Theteachersweneverforget

　　Inthecourseofoureducationalexperiences,therearethemanyteacherswhoaregood,thefewteacherswhoaregreatandthehandfulofteachersweneverforget.Asapsychologistwhodoesresearchonteaching,Ihavebeeninterestedinthecharacteristicsoftheteachersweneverforget.Whatdotheseteachershaveincommon?

　　Iamblessedtohavehadfoursuchunforgettableteachers:

　　Thefirstwasmyfourth-gradeteacher,Mrs.Alexa.IhaddonepoorlyongroupIQtestsasachild,andasaresult,wasexpectedtobeapoorstudent.Ihadfulfilledtheexpectationssetforme,andhadbecomeapoorstudent.Mrs.Alexa,whoexpectedmuchmoreofme,pulledmeoutofmygentlyrollingdescenttowardthedepthsofabysmalacademicachievement,andhelpedmetransformmyselfintoanAstudent.

　　Thesecondteacherwasmyundergraduatementor,EndelTulving.Hetaughtmethatthefactthatmanypsychologists(orotherscientists)believesomethingtobetruedoesnotmakeittrue.Indeed,heoftenseemedtobeskepticalofexactlythebeliefspsychologistsholdmostdear.Hewaswillingto"defythecrowd."Healsotaughtmetheimportanceofdoingnotjustgoodwork,butmyabsolutebest.

　　Thethirdteacherwasmygraduatementor,GordonBower.Hetaughtmetheimportanceoffollowingone'sownintellectualpassion.Bowerhashadmanysuccessfulstudents,Ithink,inlargepartbecauseheknewwhentointervene,butalsowhentoleavehisstudentsalonetofindtheirownnicheandtofindthemselves.Healsotaughtmetheimportanceoflifebeyondthegrovesofacademe.

　　Andthefourthteacher,WendellGarner,wasmyfacultymentorwhenIbecameanassistantprofessor.Hetaughtmethatoneisjudgedbythepositivecontributionsonemakes.Allpsychologistsspendsomepartoftheircareercritiquingtheworkofothers.Garnershowedmethatthepsychologistswhoarerememberedarethosewhohavesomethingpositiveandimportanttosay.

　　Whattheseteachershaveincommon,Ibelieve--whatsetsthemapart--isthattheyarewhatIhavecometocalltransformationalmentors,whomIwilldistinguishfromtransactionalmentors.Thetermstransformationalandtransactionalaredrawnfromtheliteratureonleadership(see,e.g.,Bass1998)but,whenappliedtomentorship,theyhaveasomewhatdifferentmeaning.

　　Mostmentorsaretransactionalmentors--peoplewithwhomonehasmeaningfultransactions.Thementorisprofessionallyandpersonallysupportive,asourceofadvice,asoundingboardwhenastudentneedsone,andahelperintimesofdistress.Atransformationalmentorisallofthesethings,plussomethingmore:Heorsheinspiresone,revealsnewwaysofunderstandingprofessionalandpersonalmatters,andmotivatesonetotranscendwhooneistobecomeadifferentkindofprofessionaland,perhaps,person.Heorsheliterallytransformsone'smentalworld,andsometimesone'sphysicalworldaswell.Whatsetsapartthefourspecificmentorsmentionedaboveisthattheytransformedmylife.

　　Whenweprepareourstudentstoteach,perhapsthemostimportantthingwecanteachthemishowtobecometransformationalmentors.Thereisnooneformulaforbecomingatransformationalmentor:Rather,asmentors,wemustcapitalizeonourindividualstrengthstofindwaystoenterthisrole.ButIthinktransformationalmentorshaveincommonthattheyarewillingtoinspiretheirstudentsincertainways.