from his students. He showed me the value of dedication and hard work. I can see that setting high standards for my students while showing support via mentoring can help them experience success.
I had a few mentors while I was a student myself. Most prominent one was my English teacher in 10th grade. She always emphasized the importance of catching the audience attention through your voice and eye contact. She always said to treat each one at the audience as if there was just one of them. It really made a difference in my classroom when I started teaching and I know the students appreciate feeling important by looking at them when you try to convey something. I knew I wanted to be in such an environment where the learning never stops.
