Employed to Mentor and Teach!

I am now a mentor for BYU's freshman athletes. I will be assigned members of the track, volleyball, and basketball teams. I honestly am so excited about this position because I will be helping students establish good study skills, time management methods, and good university habits as they try to succeed academically while also playing their sports.

I realized in class last night, that my classes often feel like spiritual experiences. Not because they are religious, but because as I learn to be a teacher, I am preparing to serve humanity and lift my students to reach their potential, to build positive self-esteem, and to feel accepted and loved. These are my goals. More than teaching the subject of English, I am excited to teach young people. It's like we learned as missionaries, "teach the people, not the lessons."

In class, we discussed the concept of "home team," where students have a safe, fun, and loving environment. At sport events, the student body only cheers positively its team, and does not boo the opponent. That builds confidence and self worth. The players feel safe to play, safe to make mistakes, and safe to lose. This opens their minds to succeeding.

I realized that when I was in high school, I didn't feel a part of the home team when I played volleyball. I was afraid to mess up. I was afraid to be daring because of that. When my coach made a comment about the Mormon tabernacle choir, my confidence shrunk even more. Eventually, my junior year, I didn't even try out because I didn't feel good about myself while playing on the team. I also never tried out for softball, another favorite sport because I was afraid of not making it or not performing well in practices or games. These were such lost opportunities and I regret them so much. I regret not playing. It was directly a result of self-esteem issues. Though academically I excelled, part of my development failed.

That is what "home team" is meant to prevent. It is a feeling to build students up and to help them be themselves at their bests. I am so excited to help in this endeavor.