Rethinking Christian Education Part I

I am a product of Christian education. Having attended Alabama Christian Academy as part of my upper school schooling, Harding University for both my undergraduate and graduate school years, and have taught at two Protestant day schools, I feel qualified to offer an opinion on why many faith-based schools should reevaluate what Christian education looks like.

I am coming from a few days of deep reflection, rejuvenation, and intellectual growth after attending the St. James Conference on the campus of the St. James School in Hagerstown, Maryland – an Episcopal boarding school. While attending this wonderful conference, I heard papers from a group of the most brilliant and passionate Christian scholars. I believe all of them define themselves as being Episcopalians. The papers they read articulated a passion for Christian education and a true dedication to being scholarly; both are clear goals needed in defining Christian education; however, I contend that being a scholar as well as a positive role model and good teacher carries more weight than being a Christian teacher. I say this because Christian students will encounter both during their schooling. And particularly, when they move on to higher education. Even schools like Baylor (I believe) Notre Dame, and Boston College encourage such diversity of thought. The great thing I must add about Christian education is that they do offer a venue for students to discuss and delve into topics of faith and religion. My criticism of public high schools is that they fail to offer such a venue. Part of growth and education is understanding the beliefs of so many people around the world. And in the process, discovering what he or she believes.

Let me explain.

During my 22 years of experience in Christian schools, I have observed a great emphasis of instruction being placed on moral integrity, righteousness, honor, and hard work. However, these virtues are also inculcated in non-sectarian schools. This list would be incomplete if I did not note that Christian schools look to develop one’s sense of faith. Unfortunately, a popular misnomer conveyed to Christian school students is that they need a Christian school with Christian teachers to develop their faith. The misnomer often applied is that the world is wholly secular and dangerous. If students leave their Christian school without a proper base of faith and self-development, they will be lost in the world.

Bright young students will encounter a number of experiences that will challenge their faith. Part of intellectual and spiritual maturity is learning from each experience. Assuming that students have reached that point by the time they have finished high school is false. Fearing that students will deviate from the Christian faith after high school is normal; and for some, if not many, this is a great reality. With age comes more experiences; it also offers greater contact with ideas that promotes or reinforces one’s thinking. Yet, in developing students’ sense of faith in terms of a personal journey, it would seem that exposure to greater diversity of faith is required. Here are a few outlined points to consider.

1. Christian schools that recruit and hire only faculty members of their particular denomination (i.e., Baptist schools employing only Baptist teachers; or, Church of Christ schools employing only Church of Christ teachers) are not fully embracing religious growth. They are operating under the guise that their “denominational” sect is the only real faith. I cannot speak much for the Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterians, but unfortunately I do know a vast many of the Churches of Christ who believe their “denominational” way to Heaven is the only way. They will tell you that they are members of Christ’s church, which voids the notion that they are a denomination. Schools that behave this way tend to construct courses and organize chapels in a fashion to reinforce a very narrow way of thinking.

2. Christian schools should recruit and hire non-Christian teachers. I recently told a colleague that if a school’s mission is to uphold the belief and teachings of Jesus Christ, faculty and staff members should be expected to honor that mission, and to do so without presenting malice. If schools focus their efforts on hiring mature academics with students’ interest, one might find that this works. There are Christian schools in which faculty members are not expected to sign a statement of faith; however, they are expected to sign a mission or honor code noting they will uphold the school’s mission. Currently at a number of faith-based schools, students move from class to class and from day to day knowing they will be challenged in their faith; however, over a period of time, that message can dull a student’s mind. It is like saying the Pledge of Allegiance everyday of your schooling career – it becomes dull with very little reflection. It is just another thing you do. But, if I student were to leave his religion course in which he or she was informed of one point regarding faith, that student might learn why others in the world believes something else.

Christian students at all schools are already receiving this type of information. I teach this in my class. But imagine the power of thought and faith if students were to get this information from a Muslim or agnostic teacher; it would promote a far more enriching discussion.  When students leave their Christian school campus for college, they will be exposed to a diverse range of ideas. Why not introduce students to those ideas while they are in high school? Keep in mind, public colleges and universities teach courses on religion. They offer religious ceremonies. I am not sure why state legislatures do not allow public high schools to do the same. Religious studies are important in one’s social development.

Authors Reception at HC

HC’s Liberian organized a short forum for faculty members to discuss with students and teachers their most recent publications and academic work; I thought this was a great way to exhibit a culture of ideas and scholarship on campus; I was pretty excited to discuss a paper of mine entitled The Resurrection, which looks at how hip-hop lyrical culture is synonymous with the teachings of Jesus Christ. And, how the two are drawn together through a “sense” of spiritual reconciliation.  Christians contend that the Bible offers hope and understanding to those who are lost. The hip-hop artist contends that his lyrics offer a “sense” of hope and salvation, much like that of Jesus Christ.

This event reminds me of a recent email I received from a former colleague, who asked me how does one go about engaging in such work? I told her that I think it is a matter of what you are most interested in. I have written on a variety of topics related to the teaching of history. I am a teacher; it is what I love. What I write about usually reflects what I am teaching in my classroom. That is my passion. That said, I also have a passion and understanding for black intellectual history. Thus, I have sought to be a part of a greater community of people like me — but smarter. Just ask Phillip Sinitiere who is co-authoring a book with me; he will deny it but it is true.

