Some may think that being a mentor is much harder then being a teacher’s assistant, but really, there isn’t much of a difference between the two. When you T.A. for a teacher, most of the time, the teacher will have you correct papers, get something ready for the next assignment, or partner up with a student in the class to help them with an activity, or an assignment. When you are a T.A., at the end of the quarter you don’t need to take any exams, or complete any cumulative or reflective assignments.
This is where a mentorship differs from being a T.A.. When you are a mentor, at the end of the quarter you need to write a 500 word essay explaining the experience you had as a mentor for that class. Some people tend to see this as a challenge. “A mentorship really isn’t that difficult,” said Junior Whitney Nyholm. “500 words isn’t much over one page.”
Beside the essay, there really is no difference between a mentorship and being a teacher’s assistant. Despite the laziness of most people, a mentorship is more laborious, but also more rewarding than being a teacher’s assistant. The reflective essay encourages the mentor to dissect and digest the experience they had helping the class of students.
