25 Year Teaching Award  -  Elva Jean Bolin

In Praise of Mentors

Remember when you first started teaching music? You had just graduated from some distinguished university and the gold ink was still wet on your BME degree. You had studied hard and written lengthy papers on all kinds of things that you soon discovered have no practical use. You thought that you know all that there was to know about teaching music. You were an expert who could hardly wait for the fun to start.

Then you got your own music room and it wasn’t as easy as it had seemed. You discovered much to your surprise that you were not teaching the subject of music, you were teaching kids! None of the lessons you had so carefully planned in college worked with these kids. You couldn’t seem to make a lesson plan that keep some students on-task and engaged, much less all of them. Remember the panic that gripped your whole being. Remember the thoughts like: “I can’t do this.” “They didn’t teach me anything about this in my music education classes.” “I just wasted four years of my life and a ridiculous amount of money.” “What do I do now?”

Then think back and remember the wonderful person who became your mentor. The dictionary defines mentor as “a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person”. Margaret Cassario was my mentor back in the days before that term was in commonly used. She worked side by side with me – observing, modeling, suggesting, encouraging…. She guided me so gently that I didn’t realize that I had just been corrected. She challenged me to think for myself. She encouraged me to stretch beyond my “comfort zone”. She was always there to pick me up when I fell down.

Years ago, Margaret gave me this advice, “Whatever you do, do it with enthusiasm.” That one short phrase is the best advice I have ever received. I have shared it with my students, student interns and student teachers. Margaret was and she still is my greatest cheerleader!! Thank you, Margaret!!

So, as you remember your mentor, I challenge you to do these things. First, if your mentor is still alive, write a note expressing your gratitude for all that you learned. Tell which piece of advice you use again and again. Second, find a new music teacher and become a mentor. Unlike classroom teachers in our school buildings who have another teacher at the same grade level, music teachers have no one within the building. Third, find one of your students who might like to become a music teacher. Give them the opportunity to do some teaching under your mentorship.

Remember that you can never, ever repay the person who was your mentor. You can do the same for someone else! Pass It On!!

By Elva Jean Bolin
Peoria Elementary School
Aurora Public Schools
December 31, 2006