I am a member of various history related organizations. I read the journals which often stimulates my thinking and thus drives me to want to contribute to ongoing discussion. I have found that sharing my work at conferences allows me a venue to grow in my content while enhancing my skills. Some find such academic work to be silly and nothing more than self promotion. Those folks find themselves isolated from a field of brilliant people. I learn so much from them. And, I hope I add to their knowledge too. In the end, our students are the winners.

Above are a few of my colleagues who are doing some interesting stuff. I believe four of them are in the process or have already published a book. That is pretty impressive seeing their busy lives and heavy teaching load.

One of my great students decided to chat with me during the event. I am having too much fun.

Race, Class, and Gender in American History

I first encountered this subject while reading an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. In sense, it states that:

The report by the National Association of Scholars and its affiliate, the Texas Association of Scholars, examined the textbooks and other readings for 85 sections of lower-division American history courses at the two schools in fall 2010. All too often, the report concluded, the readings gave students “a less-than-comprehensive picture of U.S. history,” with the situation “far more problematic” at UT than at A&M.

The article goes on and contends that:

At UT, 78 percent of the faculty members who taught the freshman and sophomore classes were deemed “high assigners” of race, class and gender readings, meaning that more than half of the content had such a focus. At A&M, 50 percent of faculty members were deemed high assigners of such material.

This topic is problematic it that it is being advanced by the National Association of Scholars, which is a conservative watchdog group that monitors the actions of educational institutions. My issue with this topic is one of suspicion: Why point out and criticize key categorical arguments used to analyze historical problems in American history? I realize they are saying schools assign too much work on race, class, and gender, but they fail to discuss the reasons why we historians do this. The United States has evolved, however, the process of evolution has faced a great deal of resistance.

The study of United States history is ugly. Discriminated racial minorities, voiceless and impoverished homeless, as well as exploited women were all change agents in helping progressive academics rethink the teaching of U.S. History.

I think back to two excellent quotes that define what is most troubling about this topic. James Baldwin once noted:

What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one’s heroic ancestors.

W.E.B. Du Bois draws an excellent conclusion regarding the teaching of American history by referencing…

One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only remember that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner … and simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.

Their recommendations below are most troubling. It appears that the one and only dominate figure in US history seeks a return to the center stage: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men (WASP).

The National Association of Scholars offered 10 recommendations for improving American history offerings:

1. History departments should review existing curricula, eliminate inappropriate overemphases, and repair gaps and underemphases.

2. Administrators or governing boards should convene an external review if history departments are unwilling.

3. Hire faculty members with a broader range of research interests.

4. Ensure that survey and introductory courses give comprehensive overviews.

5. History department members should collaborate to develop lists of readings that students are expected to study.

6. Design courses that contribute to a robust, evenhanded and reasonably complete curriculum.

7. Diversify graduate programs to ensure that they don’t unduly emphasize race, class and gender themes.

8. Other states should enact laws similar to the Texas requirement that students complete two courses in American history, but better accountability is needed to ensure that colleges’ teaching lines up with legal provisions.

9. Publishers should publish textbooks and anthologies that more adequately represent the full range of U.S. history.

10. Historians and professors of U.S. history should counter mission creep by returning to their primary task of handing down the American story, as a whole, to future generations.

Race, Ideology, and Independent Schools

I am sharing a two-part piece from a paper I wrote entitled Getting Real About Whiteness in Independent Schools. I broke away from script just a bit in the reading of this primarily due to length. The goal of course is to show a historical relationship dating back to the 1960s about why many African-American teachers are pronounced liberal in their construct. In this segment, I start in a more philosophical fashion denoting a mere semblance of black identity. In the second segment, I will delve into the more recent elements of the shaping of the black faculty member.

The Lie of Critical Thought

While a graduate student, I wrote a paper entitled A Marxist Synthesis to Educational Analysis. In this paper, I addressed a shift promulgated by neo-Marxists vis-à-vis culturalist theory. Aspects of cultural theory shaped my educational and pedagogical premise that students must be free thinkers. Furthermore, if they are to become free thinkers, they must construct their own synthesis toward ideas and ideals… not a mere synthesis of their academic environment. Much of my conclusion is shared by Stanley Fish, a wonderful leftist academic who always looked to empower the well prepared student through Socratic discussions. His post-modern analysis toward radical theory, queer theory, and deconstruction has continued to revolutionize education.

As a student, I recall on a number of occasions challenging the status of my campus. Often frustrated by the same white protestant male espousing the same political, ideological, and religious beliefs. From class to class, I watched my anger grow as I sought to understand my own learning and identity from the likes of Richard Wright and W.E.B. Du Bois. I knew they would not sing the same old company lesson plan articulated by one-dimensional institutions. I asked more than once: Why the preachy lessons on moral abstract construct espoused by ONE ideological thought? or, What does the black teacher think? or Where are the black, Asian, American Indian teachers? How about ONE Jewish teacher? Maybe a pro-Palestinian professor?  Creating institutions that inculcate the same values and norms does not allow students to become critical thinkers. It is a lie. We (including myself) recycle the same language but, each time we do, we ask students to think critically. Here is what Fish has to say:

…the Academic Bill of Rights, the Student Bill of Rights and the Princeton Student Bill of Rights all speak of the importance of promoting and protecting the academic freedom of students. What could this possibly mean? The only freedom students rightly have is the freedom to vote with their feet if they do not like the syllabus in a particular course. They are not free to demand on the basis of an intellectual diversity or balance or pluralism or some other specious abstraction that the syllabus be changed to suit their personal or ideological inclinations. Nor are students free to introduce into a classroom issues or perspectives that are judged by an instructor to be beside the point he or she wishes to explore. Instructors are free to say to a student, that may be an interesting question, but it is not one we shall be asking here.

