Transitioning From Student to Mentor

[Andy A.]

My full response would really just be rewording previous posts. It seems like a lot of students who turn mentor have similar experiences readjusting.

I will say that my attitude towards 'I need to be a mentor not a student' has mellowed over the years since I left high school and transitioned to being a coach. I've come to realize that it's probably more important for me to be having fun then to reach some ideal of having students do everything. Part of having fun, for me, is to be hands on with the robot sometimes. So I do that.

It's a balance, but I think the less I agonize about it the better I get at finding it. It's also not something you have to get right immediately, or every time. 'Coach' is something you grow into, and no one should expect to occupy that role comfortably right away.