Monthly Archives: February 2020

Write6x6

Epiphany and a Latte

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After working all day at a retirement complex, I stopped by a local Dutch Bros for a caffeinated pick-me-up. In the traditional fashion of a Dutch Bro, the barista wanted to know my life history. He causally leaned out the window and asked, “What are you up to today? Going home from work or on your way to work?”

“No,” I replied. “I just got done with work. Now I’m going to school.”

“Cool! What class are you taking?” He asked in enthusiastic Dutch Bro fashion.

“Oh,” I corrected, gently. “I’m actually teaching class. Public Speaking.”

He furrowed his brow. “Wait. So, you left work… and now you’re going back to work?”

I laughed at his confusion. “Yeah, I guess so,” I answered. “Although teaching never really feels like work.”

And that’s when I had a career-changing epiphany. I worked full-time as the Director of Resident Relations at a luxury retirement complex. I enjoyed my job, being a liaison to residents and managing a department of 28 people, but it definitely felt like work. Whereas, my “part-time job” of being an evening adjunct instructor and assistant coach for the Speech & Debate (or Forensics) Team was fun and invigorating.

I had the realization right there in the Dutch Bros line (perhaps one more reason it always takes so long.) Maybe, just maybe, I should be spending 40 hours a week doing what I love instead of only squeezing in a few classes after “work.”

By this time, my oldest son was not quite one. Having a baby had changed my priorities, but it had not, yet, significantly changed my work schedule. I was still working my normal 8am-4pm job, then teaching 2-3 evening and online classes per week, then traveling to California (and elsewhere) about twice a month for speech tournaments… now with a baby in tow. Something had to give.

By all intents and purposes, it should have been coaching Forensics. This took up 10-15 hours of coaching per week in addition to traveling on the weekends, and it paid the least. But, I couldn’t give it up. I couldn’t let go.

I took some time to reflect. I realized that I loved teaching and coaching. I loved connecting with students and helping them to become better speakers. I loved being a coach and leading a team. I’m pretty very competitive. Forensics gave me an outlet for my competitive drive and my creativity. Teaching gave me a platform to continue to publicly speak and to kindle students’ love of learning, too.

Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of a mentor or a beloved family member. I certainly have stores to draw from. My favorite teacher in high school, Mrs. Farrington, who taught Speech (This should have been a sign) and was the club adviser for TAFE, the Texas Association for Future Educators (yet another sign.) I became the President of the club, mostly just to get to continue working with Mrs. Farrington. I signed up for every speech competition she recommended. (My awards include being the Hutchinson County Cattelwomen’s Beef Ambassador for both 2000 and 2001. I can’t make this up.) Mrs. Farrington is also the person who first introduced me to the world of Speech & Debate. I competed for 3.5 years in high school, then went on to compete in college as well. I still remember her combination of classy authority while also making me feel valued, like an “insider” working with her not just for her. As a high school student, that was a great feeling, but as an adult, we still desire this feeling of inclusion. I strive to impart these feelings of autonomy and support for my students.

I also remember my grandfather, who retired from the Navy and came back to our home town to run the family business, an office supply store. But when Walmart moved to our small town, our little store (like so many others) went out of business. My grandfather, “Gramp,” went back to school. He drove to the nearest college 2 hours away to complete his degree in Special Education. Upon graduation, he accepted a teaching position at a middle school in an even tinier town than ours almost 3 hours away. He rented a small apartment across the street from the middle school and walked to work every day. He came home on the weekends, but sometimes we’d go stay with him, which felt like a special treat. A few times, I even got to go to work with him. I met his students and his teachers aids; I observed the rapport he had with his students and the passion he had for connecting with students who struggled in the education system. I saw my grandpa in a new light. He seemed so happy and capable. I was proud to share my smart and funny grandfather with these students. His colleagues shared with me glowing complements about him as I drank my hot chocolate from a coffee mug in the teacher’s lounge. I like to think I got my sense of humor from him, and this is a vital tool for my teaching.

These are just two pillars in my life who inspired me, long before I knew that I would someday become a teacher. I believe that no matter what career path I chose, these inspirational figures would still have guided and shaped me to be my best.

But sometimes, inspiration comes in a less obvious form… like perhaps the form of a Large Caramel Annihilator from Dutch Bros. So to that fateful barista, I say “Thanks a latte.”

 
empowerment, Write6x6

Inspiration From Kindergarten Through College

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I am someone who is inspired by so many different things in life. I was recently inspired by the Netflix Series Cheer. In what way? Well, that’s another blog post for another day.

The two consistent things that have inspired me the most are my former teachers and my mentors. Some of these individuals have played the role of both the former teacher and the mentor.  Who I am today and the work that I do is representative of the key individuals who have crossed my path in education. Below you will find six lessons learned from teachers/mentors, that I apply in the classroom and my life.