The rhetoric of academic freedom for students is a subset of the rhetoric of student rights. But students have no rights, except the right to competent and responsible instruction. They certainly do not have any right to be instructed by a conservative teacher or a liberal teacher or a religious teacher or a white teacher or a black teacher or a teacher of any color. The idea that students have rights often accompanies the idea that students are customers and teachers, providers. Students are not customers and if we survey their preferences and alter our product accordingly, we will not only have betrayed our professional responsibility; we will have betrayed them

Revisiting the Color Line

Working Conference Paper: Revisiting the Problem of the Twentieth Century: Will Evangelical and Faith-Based Schools Mend the Color Line in the Twenty-First Century?

In my recent paper, I get to discuss the black and white point of view about segregation.

From the point of view of blacks and their white allies, desegregation needed to happen since segregation not only violated the 14th amend of the Constitution, but separate and equal were deemed wholly unconstitutional in 1954. Hence, as noted by Thomas Jones of the U.S Bureau of Education,  “Inadequacy and poverty are the outstanding characteristics of every type and grade of education for Negroes.” So, the state perpetuated the notion of cyclical poverty and inferiority among blacks. Jim Crow marked decades of institutional problems. However, anti-desegregation whites believed that the matter of education was not addressed in the Constitution. Actors such as members of the Dixiecrat Party viewed it as a 10th amend matter. Democrats and many Republicans held true to this too. Thus according to segregationist, the construct of states’ rights should manifest the will of the majority. I guess the point to ponder is to what extent were whites pro-segregation.

Segregationist whites viewed the race issue as a violation of state sovereignty and a Constitutional matter. I am still unclear about why.

Revisiting the CV

As noted on an earlier post entitled The CV, I am pretty good when it comes to maintaining my CV (curriculum vitae), and not because I am searching for a job. I learned years ago to maintain one for the following reasons:

1. In a graduate school seminar course on professional activities, it was pointed out that if you are greatly involved on campus and in the professional community of attending conferences, presenting at them, or working with colleagues on a project, you will forget what you have done. Thus, I made an effort to note as much as possible. And not so much for my employer, but for my own records.

2. I have been fortunate enough to serve on various committees and projects in which I have been asked to send my CV. I simply point them to my webpage. Some may see this as a sign of boasting; however, I see it as being excited about what I do and what I will do. Teaching is who I am and what I am about. I cannot imagine doing anything else. For every conference I attend or every committee I serve on, I gain something that will only enhance who I am and what I know. I have never submitted a paper or a proposal for a paper without it being accompanied by my CV. With that stated, I have seen “call for papers” in which the conference placed page limits.

I like this page here on constructing the CV. I used to think that documents of this type should not exceed 2 pages. But that is simply not the case. I have omitted somethings over the years. I do not think I am one who should have a 25 page CV as noted by the author of the hyper-linked page.

Getting Real About Whiteness in Independent Schools

The National Association of Independent Schools 25th annual People of Color Conference is coming up in December. Last year I delivered a session that addressed a major topic of a paper drafted. I wanted to further the conversation more, thus I submitted an abstract from a second piece discussing the historical and anthropological perspectives on race and independent schools. It was accepted a few months ago. Here is an edited version of my abstract regarding the session:

Title: Getting Real About Whiteness in Independent Schools

 Abstract: The notion of whiteness, in which one believes the world is color blind, teaches us that race does not matter. However, blackness cries out that race does exist; it does matter, but is often silenced by the pressures of our environment.  Both of these concepts tend to be the underlying assumptions that are pervasive in predominately white independent schools. This session will delve into the various change agents that predominately white independent schools must embrace in order to cultivate a true appreciation of multiculturalism. Research for this session was drawn from historical literature that analyzes trends in race, culture, and society… as well as from anthropological arguments.

Little Rock

Today starts day 3 of  the history institute I am leading at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. It has been a good week thus far. I have managed to get in a number of AM and PM runs, too. I must admit that I really miss this great city; it offers a lot of the things I most enjoy about it.

Jaime Rollans and Lori Delk with me at the history faculty consultants dinner here in Little Rock. Years ago while still at CAC, I considered leaving to join them at Mills University Studies. Our thinking then was that we would form the “academic dream team” of a history department. What great colleagues, mentors, and friends.

Black History Month

I was having an interesting conversation today with one of my colleagues. It was about Black History Month. For many, this concept seems ridiculous since there are so many groups. But she agree with me in that no other group except for the Jews can compare their history to that of blacks. We represent a population that was forced to migrate to a foreign land; we were enslaved before eventually being emancipated; we dealt with a century of Jim Crow after slavery. And today, though many black Americans have persevered and championed the American dream, many within the black community still face the economic and social injustices brought about due to Jim Crow. Sure, it seems like a million years ago, but it was not. In an email today, I sent this out:

I have been talking to a few African-American parents and students about doing something to embrace black history on HC campus. I am meeting with black students next Monday in which I am buying them lunch, as well as discussing how we might educate our campus on the plight of blacks. My goal is to empower students. Place the onus and leadership on them.

