What I’m Up to in 2023
I’m one of those people who has always loved to be in the classroom, first as a student, and now as a professor standing in front of the whiteboard. If the whiteboard could see, it would be greeted with my beautiful smile every day!
As a life-long learner, I look for opportunities to invest in my own growth and development. I saw a post online a little bit ago that said that the world changes by your actions, not your opinions. I truly believe that and work every day to align my words with my deeds. I have written many times about the realities of being a lifelong learner.
The bottom line is that it’s not easy. It is, however, a reminder of the realities of being a learner. For teachers like me, it informs the compassion we must have when we ask others to learn from us and with us. To that end, this is what I have planned for this year:
My Very Own YouTube Channel: Colégas Conversations
Yes… I’ve decided to do video. Folks have told me that I am good on camera so I’m giving it a go. I’ll be focusing on cultural studies and highlighting the lived experiences of people of color. I will periodically also share my experiences teaching Ethnic Studies and other cultural content. I also want to do interviews, so If want to join me let me know, and we can record a short video focusing on what you’re doing professionally.
The channel is still under construction, and I want to have some great content to share before we go live, but when it does, I think it will be very special. If I stay on schedule, I should be ready to provide a link in the next issue of Colégas!
Consulting with Local School Districts on Implementing an Ethnic Studies Curriculum in the K-12
Given that California is implementing Ethnic Studies as a high school graduation requirement, school districts are working to develop courses based on the state standards for the subject. I am working with a local district to develop an onboarding process for teachers who will be required to integrate the subject into their curriculum.
Initially, the recommendation from the state superintendent of education is to integrate Ethnic Studies subject matter into History, Social Sciences, and English Language Arts in a deliberate and transparent manner. Since so few credentialed teachers have a background in Ethnic Studies, there will need to be both subject matter and methodology instruction for them.
That is where I come in. I will be developing a four-week course to help inform teachers on the tenets of Ethnic Studies. They will then transition to the methods where they can integrate the content into existing History, Social Sciences, and English Language Arts curricula. At some point, there will need to be a stand-alone Ethnic Studies course, so I hope to be involved in the development of that curriculum as well.
This will be a best-practices approach until we have enough teachers trained specifically in Ethnic Studies. It is possible that the state of California develops a complete Ethnic Studies specialty within the Social Sciences credential and I anticipate something like that within the next decade.
For now, though, it looks like it will be spearheaded by people like myself. I’ve already worked on a similar project last year, but this one is bigger in scope, so I am really looking forward to see how it evolves. I do hope to do more of these in the future as I really believe school districts will struggle to implement the state’s mandate. If your district is in need of my services, let me know.
Research on the Impact of Ethnic Studies on Students
People say I am a school nerd, so I am always looking for opportunities to learn and do research. Fortunately for me, I have found an opportunity to do research at my own institution. I am the principal investigator in an IRB approved study that looks at the impact taking an Ethnic Studies course on students. From how students see themselves, to their relationship with others, and how they see advocacy. The project hopes to capture the changes within the student that is created by taking an Ethnic Studies class.
This work will inform both my academic scholarship as well as my private consulting. Again, I am doing the work to make sure I am as an authority in the field. In other words, I am investing in myself and you all are reaping the benefits!
Speaking of what I can do for you, my final endeavor this year is: College Advising
This past college application season, I had some very good conversations with students and their parents about how to approach the college application process. One young person told me they paid $4000 (OMG!) for a 10-week counseling package. They told me that the experience was mediocre at best and left them discouraged about their chances of getting into college. I was appalled.
It is important to understand that there is a difference between what is possible and what is probable. That is a legitimate conversation to have with anyone pursuing their goals. But this student was told to not even bother applying to several top in-state schools because the consultant thought they were “bad” schools. Wow!
Shutting doors on a young person that this counselor cannot possibly know that well and basing this on limited information they have on a school, is extremely unprofessional, if not fraudulent. The student told me that after an hour of talking with me, they received more actionable information than from that counselor after 10 weeks. By the way, I didn’t charge for that advice.
My goodness… know that I would not charge thousands of dollars without having the credentials and experience to back up the price tag. I will also clearly lay out what I do, how I do it, why I do it, and both our roles in the process when presenting my services.
I take college advising very seriously because the advice I give impacts the decisions students and parent make in their lives. That is a huge burden and responsibility. Just know that when you become a client, I center the program around your experience and your needs. I charge fair prices and you will receive far more real value than what you paid.
I am currently working on a new landing page specifically for college advising, but in the meantime, you can follow the development of this project on the Colégas Group home page where we will post any new announcements. P.S. we just re-designed the home page with a clean new layout and new pictures so I am very happy with the new look.
Whew! I think these projects will keep me busy this year 😉. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In for more updated info and to see what else I am working on.