COACHING AND MENTORING - PART III

 KAREN’S COACHING - PART III

LOVE COACHING AND MENTORING

American Author Mark Twain wrote: “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

If you really love your students, your clients, and your job as a coach and encourager, then you won’t have to “WORK” a day in your life.  That’s not quite true.  Most jobs have some aspect of work involved with them.  Maybe you love working with your students and clients, but you don’t like doing the paperwork and billing.  (Of course, as a professor, coaching and mentoring were in effect paid for by my employment. - and thus, I didn’t have to send bills to my clients and do statements).

Some examples:

At the University of Texas, I had at least two freshman “Introduction to Management Information Systems” every semester.  It was a required course for Business Students.  As such, students who already knew they were majoring in marketing, or accounting, or finance were forced to take this class.  

Do you remember taking classes that were outside your major?  Do you remember talking to your advisor “Why do I need to take that class?  I want to be a finance major.  That course is not relevant for me”.  

These freshman classes frequently had seventy-five to eighty students in them.  Three things of significance happened on that first day.  First, I came into the room and loudly yelled “WOOOO”.  Then after an introduction to the course, the syllabus, and related learning actives, I gathered a student information form - with name, hometown, major, goals in life, favorite hobbies and activities.  Then for the last fifteen minutes of class, I said “hi” to each student so I could see them and start the “getting to know you” process.  

On the second day, I had a seating chart - generally alphabetical by last name. An between the first day and second day, I spent several hours reading their information chart and looking at the student pictures on my class roster.  I wanted to know these students BY NAME.  (And, of course, greeted the class with a WOOOO.

Actually, this was WORK.  As I walked through the corridors, I might recognize a student (or previous student), and I wanted to be able to call them by name.  To be an effective coach, mentor, teacher, I needed to know my students.  After a could of semesters, I could pick out students I had - but I didn’t always remember their name.  I generally could remember which class in which semester, and where they sat.  

For those who are coaches, you need to know your clients.  

Now, in class, I NEVER wanted to embarrass any of my students.  If a student wrote “This is my fourth time taking this class” I didn’t say that in class.  Instead I got to know that student and reassure him or her that we were going to make it this time.  

I did do a little harassment in class though,  I ,might say: “Hey Bob, we missed you the other day.” if Bob hadn’t been in class.  It got so that students would send me an email if they were going to be gone.  They knew that I knew if they weren’t in class.

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Coaches - do you really KNOW your clients?

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A colleague of mine put it differently.  He said that his students had parents and others that were concerned about them.  Kind of like the Golden Rule of treating others as you want to be treated, I wanted to treat this students like the pride and joy of their parents.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith wanted this son/daughter to do well in college and get a good job and a good life.  So, I also wanted their son/daughter to do well in college and have a great future.  

These were my clients - and I wanted them (or their parents) to paid me for teaching them.  It wasn’t the State of Texas that was paying me, it really was Mr. and Mrs. Chavez, Jones, Smith, Kolwaksky, Lee, or whoever.  

*****

Be involved with your clients.  I’ve been to a lot of soccer, baseball, hockey, basketball, football games, and to a lot of concerts and bought a lot of raffle tickets from their student organizations.  I’m not a big soccer fan, but I went to be able to say “Sara, that was a great soccer game last weekend.”.  (Or, it was too bad that our team didn’t win).  One sorority sponsored professor dinners and when I was invited, I went.  I attended the Hispanic Business Majors club events.  

As I understand it, Osama Bin Laden studied for a time in the United States.  Did any of his teachers get to know him - and befriend him?  I don’t think so.  

I wanted my students to know I cared about them, knew them by name, and wanted them to succeed.  (And that’s a form of LOVE!!!)

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So, part three of the updated Coaching and Mentoring course.

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, January 2025