It appears that many would like to do something. Thus, I am seeking permission to have students decorate part of the history dept hall with information and material to commemorate this month. Please let me know if this is a problem.

Occupy Wall Street

Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries, unite!
Karl Marx

Conservatives hate it because it is a large leftist movement. Many New Dealers are still trying to figure it out; in the end, I suspect it will die out like so many movements (Read: Right Wing version is the Tea Party). However, a small part of me would like to see this “rally” promulgate categorical change. We are and have long been a greedy nation. American history has long been predicated on the notion of class conflict. The wealthy continue to exploit the have-nots. And, the have-nots have given in to much of the dreams and crimes of capitalism. The haves cheat, lie, manipulate, and con their way into power. The masses sit and watch in a passive manner.  As I have noted before, we live in a nation that was founded under the dreams and goals of capitalism. Exploitation was established the day Europeans arrived. And, in the end, we are all guilty of this. We buy big houses because our friends have a big house; we buy expensive gas consuming cars because it makes us seem to be elite; we keep a beach house or a country house because that is what the middle class is supposed to do. Though I am not guilty of any of these things, I am guilty of many others. The American dream of capitalism is the downfall of man kind. I like the way Richard Hofstadter defines the American origin.

In his historical intellectual work, Hofstadter brings a more revisionist and realist account of America’s historical figures. Hofstadter, much like historian Howard Zinn, taught and wrote history from the perspective of non elites: blacks, women, immigrants, workers, and the poor, who all had a voice in shaping the hitherto. Moreover, Hofstadter looked to end the romantic notions often used to describe the traditional white male hero of American culture (or WASP). Here is an example from his chapter on the founding fathers:

Democratic ideas are most likely to take root among discontented and oppressed classes, rising middle classes, or perhaps some sections of an old, alienated, and partially disinherited aristocracy, but they do not appeal to a privileged class that is still amplifying its privileges. With a half-dozen exceptions at most, the men who had considerable position and wealth, and as a group they had advanced well beyond their fathers.

One of the things Hofstadter writes about in his many works is that of economic elitism. He described the framers as men who created an oligarchy via the Constitution only as an instrument to protect their wealth and status; he questions the democratic nature of the founders and the Constitution. Moreover, he discusses history as an entity protected by the very men who used it to enhance their status.

Declining Student Empathy: Another “Kids these Days” Phenomenon or a Serious Deficiency? by Lenore Holditch

This guest contribution was submitted by Lenore Holditch, who specializes in writing about top online colleges. Questions and comments can be sent to: holditch.lenore @ gmail.com.

Last year, the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research published findings in a widely publicized study that demonstrated that today’s college students are significantly less empathetic than were college students who attended school in the 80s and 90s. According to Sara Konrath, a research at the Institute, students are 40% less empathetic after the year 2000 as compared to students who attended school two or three decades ago. The study essentially compounded the results of 72 different studies of American college students, ranging from 1979 to 2009.

Konrath, who is also associated with the University of Rochester Department of Psychiatry, surmises that the decline of empathy—the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes, as it were—is directly related to the increased narcissism of the generation dubbed by the media “Generation Me.”

But the actual causes for this increasing retreat into the self, in which understanding other people, their plights, their different points of view, has become all but impossible, are anyone’s guess. Recently, associate professor of American culture and African-American studies Paul Anderson and Konrath penned an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education in which they hazarded a guess at several of the causes that may be underpinning student narcissism and what should be done about it.

Of course, culture and behavior are closely intertwined, and there is no doubt that a cultural climate in which “reality” shows, celebrity worship, and online friendships, can promote narcissism, especially among the young and impressionable. Konrath and Anderson suggest other sources as well:

“Those who lean left politically might reflexively focus on a rising tide of libertarian individualism, market fundamentalism, and the celebration of the “virtue of selfishness” by Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, and their think-tank popularizers. Those who lean right might blame other forms of individualism, including feminism, social liberalism, and rights-based social movements since the 1960s. But a general concern over the empathy deficit seems to be one thing that people from both political parties share, although they may remain worlds apart when considering the problem’s causes and how to fix it.”

Indeed, how are we to fix this problem? Although the authors make references to “empathy workshops,” to me this reeks of the very “market fundamentalism” that the authors decry. Empathy cannot be examined, measured, and taught in a “workshop” setting, which is yet another product of “self-help”, an industry rooted in the neo-liberal market mentality. Empathy can be learned in various ways, but I think the most important thing is to subject students to failure and discomfort. Narcissism grows from never experiencing challenges or difficulties. When you are in an environment in which you cannot fail, you begin to think you are infallible, and as such, the center of the universe.

Another way, I believe, in which empathy can be encouraged is by reading widely. Although the connection between reading literature specifically and developing empathy is vague at best, most good books aren’t about an infallible hero. Characters are hopelessly flawed, but the best writers are able to make readers empathize with any character, even the most despicable.

