Once you have selected a mentor, guide or coach and have committed to a specific learning program or path, as discussed in the previous post, it is essential that you develop respect for the materials, and for the teacher.
Most of us have great difficulty proceeding with learning when we hold negative views about the teacher or about the materials. We may judge our teacher or mentor’s character, their background, their credentials, their manner of speech, their appearance or in fact anything about the teacher that we may perceive as unpleasant.
To build your capability as a learner, try to listen or read with the deepest possible respect, however the teacher or the materials may appear. In Five Sets on the Spiritual Grounds, the great Buddhist master Asanga advises students to practice the following five “inattentivenesses” whenever we listen to teachings. We should strive to be inattentive to:
- Character faults or lack of moral discipline
- Low social standing, social class or education
- Unattractive physical appearance
- Unpleasant words
- Displeasing manner of speech, use of language, or presentation
In other words Asanga is advising us to turn our attention away from a teacher’s faults, or anything about the teacher or teachings that may seem unpleasant, and instead focus on the essence of the advice the coach, mentor or teacher offers.
Developing respect does not however mean that you turn yourself into an unquestioning automaton! It makes more sense to maintain a questioning mind, seek clarification, and then put the teachings, requests or suggestions into practice.
At this point you may doubt this advice. You might think, “Yes but what if I develop a strong sense, for example, that the teacher is ineffective, or that the materials are not right for me?”
Remember first that these obstacles are arising in your mind. It may be that you have had similar unpleasant experiences in the past, for example, or that you may hold some views very firmly that are incompatible with the ideas being presented.
If you have chosen your mentor, coach or teacher carefully, and have made a commitment to the learning or training program, I would strongly recommend sticking with it and exploring the materials for as long as you can.
In any case, I would recommend not making too hasty a judgment and giving yourself time to develop a balanced sense of the mentor and his or her methods. You may want to attend several classes in the case of a long course or study program before coming to any firm conclusion about the teacher, or the materials.
Next: another in the steps to becoming a great learner – generating deep curiosity.
One of the most critical steps in becoming a great learner – or for that matter even making significant progress on your path – is to accept and embrace the need for a mentor. This step is difficult for many learners, for various reasons. We value our independence. We want the freedom to choose different teachers, or learning paths, at any time. Many of us simply do not want to admit that we need help.
Nevertheless if we observe those who have excelled in any field – artistic, scientific, athletic or spiritual, to name a few – without exception they have all relied on a highly skilled guide, teacher, coach or mentor.
Ideally this coach or mentor is somebody you can access in person, or at least via phone. It may be that you can only access this guide through books, audio or video recordings. Although not ideal the second option is preferable to having no guide at all.
Paraphrasing Dr. Jacqueline P. Leighton of the University of Alberta:
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Mentorship is critically important in helping ensure that students develop into excellent learners. These can be mentors, role models or simply teachers. Whatever you call them, they directly help students understand what they need to do to achieve a higher level of learning and performance. Ivan Galamian, famous violin teacher, made the following statement about mentors:
“If we analyze the development of the well-known artist, we see that in almost every case the success of their entire career was dependent upon the quality of their practicing. In practically each case, the practicing was constantly supervised either by a teacher or an assistant to the teacher…”
Mentors, coaches, teachers or guides must be more knowledgeable about the student’s field of study than the student. Mentors must be able to help the student achieve a greater level of learning and performance by providing accurate and detailed feedback. The feedback must be specific about the ways in which the students can improve his or her performance. Many extraordinary minds recollect the decisive role mentors had in their development of expertise. Not only do mentors teach directly and help students reduce the gap between their current level of performance and their desired level of performance, but they also inspire, motivate, and support.
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So what should we look for in a mentor, guide, teacher or coach? Here are a few characteristics of what I would consider the ideal teacher or guide in any field. He or she is:
- Delighted to be teaching, mentoring or coaching
- Wise, calm, focused and disciplined
- Very skilled in providing instructions
- Sincerely interested in benefiting you, and others
- Very knowledgeable in your chosen field of study, and more knowledgeable than you
Of course your chosen mentor may not possess all of these qualities, or they may not be apparent right away. I suggest that if you are not so fortunate to find someone with all of these characteristics that you seek a mentor with at least three.
Next I’ll explore another of the steps to becoming a great learner: developing respect for the teacher, and for the materials.
