Part 3 Mentor Inspiration

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

This quote from Maya Angelou that I have heard many times really sticks out to me when I think about being a mentor for another teacher.  When I was a student, I had several teachers who really made a difference in my life.  The lasting impact of those teachers was not based on the curriculum they taught me, but rather on how they saw me and how I was then able to see myself through their eyes.  

As a teacher, what I teach is important.  I know that.  I also know that the relationships I make with students will last far longer than the curriculum they learn from me.  So then this is true in mentoring a new teacher.  It becomes essential for a new teacher to understand that creating relationships with students and demonstrating for students how to be true, honest, caring, dependable, as well as committed are all key lessons that students can learn from being in your class.  Especially in today's world, it is essential for teachers to understand their role in helping to create supportive environments for students to grow as people.  Again, what you teach is important.  But it is also very important to help students grow to be empathetic human beings who are capable of being functioning adults. 

It also means that as a mentor it becomes essential for me to provide that same support for the mentee.  The mentee will have lots of questions about the day to day ins and outs of teaching-how to do grades; what comments to put on report cards; what to say when calling parents; how to navigate student behavior in the classroom; interacting with fellow teachers; concerns about evaluations.  In the end, if you as a mentor can help your mentee grow into a more confident teacher then the mentee with be able to use that confidence to tackle all of the issues that arise.  Believing you can do it and not being afraid to ask questions or ask for help makes a person a better and more effective teacher.  So being able to leave your mentee with that confidence will be key to being an effective mentor.  Making them feel like a teacher and helping them believe in themselves as a teacher will be key.

Three quotes that really stood out to me were:
1. “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
I hope to be the type of mentor who inspires and motivates my mentee. I want them to be able to see their worth, their value and their successes/strengths. I also want them to know that it's ok to make mistakes and have failed lessons because that's how we grow and learn.

2. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
This is something that resonates with me as a mentor and simply as a human being. I strive to make others feel good about themselves each day. Life can be tough sometimes and we never know what someone is dealing with or going through in their personal life. Simple kindness and respect can have a huge impact on someone,  and every deserves to be on the receiving end of both. 

3. “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” – Steven Spielberg
This one stood out to me because although I haven't been a mentor before, I imagine it would be easy to lose sight of this during the mentorship process.  I will be sure to encourage my mentee to find what works for her and to feel that it's ok to try something different from what I might suggest or have had success with in the past. In turn, it will allow me to learn from her as well!

In this article Michelle Obama is quoted as saying, “One person might be senior and wiser and have more experience, but I’ve learned a lot from the people I mentor.” 

This really resonated with me because I hope to learn from this mentor/mentee relationship also.  In the article 5 Reasons You Need a Teacher Mentorship Program, it is said that mentoring has benefits for the veteran teacher too.  The article reads, “Mentoring can also inspire teachers to get re-energized about their own careers!”  I’m excited to work with a teacher new to Sweet Home and possible new to education and as they learn from me, I, too, can improve my own teaching methods.  As they say, iron sharpens iron!

https://www.vistage.com/research-center/personal-development/20220914-mentorship-quotes/#:~:text=Mentoring%20will%20leave%20you%20feeling%20inspired&text=Iron%20sharpens%20iron.,from%20the%20people%20I%20mentor.”&text=If%20you%20want%20to%20lift%20yourself%20up%2C%20lift%20up%20someone%20else.&text=Mentors%20change%20lives%2C%20but%20students%20change%20mentors'%20lives%20more.

1. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
   

This quote really resonates with me because I believe that building a positive bond with someone is the key to forming a healthy relationship. I think that is true in any type of relationship: those with students and those with colleagues. People remember those who take the time to get to know them, those who show they are listening to them and those who are present and in the moment. It is not as much about what you say but how you show that you care. Active listening, getting down to the person's level and being present gives the most lasting impression on a person. 
I will never forget my first teacher. I was in second grade and I had just immigrated to this country and began school at Heritage Heights. My teacher did not speak the same language as me and was not able to communicate with me. However, she immediately provided a safe and loving environment for me. She showed me that safety by her calming demeanor, her empathetic nature and her ability to form a bond with me even though we were not able to communicate with word. This relates back to the quote because it wasn't what she said or did, it was her loving nature that made me FEEL protected, safe and loved. 
this is true in mentorship. I believe the best mentors are those woh make others feel accepted, understood and heard. This is done by building a positive relationship and rapport. When that is built, the mentee can feel more comfortable to share more and can feel comfortable to receive feedback. 

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” - Carl Jung

This quote really sticks with me in a way that reminds me of our greater purpose as teachers. It is our job to teach the standards and get students to achieve success. However, our job is bigger than that. Students remember the teachers who left a lasting impression on their souls. Teachers who "touched our human feelings", who taught more than what the tests say they needed to learn. As a mentor it is my goal to help shape our future teachers into believing this quote. As educators we must provide warmth, understanding, love, patience, guidance, acceptance. Much more than what the curriculum offers!

The quote that stuck out to me was: “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” – Steven Spielberg

This sticks out to me because though we can learn a lot from veteran teachers, the goal is that we become our own great teacher. We all have different personalities, different strengths, and bring different things to the classoom- this is true for new teachers, as well. I can easily tell people how I do things in my own class, but that does not mean it is the best way, or that it will work in a different classroom with different personalities, ages, content, etc. Instead, as much of the content has pointed out, it's a mentors job to see what the goals of the mentee is, what they want observed, what their needs are, and support them in working towards those with their own skills and habits, rather than making them someone they are not. This is absolutely done through time, encouragement, and allowing the mentee to ask questions, share concerns, and find resources and tools that will help them become the best teacher they can be. 

1. “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better.” – Steve Jobs
2. Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin
   
3. The best way to learn is to learn from the best. -Margaret Mead
   
   

These quotes stand out to me because mentorship in education is about developing self-reflective, innovative and inspiring educators. My mentee will be part of the Sweet Home legacy and I want to make sure that this new hire feels welcomed, feels safe to confide and learn from me and will in turn feel confident enough to become a mentor themselves one day.

When I was in my final interview for Sweet Home I provided them with a lyric from the song - I was Here by Lady Antebellum. I feel that within the time in Sweet Home I have been able to learn and maintain balance on my own. I have been able to live up to these lyrics with my students and I am excited to finally be able to live up to these lyrics with a new teacher. Make a difference! Another quote is my own personal mission statement- inspire others to be great. I have this posted in my classroom. These are the lyrics to the song- "I wanna do something that matters, Say something different, Something that sets the whole world on its ear I wanna do something better, With the time I've been given, And I wanna try, To touch a few hearts in this life, Leave nothing less, Than something that says, "I was here""

This quote from the website caught my attention: "Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction."  -John C Crosby
This quote summarizes the ways in which I hope to support my mentee. I like that it is succinct and actionable. Rereading it will quickly focus my attention on what I need to DO in order to be the greatest help to the mentee. It also conveys that the mentee is the driver of the mentor relationship - they decide the topics about which they will pick my brain, they speak the words that I will listen to, and when I have an idea that the mentee can use, I only provide a push in a direction. Ultimately, the mentee decides whether or not to take that path, and how quickly they want to travel.

One of my favorite quotes is by Pablo Picasso "“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” This quote summarizes the impetus that underlies my desire to mentor another teacher.