Of course, these are just a few scattered thoughts, and it is also possible that there is no substantial, across-the-board decrease in empathy. After all, the study was based on self-reported data. Perhaps the young have always been self-involved ala Holden Caulfield, a narcissistic character created over 50 years ago? What are your thoughts? Is there a lack of empathy among teens and twenty-somethings? If so, how do educators address the problem?

College Graduates: What You Need to Know about Transitioning into the Working World by Mariana Ashley

I am headed to commencement; it should be “neat”I suspect. This will be my 11th such affair, and 7th here at HCHS. I received a post from Mariana Ashley, a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com. I think many of you graduating will find her piece of most help.

Above: Metoyer (chair), Sivils, Malouf, Bourland, Phenicie, and Carson. The history department took a second to take this departmental picture just before HCHS 2009 commencement. This will be Casey Bourland’s last commencement with us as she is set to leave the department.

Graduation season is here, and that can only mean one thing: college grads will soon begin to embark on a new journey in their lives— and if fortunate enough, that new journey will include employment in a desired field. But transitioning into the working world is a rude awakening for those that are used to mid-week late nights with friends, are accustomed to showing up for classes late with no consequences, and especially for those who love starting classes at noon. To help recent college grads adapt to work-life and to get some insight of what to expect, continue reading below.

5. Be Aware of Time and Get Sleep.

If you were the type that liked to schedule their first class at noon because you are a night owl who likes to sleep in late, you might struggle adjusting to your new work schedule, especially if you have the standard 9 to 5 work hours. But it’s important that you get the proper 6 to 8 hours of sleep in order to improve your performance and productivity levels. Think about: it is extremely difficult to be able to complete hard tasks at hand when you are sleepy or drowsy. This isn’t college any more, you don’t just have to show up and hear the professor talk for 50 minutes while you sit back and relax, you actually have to get rest so that you can focus and do your work. You can’t just skip work entirely just because you are too tired either like in your college days. So don’t nap, drink caffeine or exercise two to three hours before your bed time—these stimulants will keep you up all night.

On a similar note, you need to make sure that you always make it to work on time. Your “cool” professors may have been ok with you showing up to class just a few minutes late, but this kind of behaviour can actually get you fired. So if you think that binge-drinking on a Tuesday night with friends might jeopardize you waking up in enough time, then maybe you should consider moving the “party-time” to the weekend.  You also need to invest in a good alarm and give yourself plenty of time to get ready in the morning. And don’t worry— getting up early will get easier over time as your body begins to condition itself.

4. Exuberate Professionalism at all Times.

This might seem like a given, but many new college graduates actually forget that they are surrounded by co-workers and not their college buddies. With that said, it’s important that your refrain from using slang, participating in office gossip and sharing inappropriate stories about your life, at least early on. In other words, maintain a sense of professionalism in the workplace at all times. This also includes “looking” professional such as having neatly groomed hair and wearing appropriate and wrinkle-free clothing—this isn’t like college where you can roll out of bed in our pajamas.

On a similar note, you want to make sure that you don’t start your new career as a Mr. or Miss Know-it-all. The truth is that you don’t know it all, college has not prepared you for everything and you are in training. You’re new, so listen and take everything in. It’s ok that you are eager to learn, but don’t step on any body’s toes in the process.

3. Get to Know Your Co-Workers.

For many college grads who find employment right out of school, they are forced to relocate to other cities and are torn away from their friends and family. Having to cope with living in a new city and being immersed into a new job solo is very scary. Thus, try to get to know your co-workers right away so that you establish some sort of support system in the workplace at least—they will be the ones that give your praise when you accomplish something or will show you the ropes at your new job for example. They may even very well become your friends and may be able to introduce you to the city and other people. Try to branch out by inviting them to lunch and attending happy hours.

2. Break Monotony.

If you get a standard office job, you will learn all too quickly that a 9 to 5 can get pretty old. One of the easiest ways to prevent boredom is to make sure that you vary up your routine a bit. This can include anything from going a different route to work each morning to trying that new Indian restaurant for lunch to even making plans with friends after work so that you have something to look forward to. Whatever you do, find out ways to prevent you from feeling like you’re in a rut—your career has just started, you will have to endure this lifestyle for a very long time.

1. Don’t Stress If You didn’t Land Your Dream Job.

If after working for a few months you realize that this job is not exactly what you had envisioned yourself doing, don’t fret. Some don’t know exactly what they want to do fresh out of college and thus many college graduates do entry-level work and accept job offers at companies that aren’t directly associated with their degrees just to get their foot in the door. All experience is relative and if after a year or so you still find yourself unhappy and truly want to find another place of employment then go for it.

Are Teachers of Color Likely to Stay? Topic at the Teachers of Color Forum

To be completely transparent, the two gentlemen above are friends and soul brothers I met while speaking on religious pluralism during a campus chapel forum earlier this year; I have stayed in contact with them, but they are not campus colleagues. In an ideal world, schools would plaster such a gathering of folks of color as noted in the picture above. Independent schools face a great challenge in creating a kaleidoscope of teachers. Of course, schools and other organizations must be aggressive in seeking out faculty members of color. Back in 2003 when I was living in Little Rock, Arkansas…I gave a presentation on the natural state of education through the lens of teachers of color. I expanded that presentation into a conference paper that I delivered in 2005 at the College Board’s regional meeting. In that session, I drew data from Pearl Rock Kane and Alfonso J. Orsini’s work, The Colors of Excellence.

