“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.
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.