Quote:
Originally Posted by liviamarrs
So I was wondering if there was any advice for getting around the original advice. How do you make your friends respect you as an authority figure to some extent and focus on guidance rather than providing the solutions?
|
I started mentoring my high school team the year after I graduated. While it may not work for some teams, I think it went without any major problems. I found that instead of working solely with my existing friends, who were seniors on the team at the time, working with the younger students who you may not know as well was a great way to start my mentorship. I ended up heading the electrical team and had two freshmen who I taught, and by the time state champs and worlds came around, they had the skills to keep their robot rolling when I couldn't be there.
It's hard to stop yourself from jumping in and finishing the robot yourself, but for me, it's incredibly rewarding when those younger students go through a season and really start to see themselves as a vital part to the team, and can voice their opinions to the veteran students and mentors.
As for not mentoring a team that you were a student on, I disagree. Some of the most helpful and passionate mentors I know have been with teams since their conception when they were in high school, and that drive continues to push their teams to do the best that they can. Of course, every team has their own dynamic, but I truly think that having those young college mentors help strengthen teams.