In it, the authors stated that those members of color that responded to their survey, 65% were employed at their current school for 5 years or less. The interesting fact, according to this survey, was that 86% intended on remaining in the education profession, but not at their current school. Here are the reasons why:

• a desire to be in a more diverse setting
• feelings of isolation
• to be supported more due to cultural factors
• job advancement
• low salary

I am blessed and fortunate to know that I am at a great, but not perfect school. As I get ready to engage and participate in a forum regarding faculty members of color, the above matters will be at center. We will also address ways in which folks of color can do a better job educating their community on matters central to us. Diversity is paramount when it comes to education. In truth, I believe that the presence of teachers of color on campus speaks volumes about a school. As noted in my 2003 presentation, getting teachers of color is not easy; it is a very competitive process. Not only must schools entice such folks froth other professions, but they must compete against other schools. Diversity is complex. It does not happen in a year, but signs of progress do. This is more than a matter of academics. While working on an ad hoc diversity committee at HCHS, I served with a board member who is also a lawyer. We discussed the efforts his firm takes in recruiting and retaining lawyers of color. This went as far as being active at black colleges, and attending job fairs hosted by the National Black Law School Association (BLSA).

The Great White Lie

“It is like writing history with Lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.” — President Woodrow Wilson after viewing The Birth of A Nation, which presented black Americans as an uncivilized class of people seeking to rape white women. Thus, society can only be saved by God’s angels, the KKK. This group used the cross to showcase its belief in the great white religion, Christianity.

There is a reason why many consider him and Andrew Jackson to be the most racist presidents in United States History. In defense of the two, America was a racist nation disguised as a Christian nation. There are a number of Americans that feel the USA should divert back to its past. They will tell you that the past was not that ugly, but that too many revisionist historians have simply rewritten the past out of the notion of multiculturalism. It is not unusual to hear folks talk about the good old days. I am sure that is correct; it just depends on your race, gender, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic makeup. The good old days is a lie manifested by those who fear pluralism. Hence, pluralism is the great enemy to those that have long controlled power. We are in the middle of a great culture war. We see it here in the “great” state of Texas (read: sarcasm here).

The board is to vote on a sweeping purge of alleged liberal bias in Texas school textbooks in favour of what Dunbar says really matters: a belief in America as a nation chosen by God as a beacon to the world, and free enterprise as the cornerstone of liberty and democracy.

“We are fighting for our children’s education and our nation’s future,” Dunbar said. “In Texas we have certain statutory obligations to promote patriotism and to promote the free enterprise system. There seems to have been a move away from a patriotic ideology. There seems to be a denial that this was a nation founded under God. We had to go back and make some corrections.”

Those corrections have prompted a blizzard of accusations of rewriting history and indoctrinating children by promoting rightwing views on religion, economics and guns while diminishing the science of evolution, the civil rights movement and the horrors of slavery.

Several changes include sidelining Thomas Jefferson, who favoured separation of church and state, while introducing a new focus on the “significant contributions” of pro-slavery Confederate leaders during the civil war. (Link here)

 

The Corporate Student

Last year, I gave a speech on campus to students about the threat of careerism. That is, seeking an education for the purpose of acquiring a job in a single and narrow fashion. I warned students against this. I advised them to pursue their passions, but do so for the sake of learning. In return, the skills acquired by way of seeking knowledge will reward them for their commitment toward understanding ideas. In a recent article published by Inside Higher Education, the author notes that too many teachers and universities have become too corporate. My public school colleagues believe that private schools are the most corporate entities around. They contend that private schools cave too often to misinformed parents, donors, and unmotivated affluent students. They blame the matter on a sense of false prestige by lower-tirer schools, and a system of legacy by upper-tier schools. In this Q & A, the author notes the problem and sense of entitlement of corporate students here:

Q: Why do you link this trend to the disengagement of students?

A: The corporate model treats students like customers, and as customers they expect services and products for their tuition fees. The services include high grades in return for little effort. The products include guaranteed credentials with a guaranteed value. With this sense of entitlement, most will not prepare for classes, and expect all material to be told to them in simple terms in entertaining classes. What is lost here is the implicit bilateral contract of higher education for students to meet their teachers “halfway.” When students put out the effort to partner with professors in the teaching/learning process, classes assume their proper place as the “tip of the iceberg” of learning rather than the “iceberg.” Programs that require students to learn only in classes — thereby misleading students that classes are the “iceberg of learning” — are little more than (pseudo-) vocational high schools. We now have many universities where a “culture of disengagement” prevails and students in this culture have a sense of “entitled disengagement” never found before in institutions of higher learning (i.e., while grade inflation and disengagement can be found in the past, never have both simultaneously occurred in such proportions and been condoned by universities).

But it is not just the students who are disengaged. Many faculty members are also, and following recent savage cuts to budgets, so too are many university staff members. In Ivory Tower Blues, we tied disengagement to the wider culture of entitlement and empowerment. Now in Lowering Higher Education, we can more clearly see the disengagement on the professors’ side as the corporate culture has come to eclipse what was formerly a quite special “job.”

