My Experiece as a Protege by Lisa Duran

I graduated from California State University at Hayward in 1996, with my BA in English. I worked in the publishing industry for several years, but although I enjoyed many aspects of my job (training, mentoring, and being involved in the writing process), I wanted something more. Teaching English seemed like the perfect career for me, so I went back to school last year to get my MA. Early in my coursework, I was exposed to composition theory. Through the writing, thinking, and learning processes that I learned in these classes, I realized that teaching a student to write is basically teaching them how to find their own voice. I’m very much looking forward to a career teaching composition at the college level so I can be a part of this very worthwhile process. My experience in the mentor program was crucial in helping to prepare me for this work.

As a mentee, I had the opportunity to observe a good teacher, my mentor, firsthand. I had the chance to experiment and practice what I had learned in my composition theory courses, and I was able to make mistakes in an environment in which I felt completely safe. I also received immediate feedback—from my students and from my mentor—about how I could improve as a teacher. As a result of this experience, I gained confidence about being in front of a class, I learned some wonderfully useful teaching skills, and I began to clarify my teaching philosophy.

My mentor introduced me to the class as her "co-instructor" for the course. This gave me immediate credibility with the class and made me feel like a "real teacher." As I worked with the students, I could see that what I said and what I did affected them. And I was pleasantly surprised to see that what they said and what they did had just as great an effect on me. I was hooked!

I next planned a day’s worth of lessons and taught the class alone; my mentor left the classroom for part of the time. I spent the morning before class in a horrible state of nervousness. After the first few minutes of class my anxiety dissipated, and I made it through the rest of the class just fine. But I feel fortunate to have faced this stage fright (and to know that I can withstand it) early in my career.

Later in the quarter, and using my mentor’s syllabus as a guideline, I created my own week of lessons. Some of my activities were effective and some were not. After talking with some of the other English teachers , I learned that these ups and downs happen to everyone. Getting to know the other instructors in my department was another benefit of this program.

As a mentee, I also learned some very valuable teaching skills. One of which is the importance of flexibility. One day, I had seen my mentor seamlessly revise her lesson plan to accommodate the needs of the class, so I knew that flexibility was a necessary part of good teaching. Later in the quarter, during one of my lessons, I realized that the students were not ready for the exercise I had planned for them, and so I had to revise my plan. I was pleased to see how hard they worked that day, and it made me realize how important it is for students to feel that what they are doing is important and has a real purpose.

At the end of the quarter, my students wrote evaluations of me and my teaching. Their comments were not only very encouraging but will also be invaluable in helping me to teach my next class. My experience also helped me to begin to define my teaching philosophy. I have a much better idea now of the kind of learning environment I want for my students and for myself. I’m now very eager to put my newfound philosophy and all that I’ve learned into practice. And as a result of my experience in the mentor program, I feel that I’m ready.

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