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Kindergarten Teacher: The only thing that limits you is your imagination. I learned this when we had green eggs and ham in class. We read the book and my teacher made it a reality. My little mind was blown and the food was delicious!!!!

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4th Grade Teacher: No matter how behind you are, you can always catch up, you gotta work a little harder, but you can make it. I learned this when I transitioned from one school district that was lagging into another school district that was way ahead of where I was at. I caught up eventually, but it took a little bit of time.

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High School Theater Teacher: Go against the grain and take risks. My high school theater teacher always had us involved in work that was not typical for high school students. We did Shakespeare (A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream) and Greek tragedy (Antigone) and adult work like A Few Good Men and A Lion in Winter. The same attitude was also placed in our speech pieces since he was our speech and debate coach. I also learned that, no one is above or below anyone else. We were taught to respect each other as actors and tech people. Everyone contributed to building the set, the production of the play, and tearing down the set. No one was allowed to talk down to each other or treat anyone as less than because of their “status”.

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High School Multicultural Club Adviser: People are different, but there is so much that we could offer each other in this world if we would just take a moment to listen to each other and learn from each other. All we need to do is to get out of our own way. I am so thankful that I was a part of this club. In high school I learned about the importance of diversity and inclusivity. We also learned about the barriers of racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, etc. I had the opportunity to serve as the President of the club and as a counselor for our multicultural camp Rammietown. The experiences I had then, still impact me to this day.

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College Speech and Debate Coach/Mentor: The most successful people in life are those who combine talent with hard work. When I started speech and debate in college, I was not the most talented person. I lacked a lot of confidence and felt like I was pretty small compared to the big competitors on the team. Many came in with several titles and I had one. I was absolutely terrified in many of the practices I had my first year because I felt like I was  completely exposed and that everyone could see my weaknesses on the team. Despite my insecurities, I kept working hard, while those who were naturally talented, just coasted on their talent. I continued to get better and eventually surpassed some of them. I eventually became a multi national and international champion. I discovered that I had some talent, but what separated me from everyone else was how hard I worked. I never want to be wasted talent.

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College Professor/Mentor: Be excellent in everything that you do and how you live your life. I am a firm believer in excellence, it aligns with our campus value of quality. I try to strive for excellence in my personal and professional life. Like Oprah has said ” Excellence is the best deterrent to racism, sexism, etc.,” but it also brings me joy and pride. When people enjoy my work, I have joy and pride because I did my best work, and the end result is the most satisfying. My college professor is an embodiment of excellence. They taught me the importance of putting your best foot forward in everything that you do.

I have so many more that I could share. The list goes on and on. I’m sharing this because what we do in the classroom matters. As instructors we must never forget the impact that we have on our students. The list above shows the impact we can have on our students.

advice, student success, Write6x6

Impostor Syndrome

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In January, Maricopa Community Colleges held the 2020 Faculty convocation.  There was a lot of discussion about student success, supporting our students, and inclusiveness.  I was fortunate enough to present at the convocation and in doing the research I did to prepare for that presentation, I came across some interesting points that I would like to share with you, gentle readers, in my first blog post for the Write 6×6 Challenge.  

I would like to talk to you about impostor syndrome.  

The tendency to “discount or diminish the obvious evidence of our abilities” is called impostor syndrome, impostorism, or impostor phenomenon.   It is an inability to self-assess and is tied to diminished self-confidence and self-efficacy. How did I connect this to the convocation?  Well, we were discussing student success and inclusiveness and my research took me in an unexpected direction.  Impostor syndrome “disproportionately affects women and minority groups,” leading some researchers to identify impostor syndrome as a symptom of inequity. That said, the most recent studies suggest that anyone can be affected.  Impostor syndrome is more common in STEM and male-dominated fields.  It is more common when the person is not a part of a larger group or feels left out of the group.  And, it is a condition that affects some students and some teachers. Mature students can suffer from impostor syndrome, especially if they are first time attendees or have a sense that they don’t belong. Students who suffer from impostor syndrome can struggle with their courses, make poor career choices, and can become socially isolated.  It has even been linked to burnout, in part because “owning and celebrating achievements is essential if you want to avoid burnout”. As impostor syndrome occurs despite external validation and feedback, no one is immune. 

However, my research also found that our institution has the means to support these students academically and personally. Students who are offered support through mentors, professors, and institutional programs, are less likely to experience impostor syndrome.  Building positive relationships with the students has a direct impact on their academic performance, and minimizes the impact of impostor syndrome.  If you see a student who seems to be struggling with the issue of impostorism or find yourself falling into that pattern, reach out for assistance. Don’t try to go it alone.

I don’t know about you, but I have had several students over the years who have clearly fallen victim to the cycle of impostor syndrome.  I wish I had known a little more and had better ideas about how to help them. So, using the information I have found in my research, I have created this infographic to better explain the issues of impostor syndrome and how to defeat the phenomenon. The infographic has clickable elements for even more information. 