You can read the entirety of this piece here.

Interesting Class

I have been working with my department chair’s Global Affairs course most of this year; it is an independently driven course by students who discuss, write, and study global issues. Next week we are in Austin at the University of Texas serving as delegates to the United Nation as part of Model UN. In truth, I do very little here; I focus my efforts on trying to help students understand political and historical phenomena that might be of some importance to the 21st century. Students put together the video below of this class; we all take turns introducing ourselves to our partner school in Africa. This is part of another project known as the 20/20 Challenge.

The Po Po and Race

I have spent a great deal of time reviewing various history textbooks for a paper written on the  teaching of the1980s. Growing up in the highly racially and socioeconomically segregated city of Montgomery, Alabama, I have seen much injustice by the police to poor urbanites. Historically speaking, in the South and throughout other parts of the country, the perception of police authority and brutality has unfortunately escalated racial tension to the likes of distrust.

This trend of thought can be traced back to the turn of the century when police officers were the champions of enforcing de jure laws that permitted Jim Crow to dominate. Historians and other social scientists looking to evaluate this trend might find it interesting that the history of police brutality directly links to the rise of gangster rap, the Black Panthers, the 1992 LA Riot, and the famous drive of OJ Simpson. In each case, an argument might be made regarding the correlation between Jim Crow, police brutality, and the action. Case in point: If we look at gangster rap, many artist contend that their plight has been impacted by economic forces that placed education on the back  burner; rapper Ice Cube in one of his lyrics, contends that there are more brothers in prison than in college. Though this is the fault of individuals, one cannot dismiss the role of race and economics; if you are a poor minority living in an urban region not yet gentrified due to an urban Renaissance, the totality of revenue is not enough to provide a quality education. Rappers frustrated by this clearly reflected their anger at their community, showcasing the thug life and black-on-black crime.

Due to the escalation of violence in some communities, police officers found themselves at odds with minorities living within those communities; however, the black middle class which contains many of your doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc are not willing to dismiss nor allow justification for police brutality due to urban violence. The black middle class contends that often time those looking to be uniform police officers seek to do so out of a sense of authority. I have read various accounts in which academics have documented greater abuse by police officers toward the black middle class than those living in gang plagued areas.

Some speculate that this is just a mere matter of intellectual and financial attainment by blacks over a uniform cop. Others argue that it is a power play between the two sides as each seeks to define their position of authority; one side uses their academic and financial attainment, while the other side hides behind a badge and uniform.

In the end, blacks will argue that having the po po (the police) come to the rescue is too much risk and not worth it. The notion of fat cops eating jelly doughnuts and drinking coffee is the defined perception of many. Though a gross generalization, the black middle class believes they are isolated and cannot depend on the police. The Henry Lewis Gates example is the most recent one. Here, a uniformed cop profiled the noted black academic in which the cop assumed Mr. Gates was breaking into his own home.

This video below of the four acquitted officers involved in the 1992 Rodney King beating served notice of the historical factors of race and authority, which can be traced back to the Watts Riots in L.A. of 1965. It was the aftermath of Watts in which black urbanites turned to the Black Panthers for support and protection. The irony here is that the organization of the Panthers gave rise to gangs who defined their territory and protected black urbanites against the police.

Above is the Rodney King beating that will serve as an early rallying cry against the L.A. police when many cheered OJ Simpson.

Most black Americans knew O.J. was guilty; they supported him as a form of protest against the po po. Some black Americans feel as though whites in power turned their backs on the racially abusive culture long promulgated by elitism. For example, in the minds of black folks, white supremacy is prevalent in all institutions of power, especially police departments. In Cornel West’s Race Matters, he states that

white America has been historically weak willed in ensuring racial justice and has continued to resist fully accepting the humanity of blacks. As long as double standards and differential treatment abound — as long as rap performer Ice-T is harshly condemned while former Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates’s anti-black comments are received in polite silence, as long as Dr. Leonard Jeffries’s anti-Semitic statements are met with vitriolic outrage while presidential candidate Pat Buchanan’s anti-Semitism receives a general response — black nationalism will thrive.

Unlike the connection blacks feel towards the black female, they never felt any connection to O.J. He was viewed as a black elitist who turned his back on black folks, much like that of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who continues to attack affirmative action.  Blacks exploited the O.J. case to show America how much racism still exists in society.

Social Networking Goes to School

I just completed a week-long history institute at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The folks that attended my sessions were great. They asked challenging questions and were engaged all week.  During the week, I conducted a number of topical sessions related to the teaching of history. Thursday, we spent time discussing the impact of technology and its use in teaching history; we discussed a number of pros and cons about the Internet in the classroom. One such concern is that of “play time.” This is a matter that both high school and college instructors face daily when permitting students to use lap tops in class. One teacher stated during my institute that lap tops in the classroom are a decade old concept. Moreover, they do not offer the type of classroom engagement we as educators would like to think.

However, the use of interactive sites and smart boards are currently the best methods and means of using technology. The challenge of course is that of cost and the short-term purpose it tends to offer. I use YouTube religiously in class. It provides a great avenue to show clips that might help students see a concept. As of late, I have come to feel like an expert (I am not) on social networking in education; I served on a recent panel that addressed its purpose and how it might be effective in promoting discourse among students and colleagues; we also addressed the matter of academic freedom and how such social networks are contested by schools.  Professor Jeff Baker, a colleague and friend of mine shared this article with me on social-networking sites here. The article addressed the big challenge faced by educators as noted here:

But many educators who see the value in social networking face significant obstacles to incorporating it into their school days.

