lara mentorship

For the final assignment of the year I will be reflecting upon this semester in my mentorship class. First and foremost I would like to say that my second period mentorship class is the best class I have ever been part of. No other placement could have been a better fit for me. This ESL class and this experience as a whole is something I will never forget. I have learned so much from every student and Mrs. DiTullio. They welcomed me into their class and allowed me to be who I am and feel comfortable. It makes me so sad knowing that these are my last couple of weeks with the class.

The students taught me so much about gratitude. Hearing all these students stories and backgrounds really made me appreciate how lucky I am to have been born in Canada. Some conditions the students were in before were heartbreaking but it warms my heart knowing they can all feel safe in this community that has welcomed them with open arms They taught me that there is so much more to a person than what we know. They taught me that every person is unique in their own way. Each student has such a kind heart that inspires me to be the best person I could possibly be. I owe a lot of what I learned this semester to these 10 wonderful students who have helped me see the world from a different better perspective. Mrs. DiTullio is also a big factor in the amount that I learned from this experience. She taught me that a challenge is nothing but a challenge that we can always overcome if at least try. Mrs. DiTullio deals with students who struggle to speak English every single day yet this is a challenge she overcomes every single day of her life for the education of the students. She is such a patient and forgiving human whom I admire very much. The most important lesson I have learned from her is that no matter what I'm going through I should always be who I am and not let anyone tell me otherwise.I have gained so much self love and confidence from this experience. Best of all I get to walk away from this experience with 11 new amazing friends.

The most surprising thing I have learned is how open these students are to learning. Even though some struggle with the language they were always so determine and always tried their absolute best. Another thing I noticed is that they struggled with answering questions they were being asked in class. It was frustrating at times but you still could feel the passion they had for learning. What I realized was that they understood the material and knew what was happening in the class but they were scared. They were scared of being wrong. I hope that these students can realize that it is okay to be wrong and making mistakes is how you learn in life. I hope I was able to help them in the class even in the slightest way possible.

Education from a student's view is much different than a teacher's view. I definitely think this experience has taught me that teachers deserve more credit they do for what they do for students. Most teachers work so hard to make sure the students are getting the absolute best education. Teachers can be so patient with students it's unbelieveable. Going through this experience i've noticed that it's okay to lose patience sometimes and that there is no such thing as the perfect teacher. Something else that I have observed is that students are not the only ones learning in the the classroom. Teachers are learning from the students the same way the students are learning from the teacher. Take me for an example, I learned so much from the students in my mentor class when I was supposed to go in there and help them learn. Life is a constant learning experience and the learning never stops. As an anonymous author stated, “never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.”

In terms of my career plans I am still very unsure about what I plan to do with my future. My placement in this class has made things slightly more clear. One thing that I am sure of is that no matter what I do in life I always want to be able to put my best efforts into making others happy and helping others when they need someone. Also, what I do know is that I would like to study within the field of law and social sciences.

The most important thing I learned from my mentor teacher is to be grateful for what I have in my life and not to take anything for granted. She taught me that to succeed in life you have to work hard. Nothing comes easy in life and working hard pays off in the long run. These are all lessons that I will keep with with me for the rest of my life.

Some advice I would give someone taking this course is not to let your fears stop you from doing your absolute best. Take advantage of the time you have in your placement. Don’t be afraid to become friends with the students. Those students are a big part of my life now and I do think of us all as friends. Each student has inspired me in a different way. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to your mentor teacher or ask her for help. Whether it is for other classes or mentorship assignments your teacher will be more than happy to help. Last but not least, have fun, work hard and put your best efforts into everything you do during this journey.

I am so glad I was recommended to take this course. It has helped me in so many ways. I have grown not only as a student but also as an individual. I would recommend this course to anyone and if I could take it again I would. At first I thought mentoring an ESL class would be difficult, turns out all you need is patience and an open mind. The biggest lesson I am taking out of all of this is that every student has the ability to learn no matter the circumstances, we just all learn at our own pace. Like George Evans said, “ Every student can learn, just on the same day or in the same way.”