How Educated Should a Teacher Be?

I’m not sure how I feel about this blog and the subsequent comments that I read in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I definitely agree that to be a good teacher, it is not REQUIRED that you have a higher degree. It is important that you know your subject matter, and that you have the true desire to educate students and push them to be the best that they can be.

I was definitely upset that I saw a lot of comments that hinted that Education degrees are useless. While I have my undergraduate degree in Sociology and African-American Studies, I find it very useful that my Masters of Education will be in Social Studies Education. Not only will my Masters degree give me my certification to teach in the state of Georgia, I am given the opportunity to take courses that help you understand the Methodology of Social Studies Education, or the ideas behind curriculum and planning for classes. Additionally, we are encouraged to take courses such as Teaching US History, Teaching Geography, Teaching Economics, and courses in Special Education to fulfill the requirements for graduation.

I felt that it was very important for me to continue and get my Masters in Education, so that I could sharpen my craft of being a teacher. While there are aspects of the curriculum that seem very theoretical, there are also aspects that are very realistic and applicable. It bothers me that teachers are criticized for wanting to get higher degrees and higher pay. Why shouldn’t practice what they preach and continue with their learning in a formal setting? (We all know that learning also takes place in an informal setting). And why shouldn’t teachers want to get paid more? What if we as a society placed our priorities in the right place and truly paid teachers what they deserve for the work that they do?

I don’t know anyone who’s into teaching for the pay. And I also don’t know anyone who’s gone on to pursue a higher degree SOLELY for the reason of making more money. The people that I know are truly interested in making a difference in the lives of young people, and they feel that one way that they can be better prepared to do that is by having a Masters or a Ph.D. And I’ve had phenomenal teachers who hadn’t gone on to get whatever degree that would have gotten them more money. I’ve had phenomenal teachers who had gone on to get whatever degree that got them more money. Their advanced degree might have said that they had obtained more knowledge, but their passion and desire to help students was what made the difference in the classroom.

Whew. All that said, what do you all think? How educated should our teachers be? Does a teacher having that Masters or that Ph.D make a difference? Leave some comments…

And now back to my regularly scheduled life…

…already in progress. So, I had a WONDERFUL weekend traveling home to NC to hang out with friends and to watch my beloved Holly from 2nd Beall graduate from NC State University.

I love going back home for a number of reasons, such as seeing friends and family, visiting Carolina, and enjoying the familiarity of the NC landscape. I’ve had a really long semester here at UGA, and I think this trip home was much needed. It allowed me to reconnect with people who I hold dear to my heart, to truly see how much I’ve grown over the past year, and to really appreciate where I’ve come from.

In my last post, when I talked about what I wish I knew before I had graduated, I stated that the best discovery true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. I was reminded of this while being at home, and having the chance to hang out with friends from high school and college. Though we’ve all chosen different paths for ourselves, there’s still the same love and support for each other…and we’re able to pick up where we’ve left off and reminisce about old times. I believe there’s much to be said about people who have been your friends for a while; who have witnessed you as you grow and become who you are destined to be, and still love you for it.

I’m back to my regularly scheduled life now, which mainly includes working and school; but I’m so energized and encoruaged about the weekend that I’ve had at home. Shouts go out to my friends and my family for helping to sustain me and re-energize me. Praise God for the people that He has placed in my to uplift me and encourage me and support me. I’m so grateful.

Be encouraged!
Peace and Blessings!

“There are so many different ways to be connected to people. There are the people you feel this unspoken connection to, even though there’s not even a word for it. There’s the people who you’ve known forever who know you in this way that other people can’t because they’ve seen you change. They’ve let you change.” ~My So-Called Life

“…as close to magic as I’ve ever been.” ~Thomas Wolfe, on his time at Carolina

“…and it seems like it goes on like this forever. You must forgive me if I’m up and gone to Carolina in my mind…” ~James Taylor

What I Wish I Knew When I Graduated…

It’s been almost a full year since my friends and I sat in Kenan Stadium and turned our tassels celebrating our commencement- the beginning of a bright new future. This year since then has been packed with lots of surprises, lots of fun, and lots of lessons learned.

