By: Dawn Casey-Rowe Teachers give homework. Mentors change lives. If schools replaced teachers with mentors, classrooms would be revolutionized forever. This isn’t semantics – it’s a paradigm shift...
As we redesign schools, we have a unique opportunity to find practices that work and use them. Mentoring is one of those practices. I don’t want to be a teacher anymore. Teachers give tests and assign homework.
I want to be a mentor. I want to support students as they create the masterpieces that will be their lives.
I can only do this if we make school less about the test and more about the mission–treating students like the unique individuals they are with gifts that will change the world.
Excellent insights! The mentor/student relationship is a significant part of the learning process for all students at all stages of their education. A mentor is more than a teacher or advisor. A mentor accompanies the student on their personal journey, advising and giving feedback along the way. Many students--either consciously or unconsciously--crave additional guidance from educators, but may not know how to seek out that guidance. Mentoring programs--in which students can talk to teachers or other educational mentors in a setting that is less formal than the classroom--provide a structured opportunity for students to do this. A well-planned and executed mentoring program could help define goals and means for students to stay on track, learn and grow.
I must agree completely with this article. There must be a clear shift within classrooms to allow students to access their learning in more efficient was. Sadly however most parents do not have an understanding of this idea and therefore may have opposition to their children learning from their own experiences with the teacher supporting them along the way.
Help support students as they create the masterpieces that will be their lives!