I grew up in the South, the son of a Baptist minister, where you were expected to fit into this very narrow group of guidelines. Failure to 'fit in' was frowned upon by everyone and you were labeled, as well as recognized, as 'different', which wasn't a good thing. This meant that you stood out. The few of us who did stand out wanted to be recognized not because we different but rather for our uniqueness and brilliance. Instead, we were considered outcasts and were avoided.
Then I entered college, the placed I called, 'The Land of the Awakened Mind', where people were passionate about what they believed in and were willing to fight for their beliefs. I was no longer seen as 'different' but rather one of the gang. I now fit in instead of being an outsider. As a freshman, I joined the newspaper staff as an artist and reporter, and eventually becoming the editor-in-chief. This was a place where ideas were discussed and debated, where strategies were mapped out with success as the goal. This was the place where I learned how to network with other groups within the campus as well as at other schools where the goals were the same, always maintaining open communication. I found that even if we didn't agree, the bonds were maintained, and often strengthened.
I learned something wonderful about myself along the way, the need to find and understand the 'why' questions. This served me well, especially being a mathematics major. Throughout my schooling, I realized that the more 'whys' I could answer, the greater the degree of understanding I attained.
Upon graduation, I began teaching those students that, historically, had difficulty learning mathematics. They were always the disenfranchised, performing far below their capabilities. I looked forward to the challenge, that being, helping these students be able to do something that my predecessors were not able to accomplish.Those of you that are or have been teachers know that these students were assigned to the first year teachers, or to the more seasoned teachers who viewed it as some type of punishment.
My goal was to not only be able to do mathematics but also understanding the 'whats' and 'whys' of the things that were being asked of them. I am a firm believer in the statement, 'If you keep doing what you did, you will keep getting what you got'. For me, in order to have success, the only thing that made sense was to approach the subject from a totally different manner. The results, in a word, were amazing. They made dramatic improvements in only one year. Needless to say, different definitely worked for them. They became enthusiastic learners and because of them, more students asked to enter my classes.
Today, the United States has an African-American President. This is very different from the previous forty-three president.For the most part, the entire country is revitalized. His eloquence and brilliance have capture the hearts and minds of the disenfranchised, providing a source of hope for a brighter future by going about the job in a manner that is totally different from those who came before. People from all walks of life have decided to be 'different', to step up and work for a better tomorrow. Do you consider yourself 'different'? Let's be 'different' together and watch what we accomplish.
Posted By: George Milliken
Wednesday, November 19th 2008 at 10:08PM
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