I Don't Teach, I Mentor too

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It all begin after long hours of class. I sat in my chair and I stared at my students' eyes. Clearly, none of us wanted to be here. The faculty decided that my students were able to pay attention for four hours, covering four chapters of theories on testing and evaluation. It was rather obvious that bureaucracy prevailed over rational thought.

My students were staring at me, their eyes were screaming for mercy. Hoping that perhaps I would allow them to leave before four hours was up. I however, could not allow them leave because, you know.. bureaucracy. So we were all in the class and I thought that we all had a little chat just for a break. My main question to them was how they felt about staying in class for four that long. It turns out that many a times, being caught up with finishing the syllabus, we neglect the students' need to be mentored.

The students on that day were not interested to learn about evaluation, they were looking to be inspired. As such, I began a more personal approach to them, talking and sharing about personal stories that hopefully would inspire them. From that day, I learnt the difference between teaching and mentoring.

The Difference

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I am only required to teach. All I have to do is enter into the class, teach, present my point and leave. No one will fault me for not doing my job. Mentoring in my opinion, requires me to lead and inspire. To do so, I would have to find out what issues they are facing and help them overcome it through the content that I am teaching. Of course, that is an extra step that is unnecessary.

However, the results are different. I've seen many who do not form a relationship with the students they teach. True, it is important to keep the students at a healthy distance. The thing is, I find that the students often question why they should do the 'right thing' as deemed by society. Take for example, why should they even bother coming to class seeing that what they learn may not be applied in their future?

That's where mentoring comes in. The teacher in this case would have to step away from the textbook and start guiding the students to make sense of life in general. In fact, the teacher may need to spend a long time just to lay the foundation necessary for the students to be receptive towards the content that will be taught. Being a teacher trainer, I once had a class full of teacher trainees who did not want to be there at all. Most were there because they were forced to. Thus, it took me a long time to mentor them, prepare them and guide them to be receptive towards the content taught.

The Importance

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Aside from parents, the teacher is probably the second most influential person in the student's life. Thus, I take the opportunity to talk to the students about the importance of what they are learning, just to prepare them for the future that is ahead. Growing up in a rather traditional education system, the focus is frequently on the exam results. Even some of the best students crack under the immense exam pressure. Some on the other hand go through life not really knowing why they study this hard for.

By taking the time to speak with them , I help them make sense of what they are doing. I try to shift their focus away from the textbook. Some students for example would claim that school is useless and they should start working instead of continuing their studies. I would then paint two scenarios of how they would end up if they started work early as compared to them going to university. Of course, I tell them about the famous people who have dropped out of college but have still gone on to make millions. They however, had a plan and an idea before doing so. I would then challenge them to have an idea that would change the world. If they do not have one, I would encourage them to continue to work hard, pointing out that the learning process builds their creativity and maturity.

Conclusion

As much as I enjoy teaching, I enjoy mentoring my students as much too. Perhaps they remind me of me when I was younger, hating the system and wanting to give up. Perhaps talking to them on a personal level makes teaching more engaging. Whichever the reason, I find that it has helped me in motivating them to learn better. That's because amidst all the crazy academic requirements that they face, they know that someone is there to guide them and help them.

Thus, it is my opinion that teachers should not just teach, they should mentor as well.

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