Celebrate Learning
Page 4
“My faith has always been with faculty, my colleagues and my friends. We cannot wait for anyone to
help us. We can only begin this work with the same passion and commitment we carry into the classroomTCC can be a model for community colleges determined to develop and support rigorous academics
and high collegiate standards, the essential connection between access and retention and certificates and
degrees. Faculty can make that happen. We are the only ones who can.” —LPC
Choosing Shoes
that Fit
classes. Can you help me enroll?”
“Absolutely, I’ll be happy to help. When can
we meet?”
By Dewayne Dickens
Why is it that
some shoes fit perfectly
when you go to the shoe
store and try on shoes,
while other shoes just
seem to just not fit? Some shoes are too narrow in
the heel or too tight in the toe, or the shoes flap right
out to the side and reveal that your arches are not
perfect. And sometimes one shoe will fit perfectly on
one foot but not on the other foot. Even worse, the
shoes you like on the display stand look absolutely
dreadful on your feet, or the shoes just plain hurt
when you try them on. Well, my life over the last few
weeks has made me realize more fully what “social
foundations” means when we talk about curriculum
design or social equity or social justice. At first, it
sounds so abstract, so theory driven, so philosophical—until I consider the students I encounter on a
daily basis. They need “right” shoes, and I need to
help them determine what size shoe works for them.
I wish I could give them one size, but students—in
their peculiar circumstances of life—reveal to me on a
daily basis that “one size really DOESN’T fit all”!
How about George who misses many classes
and struggles to submit his work on time, but he
somehow thinks he is passing. George keeps in touch
with me every week—generally more than once in a
week. He texts me frequently during the week, and
we talk to try to figure out how to make his academic
life work:
“Hey Mr. Dickens, I need your help with some
“Oh, well, I really don’t have time for meeting; I just figured you could tell me what to take.”
“Hmmm … I’m not thinking that’s going to
work. We need to choose classes that will meet your
major and help you build up your grade point average. And you need to think about your work schedule. I don’t want to help you choose classes that will
hurt you at the end of the semester and will put you
in a position of not being able to enroll for next semester.” *By the way, I’m wondering how he thinks
next semester will work when he may not make it
through my class this semester]
“Oh, it will be OK. I’m sure of it!”
“I see. You are very confident about that. I
have a few concerns. One is that you haven’t been
in my classes much. And I don’t have any work from
you. How are you thinking that’s going to work?
You do realize I’ll give you a grade for the work I
have in hand, right? And that is ‘nothing.’”
“Oh, I’ll get on it. I’ve been going through a
few things. My job … my not having a car … my
moms … my place to live situation … you know how
it is. I’ll be caught up really soon.”
“George, you have me concerned. I want to
help you, but I need you to give me work. I need you
to be in class. I need you to make class a priority.