For the Class of 2006, many of whom I had the pleasure of getting to know, I’ve decided to write this for you. A list of things that I wish I had known when I had graduated. Congratulations on your accomplishments, your dreams, your successes and your failures. All of them have made you who you are.

1. I wish I had known that the real world is just that- real.

It seems simple doesn’t it? Of course the real world is real. But it’s also full of things you’ve never had to handle before. Some of you have never managed your own finances or your own personal affairs. Welcome to dealing with things such as: insurance (you can’t stay on your parent’s forever), banking (savings and investments are important), and LIFE. Life has gone on every day around us. Luckily the collegiate bubble has helped to soften the blow from the impact of the real world. There’s not much that can save you now, though.

2. It’s lonely out there- but it’s going to be okay.

One of the best things about college is that 24,000 of your closest friends are ALWAYS nearby. Generally a text message, bus ride, or short walk away. Not to say that your friends won’t always be text message or a phone call away. But in college, you get used to being able to have access to them within…say…15 minutes. Graduation provides for separation. You and your friends go different ways and you follow different paths that were distinctly for each of you. And you’ll find yourself missing them. You’ll miss lunches in the dining hall, dinners at your favorite restaurants, and the best times- where you just do nothing together. The best thing about this is that: IT’S OKAY. It’s okay to feel lonely. It’s okay to miss your friends. And it’s okay to venture out on your own to become who you were meant to be. The best discovery true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.

3. Your degree will only get you so far.

Yes, you went to a great school. Yes, you graduated. Yes, you participated in 495306980 extracurricular activites. As a matter of fact, extracurriculars should have been your second (or third) major. Yes, you did well. Graduated with a distinction in something. You know your qualifications. At any rate, guess what- that degree only matters so much. At a certain point, you’ll have to know something. What I mean is, what difference does it make if you tell people that you went (insert name of great institution here) and you don’t know anything? There are plenty of educated fools out there. Don’t be one. When you graduate there are two names on your degree- one of them better be impressive- but both of them SHOULD be.

4. People aren’t as friendly in the real world.

For the most part, everyone in college is friendly. We’re all looking to expand our horizons, meet new people, embrace different cultures. And again, for the most part, the adults on a college campus want to help you. They want to see you reach your goals and to go farther than you thought you would or could. There are some that might not have your best interests at heart, but I think we all can agree that college is a pretty safe place. Now in the real world, it’s a little different. There’s a lot of people with the “Me” or the “I” complex, who don’t really care about you or what you’re trying to accomplish. And they don’t care if they hurt you in the process of them reaching their own goals. It’s something that you have to be aware of and prepared for. However, don’t go into a situation thinking that everyone will treat you wrong–and don’t be naive and think that people won’t treat you wrong.

5. You are indeed prepared for everything you are about to encounter.

This was the best discovery for me- to find out that I was prepared for everything that I was about to encounter. I left college being uncertain of where I would find my niche in the real world. There were days where I thought that I wouldn’t make it. There were days where I didn’t want to make it, and I wanted to quit and go home. I’m still learning, and I’ve realized that everything I’ve encountered prior to this has prepared me for where I am today. Every bad day, every good day, every failure, every success- it all helped to prepare me for the things that I encounter. And you’ll find the same is true for you. It will seem hard. You won’t think that you’re ready. You won’t know how you’ll do it. But you will. And you’ll realize that you were indeed prepared.

This isn’t all encompassing. These were just things that stuck out in my mind. You’re a smart bunch though- I’m sure you’ve already figured most of this out. Congratulations. And when you hit your Quarter-Life crisis, here’s something for you to read. And for the readers- if there’s something that you wish you knew before you graduated, post it in the comments section.