Both Twitter and Facebook are blocked by many school computer networks. Even Sheninger, who has had great success with his school’s official Facebook page, says the site still isn’t accessible from inside the school’s walls.

“One thing I ran into a lot in the U.S. was filtering or blocking,” says Terrell. To use some social-neworking sites or tools, “I had to get the technology director and let him know specifically what I was using it for, and it was a long process getting sites unblocked.”

Street Life/Academic Life

I have spoken to Max Hunter a number of times; we both have much in common when it comes to street life and academic work. I first met Max through a mutual friend and colleague when he was at Harvard. Max addresses a number issues regarding the importance of having diversity in schools, especially people of color being active leaders, teachers, community activist, and scholars. He most offers what I believe all teachers, but in particular, those of color should emulate… being an academic. I know all about the rough streets Max talks about; I am looking forward to making out his way and working with him soon. His interview below:

When Max Hunter received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, The Seattle Times dubbed him the “most unlikely” grad in the class of 2002. That assessment was based on the winding journey Hunter took from the projects of San Diego to the classrooms of Seattle: one that included stints as a preppy hustler, a cocaine dealer, a drug addict, and a student in Japan. The transformation, however, was hardly simple or sudden; instead, it reflected for Hunter the complexity of the experience of many urban African-Americans. Pursuing a career in academia—first at Harvard and now as a UW Ph.D. student and teaching fellow at Seattle Pacific University—Hunter has, of late, begun sharing his story. He recently gave a talk in the Veterans of Intercommunal Violence series at UW’s Clowes Center for the Study of Conflict and Dialogue, and is working on a pair of books.

Do you want people to use your story as a source of inspiration?
I’m more interested in challenging people to fulfill their potential; to get past their failures and accomplish something in life. I would like to inspire others to recover “linked fate,” the idea that African-Americans see their personal fate as linked to the fate of the community. I’d also like to restore the prominence of literacy in the black experience. According to Toni Morrison, no other group of slaves has written as much as black slaves in North America. Literacy has been critical to black liberation and human formation.

What kind of feedback have you received since your talk at the Clowes Center?
I have received a flood of requests for dinner and lunch meetings, as well as invitations to talk or work with youth. One of my colleagues told me that as she was riding the bus on the way home, she heard some kids retelling my story to each other.

Has sharing your story made you more likely to step out of the classroom and into the community?
Having African-American professors visit my schools or local community centers meant a lot to me when I was a youth. It helped me to imagine that people who looked and thought like me could find a space on campus to live, work and thrive.

I still get out to the community; however, my studies suffer for it. In my thinking, the entire city is the community. So, I will spend time with [local community organizer] Wyking Garrett and his youth; I might go to lunch or coffee with [Seattle City Council members] Tim Burgess or Sally Bagshaw; I might join fathers facing challenges at Marvin Charles’ nonprofit [Divine Alternatives for Dads Services]; I could share my story in a religious setting or at Franklin High School; or I might spend time at the Seattle Art Museum trying to support Sandra Jackson-Dumont’s work in the community.

What misconception about ‘the gangster’ would you most like to correct?
I’m interested in deconstructing the idea that kids who get involved in gangs or crimes are irrational or bestial. Many move on to do great things; in fact, the guy who first brought me into “the game” is now a scientist at a major American research institute.

I want to destroy binary thinking that allows us to abdicate our social responsibility to help youth who have made poor choices. I also would like us to think about how we determine whether someone deserves help based on their chronological age. Finally, I think that it’s important to recognize that violence begets violence. On a daily basis, the media exposes youth to conflict as a tool for domination in our nation’s domestic and foreign policy. Many kids also face violence in their communities on a daily basis. These realities shape both their worldview and their actions.

What are your plans after finishing the doctoral program?
I’d like to continue to teach and work in the community. I hope to do a master’s degree in bioethics at the UW medical school. My dream, however, is to begin a publishing company as a pedagogical tool for cultivating literacy and identities of competence. I want to recruit future authors from marginalized sectors of society and use reading, writing and theory to help both youth and adults to develop an understanding of their own stories and develop a critical consciousness about their own lives and society.

How would you describe your teaching style? Is it more important for you to impart certain information or to imbue students with a certain approach to learning?
I like to think that I’m improvisational and relational. My teaching is student-centered because I want my students to develop leadership skills and take learning into their own hands. Subject matter is important, but I’m most interested in habits of mind, as well as my students developing reflexivity and identities of competence. I think Paulo Freire’s book Pedagogy of the Oppressed captures some of my underlying assumptions as to what a teacher’s role is all about. I tend to see myself as a student among students, a partner with them in the world. But I like to have fun at the same time.

Please share a bit about the books you are working on.
One of my books is autobiographical. The other will focus on literacy in the African-American experience. I hope to demonstrate the enduring importance of reading and writing in the African-American experience for developing a sense of self, a critical consciousness and a counter-public sphere. Moreover, I want to make a link between black narratives from diverse regions and periods in history.