When I started my second attempt at the self-study my initial idea was that I would focus on making sure I didn’t become a “dinosaur”. A dinosaur in this context meant faculty member and teacher who was wed to the way he/she has always done things. I was going to re-examine my habits as a teacher and a learner. Continue reading Self-Study During the Pandemic
All posts by Tom Murphy
Affirming Perspective /Challenging Stereotypes: Decentering whiteness in 9th grade history
Essential Questions:
- How do we teach students to see historical events through multiple perspectives?
- How does changing the “voice” of the class materials challenge stereotypes about non-Western civilizations and cultures?
- How do we teach students to value the achievements of civilizations that are not their (or our) own or that have traditionally been seen through a deficit lens?
- How can highlighting examples of interactions between oppressed and dominant groups throughout history reveal injustices that affect our students’ lives?
Staying Relevant
As a teacher with almost 30 years on the job, I worry that I will “fall behind”. I am concerned that my habits, practices, and perspectives are no longer relevant/effective. Students are now swimming in a different sea. Understandings of race, gender and privilege have all evolved and in some way been transformed. Social media has changed not only how students communicate, but also how they interact with the world. Since I’m not retiring soon, I have to find ways to avoid becoming the faculty dinosaur while at the same time preserving some of the reasons why I chose to become a teacher. Continue reading Staying Relevant