“…But I dare pray for you that you will discover something in life that is worth doing, not simply something that you’re good at or something from which you make a large profit. That would be nice, too. But I pray that each of you will find something that is worth doing, a true and genuine vocation, which is – as Fred Buechner describes it – where your great joy meets the world’s great need. Oh, I pray for each of you that you will find such a meaning in your lives.”
~Dr. Peter Gomes, 2005 UNC Commencement Address

“I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance. Never settle for the path of least resistance. Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’. Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’. Don’t let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter. When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider. Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”
~ Lee Ann Womack , “I Hope You Dance”

“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don’t ask why. It’s not a question but a lesson learned in time…So take the photographs and still frames in your mind. Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time…It’s something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life.”
~Green Day, “Good Riddance/Time of Your Life”

Lest We Forget…

One of the things that concerns me as I study history and other social sciences is that it seems that we are very close to forgetting things that aren’t familiar; or rather, that we are less prone to explore the unknown. For example, we rightfully give credit to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. for their successful efforts with the Civil Rights Movement; however, we oftentimes fail to study our own local civil rights heroes or those who fought alongside the likes of Parks and King; thus giving them the majority of the credit for a movement that involved thousands of people.

I was reminded of the importance of learning our own local history after reading this article in today’s News and Observer. The article details how a man worked tirelessly to get recognition for his parents for their unsuccessful attempts to integrate the Raleigh School System in the 1950s. His efforts recently landed his parents in the Raleigh Hall of Fame.

While it’s not about recognition- I’m a firm believer that we must let our convictions dictate our actions, not our desire to get credit for what we’ve done, I’m glad that his work paid off. We need to know that there were others who were involved in the struggle in our local communities, and we have to be willing to call it to the attention of others. Yes, Dr. King did monumental things for the movement. So did Rosa Parks. And Ralph Abernathy, Joseph Lowery, Anne Moody, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, and Eldridge Cleaver. But what about people like Howard Lee, Daisy Bates, and Floyd McKissick? Or those people who’s names will never be known, but they participated in the movement in some small way- helping to mail letters, paint posters, providing food and shelter for others, or continued to return to the segregated system they faced with a determination that they weren’t gonna let nobody turn them around?

Yes, we must remember them too.

Why I Want to Teach

As I’ve said before, the last couple of weeks of my life have been completely devoted to preparing an e-portfolio based on my student teaching experience. The cornerstone of this e-portfolio was our teaching rationale, which outlined our reasons for teaching and our goals for teaching social studies. Below, you will find my teaching rationale. It’s not anything final, and will probably change frequently as I go through my teaching career. Anyhow, this is why I want to teach and what I hope to accomplish…

The teachers that I have had over the course of my educational career have changed my life. They have made a difference. They have encouraged me and nourished my love for learning. I have been blessed to have many teachers who have cared enough about me and the profession that they have to go the extra mile, to do the extraordinary when times merited just the ordinary; and that has made a difference. It is for that reason that I wish to be a teacher—and that’s what I’m teaching for. To make a difference in the life of a student, to be the encourager, the one who nourishes, and gives shape to their desire for learning. Ultimately, to have a student leave my classroom and feel that anything in the world is just inside the realm of possibility for them is what I desire. I understand that this might be perceived as radical, unrealistic, or impossible. But I also believe that I shall not be limited to those perceptions—and herein lays my reason for teaching.

The academic discipline of social studies has the privilege of being able to link itself to the world and I feel that is what it should accomplish. Students should feel that social studies isn’t just the study of dead people, dates, and names, but that it is relevant and that it exists around them every day. While there are several goals that I would hope for my students to achieve as a result of studying history and social science with me the overarching goals are the following: the importance of civic involvement/activism, an understanding of governmental and societal foundations, an understanding of the impact of governmental decisions, a strong value for education, and a keen sense of compassion.

