3. CHOOSE RIGHT: Teacher / Mentor

.... All key factors should be managed at top level. Of course many of us cannot reach the maximum of each key factor.

Let's continue with

Teacher or Mentor

Many successful performing acts have good or very interesting tricks. To have good tricks and to present them every day at good level you will need to have good techniques. For good techniques you will need to have a good teacher. In case you are really talented and do not find a teacher you can manage to do it with a mentor.

What is the different between teacher and mentor?

The teacher helps you, shows you everything, usually 5 days a week. The mentor is not taking part in the whole practice process, and is does not teach daily. He gives you guidelines when you have reached a point or milestone in you practice session. Teachers and mentors are like "GPS" navigation systems: you give the starting point and the final destination and they will guide you through the route. You drive, the mentor gives you the right directions, the teacher beside the navigation helps you steering the wheel by sitting next to you.

Also there are differences between students: talented student, good student, average student ....

Many people think that students who work hard and are continuously gaining practical knowledge are talented students. In my point of view they are not talented students, they are "good students" and can be tought by a good teacher. They follow all the orders of the teacher and sooner or later they will have good results at the end. Talented people hardly accept the teacher's advice as they "know" how to do many daily exercises by following their inner sense. That is the reason why they need mostly mentors, they want definite guidelines during their practice process.

"If you want to learn a specific subject find a teacher. If you want to hone specific skills or reach an exact goal, hire a coach. If you want to get smarter and better over your career find someone who cares about you enough to be a mentor."   - Steve Blank 

Some interesting articles about coaches, teachers, mentors:

• Steve Blank: Teachers, Coaches and Mentors
• BREFI Group: Coaching and mentoring – the difference
• Jonathan Gilburg: Should You Teach, Coach or Mentor?

The following flow diagram shows the aspect of the teachers/mentors to reach his or her dream:

teacher/mentor > person > techniques > tricks > performing act

In many circus schools the teacher choose the students as he has the routine to determine the right circus arts discipline for the student. In some circus schools or studios the student (or the student's parents) are looking for a teacher in the discipline that the student has chosen.

When you choose a teacher you have to consider the following factors:

• The knowledge of the teacher
• Personal skills (e.g. good pedagogue, cooperation, - must see video about empathy-)
• Motivation (e.g. awards, be the best...)

In my opinion when you find a teacher who is good in two out of the three above mentioned factors, it will work well in long term to reach your goals.

Why?

Study Case Low Knowledge: 
The teacher is open (Personal Skill) to study and to improve his knowledge (Motivation).

Study Case Low Personal Skills:
The teacher has good working routine (Knowledge) and wants to be the "best teacher" (Motivation).

Study Case Low Motivation: 
The teacher has good working routine (Knowledge) and  has good connection with his student (Personal Skill).

Now you know how to evaluate a teacher but which type of teacher do you need?

People say: the average teacher  interprets,  the good teacher explains, the perfect teacher demonstrates and the very best teacher inspires!

One day the swimming  coach said to his tstudents:

"What  in the the world is this 30% effort? You do not need a coach for this. Give 100% and then he can help by getting more out of you. Between 30% - 90% you only need a slave-driver!"

And here is another interesting story:

"Moussambani, 33, has been named the Equatorial Guinea Olympic swimming team coach for this year's games in London ... Moussambani trained for Sydney in a hotel pool back home and had learned to swim less than a year earlier. His efforts, to some observers, embodied the Olympic spirit where participation is more important than winning." - foxsports.com.au

How can a teacher or student determine that the teacher is a good educator?

One of my student has given the following answer:

1. Does the student give the respect to the teacher?
2. Does the student continuously improve his skills over time?
3. Does the student look forward to go to practice?

"Ask the young. They know everything" - Joseph Joubert

We all need a teacher or mentor. I had also some as I wanted to get in the circus industry. My teachers were my parents. They thought me and I became a springboard artist within four years. While working together with my partner (over 20 years!) we always needed someone during our practice session who has had an objective aspect of our work. At that time it was my father who helped us, no longer as a teacher but as a mentor. Besides working I have been studying for 12 years and received three university degrees. There too I had two consultants in these periods. Now I am building an IT business company and even now I have looked for a mentor as this is a totally different industry for me. Through the National Innovation Office I got one, let'see how this will work out...

My next blog will continue with the first key factors: Tricks, Techniques, Teacher or Mentor, Student / Teacher Configuration.

Until than CHOOSE RIGHT!!!


All the best..... be the best!

György Losonczi