Part 3 Mentor Inspiration

1. “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey

Since I head into any new situation with hope, this resinates with me. We need to always start with the positives and uplift people in new and difficult situations.  It helps calm them and empower them.

“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

Years ago in our district we studied the Johnson and Johnson model to identify if you are a thinker, feeler, judger or perceiver when dealing with situations.  I lead with feeling.  It is my job to make my new peer feel welcome, secure, competent and a sense of love.  This will build the trust we need for a successful relationship. 

“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 

The competency built through our human interactions will help them use the curriculum as a tool to make connections with their students in the same way we have made a connection.  

"Your mentors in life are important, choose them wisely."  Bill Walsh

     When I started at Sweet Home there wasn't a Mentor Program available to me, but I quickly formed a bond with my SpEd roommate.  She had over 25 years of experience and was willing to answer every one of my questions and any concerns I had.  I quickly learned that she was a highly-respected teacher in the building and an integral part of the Heritage Heights culture.  She was involved in many extra-curricular activities/clubs-always finding ways to be involved with the kids.  She was always full of ideas and helpful hints to help me get through my first year of teaching.  She was always willing to take the time to sit down with me and listen to all of my concerns, self-doubts in my abilities, and my inability to find a healthy balance in my school/home life.  I now realize she really was my mentor in school and out of school.  She is the reason I am asking to be a mentor next school year, so I can listen to a new teacher's frustrations, be honest, positive and helpful in any way.


"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

     That is so true!   I remember in my first few years of teaching, my building principal would frequently stop by my room at the end of the day and tell me that she like how I did something during one of my lessons that day.  It was great to hear, since I was spending tons of time prepping for all of my groups and I wasn't always feeling confident in my results.  Having her say that reinforced the idea that I was on the right track.  She would also put notes in our mailboxes, stating that she saw something that we did, while teaching, that she thought was great.  As a new teacher, that really helped me trust myself and my abilities as a teacher-she made me feel like I could do it, that I belonged in this field and that I had something to offer my kids.    Unfortunately, we all have had moments when someone made us feel less-than and we can carry this with us throughout our lives.  My goal with my students is to always make them feel like they can do anything they put their mind to.  It may be challenging and they might fail, but taking the risk is worth it.    

“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 has always been a favorite of mine and one I use in my classroom when I talk with students about first impressions/how you treat others. I think more than anything, a mentor should help their mentee feel safe, comfortable and accepted in the school. It is an important role that should be taken seriously and treated thoughtfully, leaving the mentee feeling positive about the relationship built between you for years to come and knowing that they always have a trusted person in their corner.

As I read my colleagues posts, I saw another quote that also resonated with me (Thanks Denea!) :)

"Be the person you needed when you were younger." - Ayesha Siddiqi   

I luckily had an awesome mentor who was there for me in my younger teaching years and pushed me to be confident in myself however I can still recall instances of uncertainty or times I did not feel confident enough to share/speak up/advocate for myself. I hope in my role as mentor, I always make sure to be that person for my mentee so they always have the strength and confidence in themselves and are never left feeling like they did not have someone in a time of need. I relate to the quote as a parent as well and often remind myself to be the person my daughter deserves to have as a parent and to put her first every step of the way. It is also a great reminder to all educators to be the teacher you may have been lucky enough to have had or the teacher you wished you had as a child for your current students. 

I found two quotes that I believe relate to mentoring.

“I’ve learned a lot from mentors who were instrumental in shaping me, and I want to share what I’ve learned.” – Herbie Hancock, Pianist, Composer, and Actor

“You hit home runs not by chance, but by preparation.”—Roger Maris

The first quote relates to me because it emphasizes the passing of the baton of teaching to the next generation of educators.  Passing on wisdom gained to the next wave of educators is vital for our profession. 

The second quote hits home for me because preparation is key to any success. Preparation requires execution for the attainment of goal(s).  Go Yanks!

I found several quotes that I could relate to: 

“A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future and believe it can be obtained.” – Shawn Hitchcock 

“A mentor takes people where they want to go. A great mentor takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.” – Rosalynn Carter 

“Mentoring is a two-way street. You get out what you put in.” – Steve Washington 

I connect with these quotes because despite getting a degree in education and completing student teaching your never truly prepared for the realizations you have as a first-year teacher. The excitement of bringing your materials in to prepare your classroom for the first time or the countless hours you spend creating and subsequently revising lesson plans. There is so much more that goes into preparing and planning for a successful year. Having a mentor whether it be for a brand-new teacher or an experienced teacher joining the district it's important to realize that the mentor teacher is someone who knows the way to successfully completing a school year and they are willing to spend their time showing you the way. The takeaway being that mentors are to create an environment of trust so that the mentee can improve/grow their abilities and talents as a teacher.  The last quote focuses in on how the relationship often overlooked is the fact that the relationship is equally beneficial meaning that there is mutual benefit for the parties as the mentor can improve their leadership skills, active listening, communication skills, patience and many others depending on the mentors current skills set. I could picture posting these quotes in my classroom. 

https://leaders.com/articles/executives/mentor/ ;

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-reasons-mentoring-beneficial-achieving-your-goals-johannes

"Most busy people want to mentor someone great." –Ramit Seth

Mentoring is not something you can fit in or quick or easy. It is a commitment to get to know someone and genuinely care about them. You need to be there for your mentee not just at scheduled meeting times but whenever the mentee reaches out and needs you. Even great mentees still need someone who is willing and wants to make the time for them. If you are too busy you should wait to be a mentor until you have the time to dedicate to someone. 

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.” – Dan Rather

Mentors are there to support and encourage mentees. However we are also there to help them succeed. In order to improve and make growth you need honesty. It is important to guide your mentee in nonjudgemental way but also be truthful about improvements. This doesn't mean giving suggestions and then walking away but being there through the whole process, pushing and encouraging and giving feedback. Someone who believes in you can be honest because they know you'll get there. 

"Education is the kindling of a fire, not the filling of a vessel." -Socrates
"Mentoring is motivated by love."  -JA Perez
"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

Mentoring is a labor of love.  A love of education, of children, of potential, of hope, of collegiality.. and the list goes on.  

The Newton quote (on the shoulders of giants) does hit home with me. It may sound pandering to whoever reads this, but I think about this quote every week as I am delivering my math lessons. I feel the honor and gratitude in teaching these cumulative courses. I think about the people, collaboration, time, and refinement in mathematics; in the practice of teaching it is not different. My hours of watching, filtering, creating, recreating, borrowing, and leading in the classroom all contributes to make me teacher worthy of the best that I’ve seen and worked with. As for my own quotes over the years that I have placed in my room, I do like to remind students/people that You don’t have to be great to begin, but you do have to begin to become great. Everyone was a beginner once, and even new ideas take time to process and master.

1. “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton

This quote resonated with me because I have always believed that we are a sum of our experiences.  Our experiences come from not only what we have done but also those we have interacted with and learned from.  Taking the wisdom learned by others and passing it on to the next generation so that they can continue to build and expand is part of our nature.