" everyone learns through their heart"

That is an incredibly powerful statement, Michael.  Wow.

On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Michael Tate <mtate at sbctc.edu> wrote:


>  All,

>

>

>

> I think adult education is more art than science.  I think we learn the art

> from our mentors.

>

>

>

> Our organized PD efforts tend to get less than we hope for, because they

> tend to focus on the science.  I’ve been involved in adult education since

> the mid-1970s and for all that time, our PD efforts have been about

> standardization in one form or another, when teaching and learning is really

> about personalization.

>

>

>

> My mentors have always brought me back to the idea of personalization,

> whether they guided me to student-centered lessons, or the use of evocative,

> authentic materials, or creating a classroom of acceptance, playfulness and

> discovery.

>

>

>

> We train new teachers about learning styles; I hope they have a mentor like

> mine who’ll tell them that, really, everyone learns through their heart.

>

>

>

> New teachers are told to be multi-sensorial in their instruction; maybe,

> they’ll have a mentor like mine who’ll suggest a simulation where the

> student LIVES the lesson, or that a game can take the student farther than

> grammar, or that imagination is more important than cognition, or that the

> subconscious is where the student lives.

>

>

>

> Courage grows through mentoring, for both the mentor and the other.

>

>

>

> Michael Tate

>

>

>

>

>

> *From:* specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:

> specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] *On Behalf Of *David J. Rosen

> *Sent:* Monday, September 28, 2009 5:09 PM

> *To:* specialtopics at nifl.gov

> *Subject:* [SpecialTopics 1413] No mentoring in Adult Literacy?

>

>

>

> Colleagues,

>

>

>

> I am disappointed at the poor response to these two questions about

> mentoring. Perhaps you have meant to reply but have put it off. Don't delay

> much longer. This discussion ends tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29th.

>

>    - * **Have you been formally or informally mentored by an experienced

>    adult education leader? If so, was that a positive experience? If so, what

>    made it especially beneficial?***

>

>

>    - *Have you mentored a potential adult literacy education leader? If

>    so, was that a positive experience? If so, what do you think was especially

>    effective?*

>

>  Maybe not many people in our field have mentored someone, or have been

> mentored. If so, we may have a serious leadership problem. Leadership

> requires good models, of course, but would-be leaders also need help,

> support, encouragement, people who believe in them, people who will take the

> time to show them how to be effective.

>

>

>

> I have been mentored and I have mentored. My mentors did not necessarily

> think of themselves as my "mentor", and I am sure the people I have mentored

> have thought of me more as just someone who cared enough about them to

> answer their questions, take them seriously, suggest some other ways of

> solving problems, and most important, someone who believed they had the

> makings of good leadership and wanted to see them succeed.

>

>

>

> I am less interested in whether we have formal mentorships with that name,

> although these might be useful. I am interested to know whether mentoring is

> taking place, if people new to our field are getting the support they need

> to be education leaders.

>

>

>

> Now is the time to speak up, please. What and how is our field doing with

> mentoring? Even if all you have to say about this is "I never thought about

> this before. I have never seen mentoring in this field. What is it?" now

> would be a good time to say that.

>

>

>

> Of course, if you have mentored or been mentored, tell us about that, too.

>

>

>

> David J. Rosen

>

> Special Topics Discussion Moderator

>

> djrosen at theworld.com

>

>

>

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-- 
Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
Community Writer for NEWS AND MESSENGER
www.insidenova.com
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