To a Degree

As a lowly English teacher / instructor / professor, I am quite familiar with the “tools of my trade”: books and textbooks of literature. The difference between a book and a textbook is not that important to this discussion, but, nevertheless, I will explain it: A book almost always covers one subject or topic or story and is commonly written by one author. A literature textbook contains more than one subject, topic, or story, and, while it often has one or more editors, it also features a number of authors. The latter offers a teacher a more varied amount of material to use in his or her class / course. When I was a young person, I loved both. I loved reading particular authors, or topics, or themes. I felt enriched by the experience of reading, chiefly because those in authority over me chose helpful or inspirational books. My choices were not censured; rather, I was given a wide choice of appropriate material to feed my imagination, my interest, and my faith. God was, as I exp...

The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. ~ Abraham Lincoln I grew up in Catholic schools, elementary and high school (there were no junior high or middle schools in the Catholic parochial system when I was young). I generally loved school in all of its seasons. Despite modern-day rumors and half-truths, the nuns who taught me were not abusive to me or to any of my classmates. Yes, children got well-deserved punishments for bad behavior, but no one ever complained in my hearing that the punishments were arbitrary or outlandish; everyone knew better. I have photographic proof that our school was completely and fairly integrated; in fact, I was smitten with a young mulatto boy in first grade, and proudly boasted to my racist grandmother that I intended to marry him one day. (World War III almost started in our house that day!) Being a Catholic at the time, I attended Mass every day when I could. I heard many, many pass...

Americans are pretty naive when it comes to education. "Education has the highest ideals, right? We train teachers through colleges and universities, right? They use well-written textbooks and thoughtful, honorable materials, right? All teachers love and respect each child they shepherd, giving unbiased attention to American ideals and values, right?" The answers, my dear fellow parents, teachers, and educators, will shock and surprise you, because most often they amount to "NO!" I have been a teacher, instructor, tutor, and professor for over four decades, and I have witnessed unbelievable changes in what people have expected and experienced in Academia. This blog is going to cover a lot of educational dirt that has been swept under various people's rugs. I will not necessarily tackle this house-cleaning in any sort of chronological order. I will pray for guidance from the Lord I have striven to honor in all of my academic endeavors for the wisdom to impart fac...