In 1999, I started my first official job as a teacher. (My first real job as a teacher was helping my dad get his GED. I was about 12 years old.) I was 40 years old and had just graduated from the University of Georgia. (Go Dawgs!) I was 2,500 miles from home and wasn't sure if I could be effective as teacher. I decided to just jump in and try it. I was confident in my math abilities but wasn't so sure about my class management skills.
Over the years, my management skills improved by applying my knowledge of psychology and my wife's experience of raising teenagers. The thing I learned the most was the importance of the relationship between teacher, student and her/his parents. I learned that teaching a teenager was a lot easier if the parents supported me and supported their kid. When I taught in areas where parental support was minimal, I was under less scrutiny but I also had to serve as a backup parent, or at least a wise uncle, for most of the day. (When you're at a 99% African-American school and you're white, it makes it hard to explain why some students refer to you as "Dad.") After a while, I learned that I really loved that part of the job. It may have been my favorite part.
This is where my advice (mentoring) came in. In my many years of teaching, I have had many conversations with parents about their kids and many conversations with kids about their parents (and potential boyfriends/girlfriends.) I have learned from these conversations and I have enjoyed being a help to these individuals. I understand the kid's point of view because my relationship with my parents was rough and I didn't feel very supported. I understand things from the parent because I helped my step kids get through high school. From these experiences, I realize how high school years can be taxing to the parent-teenager relationship.
Now I have entered a new phase in my life; I have decided to leverage all my skills as a teacher and psychology student to selling real estate. I approach this role the same way I did as teacher; I see myself as a guide to help people achieve their dreams. Instead of focusing on the lives of teenagers and seeing adults as supports, the roles have reversed. That is, my focus is on the parent. And the dream is more immediate, home ownership and investing their incomes on real estate.
Over the years, my management skills improved by applying my knowledge of psychology and my wife's experience of raising teenagers. The thing I learned the most was the importance of the relationship between teacher, student and her/his parents. I learned that teaching a teenager was a lot easier if the parents supported me and supported their kid. When I taught in areas where parental support was minimal, I was under less scrutiny but I also had to serve as a backup parent, or at least a wise uncle, for most of the day. (When you're at a 99% African-American school and you're white, it makes it hard to explain why some students refer to you as "Dad.") After a while, I learned that I really loved that part of the job. It may have been my favorite part.
This is where my advice (mentoring) came in. In my many years of teaching, I have had many conversations with parents about their kids and many conversations with kids about their parents (and potential boyfriends/girlfriends.) I have learned from these conversations and I have enjoyed being a help to these individuals. I understand the kid's point of view because my relationship with my parents was rough and I didn't feel very supported. I understand things from the parent because I helped my step kids get through high school. From these experiences, I realize how high school years can be taxing to the parent-teenager relationship.
Now I have entered a new phase in my life; I have decided to leverage all my skills as a teacher and psychology student to selling real estate. I approach this role the same way I did as teacher; I see myself as a guide to help people achieve their dreams. Instead of focusing on the lives of teenagers and seeing adults as supports, the roles have reversed. That is, my focus is on the parent. And the dream is more immediate, home ownership and investing their incomes on real estate.
I mentor real estate clients like I taught classes; I use all my resources to ensure the best performance.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" UNTIL I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, I SHARE WHAT I DO AND HELP THE CLIENT TO ASK AND ANSWER THIS QUESTION FOR THEMSELVES
My ultimate goal is to help people to become the best possible person they can be. That is, to be the person who they were meant to be.
Why a brick wall?
Because the first step to true transformation is to define your boundaries. Once you have defined your boundaries, you are free to decorate your inner space any way you want. Once they are adequately decorated, a time will come to expand those boundaries.
Claudius "Bo" Guynn, IV, PhD
bo.2amepiphany@gmail.com
bo.2amepiphany@gmail.com