The importance of civic involvement/activism:

Many of the luxuries, rights, and privileges that we enjoy in today’s society are a result of the civic involvement and/or activism of those who came before us. My students will understand the importance of making sure that their voice is heard, by having examined several examples of how change can come as a result of civic involvement and/or activism. Along with this, they will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of this goal by their own civic involvement/activism, as well as their ability and desire to encourage others to become activists or be involved in civic matters.

An understanding of governmental and societal foundations:

Frederick Douglass once stated, “Without struggle, there can be no progress.” It is with that thought that one can begin to think of the foundations of American government and of today’s society; and it is also with that thought that one can continue to imagine the changes to come for the future. The students that I teach will have a sharp understanding of the foundations of government and our society because having this knowledge will allow them to understand the principles upon which our government and our society is based. This knowledge will be demonstrated by their ability to raise questions about governmental actions and other things that take place in society based on the foundations. For example, if there is a situation where they feel that people may be being denied their rights based freedom of speech, my students will be able to question this situation based on what they know of governmental and societal foundations and how that is relevant and fits into today’s society.

An understanding of the impact of governmental decisions:

Every decision that is made by the government will have some impact on the society—perhaps long-term or short-term. I feel that it is important for my students to be able to understand the impacts of governmental decisions or at least be able to sufficiently hypothesize the impacts of governmental decisions on the future. By having this understanding, coupled with the understanding of governmental and societal foundations, I feel that they will have two of the most important tools necessary to be functional civic citizens. My students will be able to display this knowledge by their ability to successfully discuss and present these issues to others and with others.

A strong value for education:

Education is a very important tool, generally equated with success in society. With this in mind, my students will value education, not only as the knowledge of facts but with an understanding of the importance of educating others. In conjunction with this, my students will understand that having an education and/or being an educated citizen cannot/does not have to only be obtained by attending school and getting certain degrees. While having these things (a degree) may say that you’ve completed a certain number of course requirements, (and thus, know a certain amount of things on a specific subject) there are certain things that you only learn by being a keen student of life. Those that I teach will appreciate education, and they will express their appreciation of this value by helping to educate others, not just on academic subject matter but on life subject matter as well, sharing their skills and their knowledge with others.

A keen sense of compassion:

Life deals people different things. Some people have to overcome different situations in their life that may make them act a certain way that isn’t necessarily pleasant, or may change their outlook on society and what it has to offer. On the contrary, some people may have had a life that models something out of a storybook. In either scenario, it is important that all people are treated with compassion because you never know what they have encountered that day/week/month/year/life, etc and how that has affected them. The students that I teach will understand and maintain a sense of compassion that will be reflected in their actions by always trying to understand the situation that others have been placed in and how that might make them feel if the same thing had happened to them. My students will always try to examine a situation without being judgmental and will try to honestly let that compassion guide them in their decisions in regards to others and with regards to themselves.

At the core of all this; when everything is said and done, I would like for my students to be able to ask the important questions. Looking beyond the date of an event, or the day that somebody died; I want them to ask the bigger questions. What is the significance of this event/person on society? What lessons can I learn from the life that they led? What do I have in common with this person? How is this event similar to something that has happened in recent history? How can I use this event as a stepping stone for future activity in my community? Questions such as these are what I want them to ask. I want them to be able to ask the questions necessary so that they can make the connections and come to their own conclusions about an event. As educators, we spend too much time being decisive on history. Let’s give our students the tools needed to make their own decisions on if something is right or wrong, fair or unfair, moral or immoral. I feel that one of the best ways to do that is to get them to askquestions.

In examining social studies, one will eventually be forced to deal with issues of cultural diversity, power, privilege, and multiculturalism—or it seems to me that they should be forced to deal with these issues. For too long, social studies has been presented in a whitewashed format; exploring the notable achievements and accomplishments of white men, and a select few white women—but excluding most women and people of color. To be comprehensive students of social studies, we have to expand our horizons and be willing to examine all of the different perspectives that exist. As a social studies teacher, I fully intend to not only provide the perspective of the well known from our history, but to also promote the voices of those who have long been forgotten and ignored.