In case the embed code doesn’t work, here is the link.

I hope you have found this helpful. As an aside, I am setting a personal goal to create an interactive element, or an infographic, for each of the topics I work on for the 6×6 challenge.  That should make things a little more colorful for me as I am working. Let’s see how I do. See you next week.

A Few Resources Used

  1.  Cox, Elizabeth. “What is Imposter Syndrome and How Can You Combat it?” 28 August  2018. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ZQUxL4Jm1Lo
  2. Ford, Knatokie. “Defeating the inner imposter that keeps us from being successful.” Tedx Talks. 22 February 2017. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/J9PgY1mbPgM
  3.  Le, Ling (2019) “Unpacking the Imposter Syndrome and Mental Health as a Person of Color First Generation College Student within Institutions of Higher Education,” McNair Research Journal SJSU: Vol. 15 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/mcnair/vol15/iss1/5
  4.  Mullangi S, Jagsi R. “Imposter Syndrome: Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom.” JAMA. 2019; vol 322 issue 5, 403–404. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.9788
  5. Parkman, Anna. (2016). The Imposter Phenomenon in Higher Education: Incidence and Impact. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice. Vol. 16. 51-60.
  6. Pinto-Powell. “Impostor Syndrome: Not Exclusive to Women.” Inside Higher Ed. 20 December 2018. Retrieved fromhttps://www.insidehighered.com/views/2018/12/20/what-colleges-can-do-help-students-avoid-impostor-syndrome-opinion
  7. Preville, Philip. “How to Help Students Overcome Impostor Syndrome.” Trends in Higher Education. Top Hat Blog.  12 June 2019. Retrieved from https://tophat.com/blog/student-impostor-syndrome/
  8. Wilding, Melody J. “5 Different Types of Imposter Syndrome (and 5 Ways to Battle Each One)”  The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-different-types-of-imposter-syndrome-and-5-ways-to-battle-each-one
  9. Young, Valerie. “Thinking your way out of Imposter Syndrome.” Ted Archive. 5 June 2017. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/h7v-GG3SEWQ

 
Write6x6

2020 Vision

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The world has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. It is difficult to fully grasp the increase in access to information, and with it, misinformation.

Education has a responsibility to try and keep up with this exponential growth in access.

If this responsibility is taken on a case by case basis it becomes impossible. Even the most gifted teacher can’t fact check the firehose of information and media being fed to students (and every internet user) on a daily basis.

So how can educators avoid getting stuck in a perpetual Sisyphus style loop with correcting misinformation?

There is an old, now cliché, saying: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

Modified: Provide someone a truth, and you correct one lie. Teach someone to pursue truth, and you keep them from a lifetime of deception.

Teaching students (or anyone) to recognize fact from falsehood is not an easy task. There are a dozen different forms of bias that serve as barriers to the truth, some of which are variants on the traditional forms of bias we think of as educators.

Last year I was at a Town Hall meeting on the possibility and impact of new low-income housing. The audience could be described as hostile. At one point in the presentation, there was a slide showing cited figures disproving the notion that “low-income” means “more crime”. At this point, one of the audience members stood up and proclaimed, phone waving in hand, that that information was inaccurate because “He just Googled it”.

“I Googled It” Bias (a variant of anchoring bias) is just the tip of the iceberg. Where Google has at least considered filtering for accuracy over relevance, social media platforms have generally taken the opposite approach. This blatant disregard for accuracy is especially dangerous because, according to Forbes magazine, 64.5% of internet users receive breaking news from social media.

Social media is an addiction, and like all addictions, expect a fight when trying to wean people away from it. The path of least resistance here is not to go after social media altogether (I’d struggle to give up /aww on reddit), but rather educate that social media shouldn’t be a primary, or even secondary, source of information. At best social media should serve as a tertiary form of information, it should provoke the thought of “Is this true?” rather than “This is true.”.

The next step goes to my old rallying cry around critical thinking skills:

  • Always consider both sides of the issue
  • Question, no matter the source
  • Look for currency, credibility, and bias

The first thought when reading any information shouldn’t be “What is being said?”, but rather, “Who is saying it?”. Most importantly, find multiple sources for the same piece of information.

This notion especially holds true when educators start thinking about “quality sources”. One of the dangers in academia is the sometimes blind faith put in peer-reviewed journals. Unfortunately, there have been multiple cases, with some even causing societal belief shifts, where data published in peer-reviewed journals are later found to be false.

As difficult as it may be, both educators and students have to acquiesce to the notion that some facts can be fickle. The understandings of society, history, and science are usually “best guesses”, but that should not dissuade from the pursuit.

In the end, it is the pursuit of truth that should be the primary focus of education. Every teacher should strive to show students how to limit social media’s influence, avoid bias, and apply critical thinking. These skills will prove invaluable long after a student graduates, and well into whatever era comes after this age of information.