I find it hard to tell you 'cause I find it hard to take (Tears For Fears)

Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash

What makes a popular post on Baggy Trousers and Wozza's Place?

The answer is, "Who knows?"

Here are the popularity stats for these two blogs:

Above: Baggy Trousers

Above: Wozza's Place

They reveal two clear cut winners in the popularity stakes. So let's have a look at them, shall we?

First up: Wozza's Place and a post called A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

Written while living in the Middle East, this was about mentors and some key people who have influenced me.

Only one of the three is still alive - Warwick Gibbs who is still teaching at the same school. His first year there was 1972 (my Year 10 or fourth form year in old money). He is still a huge influence!

What was it about this post that struck a chord with 3,428 readers? Who knows!

Wozza's Place has bags of posts about my personal life and how I feel about people. Mitch Albom is not that well known I wouldn't think but maybe he is. I just don't know.

Over to Baggy Trousers - I still haven't found what I'm looking for was the third most popular post on both blogs but the runaway leader on Baggy Trousers. It was also written during my experiences in the Middle East, detailing my conflicted reaction to teacher evaluations. 

Nearly a thousand people have viewed it so it must be doing something right but I'm not sure what. Like Mitch Albom, John Hattie is not that well known outside of education circles and he does polarise opinion so, again...I just don't know.

I think the lesson here is not to overthink it! Just write and let the chips fall where they may!

Dance with waves (Anouar Brahem)

I had to put together a PD presentation on mentoring for the staff recently. 

It was hard for me to go past the definition of a mentor from Tuesdays With Morrie (by Mitch Albom): 

Maybe it was a grandparent, a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and impassioned, helped you to see the world as a more profound place, and gave you sound advice to guide your way through it.

Equally hard for me not to include the Yoda mentor-ship of Luke from The Empire Strikes Back or this Kid President from the awesome Soul Pancake folks.



Both these sources emphasise being:

•Empathetic

•Sharing expertise

•Encouraging/ supporting

•Giving honest feedback

•Understanding, helpful

•Giving sound advice

That captures, for me, what a mentor truly is.