Social studies is my passion. Of all the academic disciplines that there are to explore, social studies is what makes me come alive. I want to give that same passion to my students. I want to engage them in such a way that social studies becomes second nature to them, in a way such that they can see how social studies lives all around them. Yes, I am teaching for them to be able to be productive citizens of society; those who can ask the important questions and make the decisions when the times warrant it. But I also want them to understand the value that lies in social studies. I believe that social studies, as a general course of study, is seen by some to be less rigorous and less important when compared to other subjects. I want to teach in such a way that it won’t just be educators fighting for social studies as an important discipline, but that my students are fighting for it also, because I have showed them the value and the relevance of it to them. This is how I want to teach.

What Has Caught My Eye- courtesy of MSNBC.com

It’s no secret that I love reading MSNBC.com. I check that, along with a few other news sites every day so that I can stay somewhat “in the know” about what’s going on in the world. I’ve been swamped recently with my portfolio and finishing up my first year of grad school, so I haven’t been able to write as much as I’d like about the stories that have caught my eye. So, here are some briefs that I’ve found interesting over the past week or so.

1. Former President of Morris Brown College pleads guilty to embezzeling millions of dollars in federal funds.

In this article, we find out that Dolores Cross, who was president of Morris Brown from 1998-2002 accepted a plea bargain; pleading guilty to embezzeling over 3.4 MILLION dollars. She used the money to cover a 3.3 MILLION dollar credit card debt and some school expenses. Now, my first question is HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU HAVE A 3.3 MILLION DOLLAR CREDIT CARD DEBT? I just don’t understand. My next thought is that this is extremely frustrating as an African-American and as a future educator, to think that someone who was supposed to have the best interests of America’s future at heart was STEALING THEIR MONEY. And to make it worse, she’s only having to pay back $11,000 in restitution. You STOLE over 3.4 MILLION dollars, not to mention the damage done to Morris Brown College, the students and alumni of that institution. Sigh…

2. Some in the Mississippi Delta desire to preserve the store in the Emmett Till Case.

This article talks about how there are some in Mississippi who desire to preserve the Old Bryant Store as a historical landmark. This store is the site where Emmett Till supposedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman; an alleged act that led to his brutal lynching. I think I’m in agreement that this store should be preserved. There is much history here, and I’m afraid that if we don’t start preserving some things, the history might be lost. The story of Emmett Till is not one that we learn–he hasn’t reached the prominence of being a Martin Luther King or a Rosa Parks. However, he was an unsuspecting martyr, and any preservation of the things surrounding his death should be preserved in a proper manner. And, if you’re not going to save the store (which they SHOULD do, and they SHOULD do quickly…before it falls into the ground), you can at least erect a historical marker of some kind for people who might be passing through the area. Yes, the events that took place there are just that important.

3. More Latinos are converting to Pentecostalism from Catholism.

According to this article, the conversion could affect US politics- as people who are Pentecostals are generally more conservative. As of now, Latinos are generally Democrats. I expect that we’ll see a lot more emphasis on the demands of Latinos in the upcoming elections , especially considering what’s been going on in the country. And I’m also finding it interesting to see how religion and politics are intersecting. At any rate, I’m just glad that people know Jesus. Seriously.

4. The Top 1,000 High Schools in the US.

Okay, as if it’s not enough for US World and Report to tell us what the best colleges and graduate schools are, Newsweek is now informing us about the top 1,000 high schools in the country. I thought that this article was pretty interesting. You should search it and see where your high school is. By the way, don’t try to clown me if you don’t see my high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics listed. We weren’t considered for the group because we’re in a group of elite public high schools.

So…there we have it. The top 4 articles that peaked my attention, courtesy of MSNBC.com. Comments? Leave some. Please.