What You Don't Know

 

Ever heard that phrase, you don't know what you don't know?

Years ago, when I had a student teacher to mentor for a year, I wondered how he lacked the basic knowledge to act like a grown up in a professional setting. He was often late to meetings or was constantly distracted by his cell phone.  His behavior irritated me, and I remember talking to a colleague about my frustrations.

She said, "He doesn't know what he doesn't know, and you have to teach him."

I let that settle in for a bit. She was so right! Why hadn't I realized that. 

I remember back in my early twenties, during my last year in college, I had gotten an internship at a local news station. My goal was to learn a lot, make some good contacts and get a resume tape done by the end of the internship. Well it didn't turn out that way. I went to that internship everyday, scared as hell. I was shy and didn't say much. I didn't use my voice and in the end, I walked away without contacts, without a resume tape, and without a job.

Looking back, had I known then what I know now, things would have turned out differently. I wish I had someone who was there to mentor and guide me. But I guess that's life. You live and you learn. Of course, it would take me another year and a half, but I did eventually land that job at a news station. You can read about it here. And that young man I mentored that year...I taught him everything I wished someone had taught me my first year in the classroom. He was like a sponge, and he soaked up all the wisdom I gave him.  He got a job the next school year, and I'd like to think I had a little something to do with that. 

As a mom, raising my now 11 year old son, I see how important it is to teach and guide your kids because they don't know a lot. My son's innocence amuses me sometimes. I have to constantly remind myself that he doesn't know a lot of the things we take for granted, and I have to essentially teach him everything. Like how to do laundry, how to vacuum, and now that we're cooking...how to make eggs and pancakes. 

Just the other day we were baking a pound cake, his request, and he wanted to do it together. I asked him to measure the sugar and flour and put them in separate bowls. I turned around for just one minute to beat the eggs and cream cheese when I realized he had measured the sugar and flour and put them both in the same bowl!!! What? He didn't know. At that moment, I wanted to laugh but the look of disappointment on his handsome little face showed me again, he doesn't know what he doesn't know. Well, we threw out the sugar and flour, and started measuring again. He learned his lesson and probably won't make that mistake again. And the pound cake...it turned out great!

So the moral of all this. Each one teach one. If  you ever get the chance to mentor a young adult, have some patience and teach him or her everything. 

You don't know what you don't know.