General Reflections

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General Reflections topic started 6/20/2005; 11:50:25 AM last post 6/20/2005; 11:50:25 AM

pichonulysses@d... - General Reflections   6/20/2005; 10:50:25 AM (reads: 2201, responses: 0) I remember, John, when you came to De Anza. I was here and I did my thing in the classroom, and it was a pretty good thing. I know, because the students told me so again and again. I received my legitimacy from the students. My messages from "on high" were not quite positive, but the students said "deal with us, don't worry about them." And therefore, I remained an outsider within the department and division for many years. And then John, you came along. You called me in to talk to me and told me that the college needed to hear from me.    "What college? Why me? I don't even know what this college is about. I don't even know the issues. I have no stance on anything except what I do in the classroom."    "You don't need to know the issues, you will learn them, you will know how to deal with them, you will find your voice on them, give yourself two weeks."    I figure that this was quite a sales job, but at least I could say what I think in a forum where ideas could be put forward and debated. I could live with that.    And so began my involvement with politics at De Anza. I became a division representative on the senate, and after my term was elected to the executive committee for five successive years.    Well in short, you encouraged (pushed) me into participating in the life of the college and I'd like to think that I am still doing so, and that I see it as a part of teaching,as a part of life. I received my first official recognition from the institution as a result of my participation in the faculty senate: I received the "President's Award," not for excellence in teaching, but for participating in college governance. I became publically recognized as a part of the college community and began to be addressed by name rather than simply being nodded at.     John, I'm saying all of this to simply say "Thank You." I knew I was "legit" before, but I didn't think anyone else knew it. You knew it and you sensed that it was time for me to show it! About the same time, as we were reorganizing the Readiness program,we had a talk about teaching Reading, which I had never had with members of my department. I shared a little of my philosophical and iconoclastic idolatry with you on the need for more humanity and less machine-based pedagogy and you regarded it as a "common sense approach to the teaching of students in developmental classes.    I couldn't believe it, someone also believed in what I was doing in the classroom. This was too good to be true, but it was. and so I belonged! I was not necessarily accepted (in my department) but I belonged.    Thank you John, I could go on for days, but it is time to stop. Take care, do your best, and be your cool self! Ulysses Pichon Discuss