A teacher of mine have introduced me to one of his colleague(teacher A). However, I am more interested in the work of teacher B , whom he might or might not know. How do I say I may want to collaborate with teacher B, with out making him feel bad about his choice for teacher A. I want to express my curiosity about teacher B politely.
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Do you have to chose between teacher A or B? Or could you work with A and B? And if it is only A or B could that be changed later (maybe in a week or a month)?– user8838Commented Apr 8, 2018 at 0:39
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2 Answers
Be honest and talk it out with your mentor
- Thank your teacher for introducing you to teacher A. Emphasize how you appreciate having a teacher that takes the time to support your endeavors.
- Bring up your interest in working with teacher B, but only after saying how you took the time to contemplate working with teacher A. To avoid making your teacher feel bad, clearly explain your reasoning for choosing teacher B:
Some sample responses:- My career goals more align with what teacher B is working on...(proceed to explain career goals)
- Teacher B's work is more of the experience that I'm looking for because...(proceed to explain your interest)
- Ask for your mentor's opinion now after hearing your reasoning. At this point, be prepared to address your teacher's comments. Your teacher might still advocate for teacher A and that's fine. There might be some points that come up that you haven't thought about. Just don't get flustered. In the end, the final decision falls to you.
Final Tid-Bits: Be polite/courteous. Don't be shocked/act defensive if your teacher doesn't agree with your choice. Be prepared to have a discussion. A healthy mentor-mentee relationship is one of good communication and this seems like a good opportunity to build it... - Good Luck!
Just go with a smile and positivity
It seems like you want to convince Teacher B to work with you, on the other hand you also don't want to make him feel awkward. Few things that might help you while talking to the teacher B 1. Be very polite. Don't talk loudly. 2. Try to look enthusiastic (not over excited) 3. Don't say anything bad or negative about teacher A. 4. Be positive.
