Lessons from Rafe Esquith

Another great mentor is Rafe Esquith who taught students in low-income areas. Some great lessons to learn from him:

• Tell students that you aren't smarter than they are, just more experienced.
• Show students every day how they have grown intellectually.
• Have high standards and teach them how to reach those high standards.
• Tell children when they are behind and develop a plan to help them catch up.
• Be willing to work with students before school, after school, during school vacations to help them master their subjects.

Resource for these attributes of Rafe Esquith: Mindset by Dr. Carol S. Dweck

Lessons Learned From Marva Collins

Associating with and learning from great educators helps us become great educators. Marva Collins is an excellent mentor. What we can learn from her--someone who taught Chicago children who had been judged and discarded:

• She was fascinated with the process of learning and continues to learn along with the students.
• On the first day of school she promised all her students that they would learn and she forged a contract with them.
• She didn't blame the students for any lack of success they had experienced. She blamed the system for failing them.
• She set extremely high standards for all the students and taught them words and concepts way beyond their grasp at first. She taught them how to reach the high standards.
• She created an atmosphere of genuine acceptance and cared about every student.

These characteristics of Marva Collins come from the book: Mindset by Dr. Carol S. Dweck