Positionality Statement:
First, who I am consists of several parts – a preliminary list:
- Husband – Married 30 years and ever thankful to have found & married the woman (Karen) w/whom I share every day’s beginning & end, and on the best days – our time in between. My wife is everything I am not. She is also my best friend, while still helping me, every day, to be a better person & support me to be the one I strive to be. I’m also a father -and- we have two sons, 28 & 25 – they’re our pride and joy. Our older son is “me on steroids”, though he’s also much smarter, and even more intense when he needs to be. Our younger son is his Mom, and also (still) a remarkable enigma to Karen & I. we are very lucky to have them both.
- I’m from the Boston suburbs & went to undergrad in Rochester, NY. These places influenced my still liberal perspective, while enlightening me in many ways – joy, tolerance, patience, acceptance & curiosity. I like to think these places also shaped my resilience & ability to endure occasional hardship, though nothing too hard.
- I have two brothers, one gay, and through no coincidence of my Irish heritage – both alcoholics – as well as my Father & his two brothers, who’re also all alcoholics. Somehow it missed me.
- I’m Catholic, and for many reasons my faith has remained steadfast, despite the cynicism & challenges along my journey.
- As a leader I’m a former Navy Submarine Officer, Nuclear & Chemical Engineer, and have an MBA – I have 7 US patents & 4 trade secrets, along with dozens of new product launches and process start-ups, among my 30+ years in Corporate America. Problem-solving & resourcefulness, product & process development, along with focus and compassion, remain my cornerstone leadership capabilities.
What role does my ID play in my classroom & relationship with my students?
- I’m only vaguely beginning to find out – it’s now been two days w/kids since I began student teaching. However, from previous experiences – 10+ year Veteran USA Swimming Official -and- Uberjudge for the annual INTL Business Ethics Case Competition, now in its 25th year, I can anticipate my approach already. I’ve learned to engage kids & college students first by listening, smiling & meeting them face to face … even if it means crouching down to connect with a 10-year-old I just disqualified in the 100 Butterfly.
- These children & young adults never lack for something they want to tell me, or will be eager to learn from my feedback, etc. They are genuine, intense and keen to improve! -and- their energy & spirit both inspire my best, and compel me to support them fairly, and with a robust enthusiasm for our shared passion to always be improving (!)
- I’ll bring my sincere best self every day to the classroom, and can see already – this will be a journey of joy, daily adventures & shared discovery of what we’ll learn together, and from each other. My Dad & his older brother were both once teachers, though unlikely for the reasons I’ve begun with. Ideally, I’ll have the chance to reach a few children whom I may help discover talent, passion & abilities they didn’t recognize or realize within themselves. I may also, as happened for me, be that “right teacher, at the right time” to call out their better nature for science and math, and compel their own renewal towards an aptitude for all things Chemistry. We’ll see. Regardless, I seek to nurture a love for learning and excellence in “cracking the hard problems” along the way. I may also be asked to write a few college recommendations; teach & connect 1:1; or staff after-school problem sessions before big tests … and know I’m finding my way.
- I also seek to take away all I can learn from both my Mentor Teacher & her Chemistry Teacher colleagues, who’ve already started to bring me into their tight group. I’ve rarely received such an early nod as when the AP Chem Teacher & Dept Head suggested I may teach a class session to introduce Polymer Chemistry – I’m a subject matter expert from grad school and my R&D career – that will be awesome!
- Per Chapter 3 of Unearthing Joy, Muhammad (2023), pgs. 100-104, – Explore & illuminate my own identity as an educator. It’s a commentary, and intended to be personally thought-provoking and reflective – no formal citations required – statement will be revisited in the spring semester.
“It’s not about me” (Avoid ‘Me Centric’) – Focus 1st on the students -and- Identity as a Teacher – Essential focus is on to be on the class & individual students (and consequently, dis-engage from self-conscious awareness, etc.). Rather, as a career-change teacher I can be more effective by dis-engaging from their background, etc. and bringing energy, attention and action bias towards the students. What do they need to – learn; engage with learning; take individual responsibility for learning & initiative; as well how they can be motivated, and include them in our common learning journey … How can I support students, and enable their learning Science & Chemistry, to be an ongoing discovery process (?).
Awareness of How Perceived -and- 1st Impressions Count – Before people can get to know a new teacher personally, etc., first impressions will follow from how a new teacher is different. Now, in front of HS -and/or- community college students, and on the steep part of a new teacher learning curve. Before a new teacher can leverage Corporate America experience it’s necessary to recognize 40 years of learned perspective, first be successful as a grounded, proficient & disciplined educator.
There’s much to learn & experience in the classroom as a teacher (!) In many ways, despite decades of work experience, there’s still much in common with a 22–26-year-old college graduate & 1st-time Teacher. Students & peer teachers are best served by:
- Bringing a servant-leadership approach to the classroom.
- Being positive, supportive & patient throughout.
- Actively & deliberately listening -and-
- Recognizing select opportunities to leverage a professional background, as well as experience as a parent, to support each & every student.
Why do I want to be a Teacher? – Multiple Reasons:
- First & foremost – engage with students, and improve their overall aptitude for basic science & chemistry education – enable them to recognize their own skill and capability to learn; establish self-confidence in science-learning; and prepare them for post-HS academic achievement in the sciences.
- Grow & learn in new career field – experience with HS & college students, over last 10-15 years, enables believing in the potential to be both successful and highly motivated, to bring passion to my teaching.
- Teach the challenging science classes in the school -and- become the go-to teacher, whose courses are both challenging & strong academic preparation for post-HS.
- Leverage academic and Corp R&D experience, to be a credible subject matter expert within a new teacher community, and be an example for the best students, aspiring to challenging post-HS academic goals.
- Make a unique & significantly positive difference for a small group of students over time.
- Join & contribute to a very different work environment than previously experienced, first in the Navy, and thereafter in Corporate America. Be excited to join a dynamic school community of students, educators, coaches & families! Where there’s new possibilities to contribute and be a positive influence for students & co-educators alike, and where there’s opportunities to be a pivotal influence for some students.
IMPLICIT BIAS ASSESSMENT:
Reflection – my experience w/assessments & results – describe what I’ve learned:
- About myself – results:
- You were moderately faster at sorting ‘Arab Muslims’ with ‘Bad’ and ‘Other People’ with ‘Good’ than ‘Other People’ with ‘Bad’ and ‘Arab Muslims’ with
- You were much faster at sorting ‘Science’ with ‘Male’ and ‘Liberal Arts’ with ‘Female’ than ‘Liberal Arts’ with ‘Male’ and ‘Science’ with ‘Female’
I think of myself as objective, a ‘straight-shooter’, and lacking much bias, based on either gender, -or- racial (black, white, Muslim) backgrounds; as well as any strong gender-association bias towards liberal arts or science. I also grew up in Boston -and- went to undergrad in Rochester, NY – relatively liberal places on the political spectrum. My Dad, both his brothers & my brothers, are / were all alcoholics and one of my brothers is gay, so those elements of my family go w/me as well.
However, my results are not consistent with my self-image, and certainly not when it comes to male/female & science vs. liberal arts. While virtually all of my academic background in science & engineering, as well as my professional career in engineering / R&D and highly technical disciplines, had me working w/a majority of male counterparts, there were also impressive & accomplished female leaders and researchers among us. In particular, I’ve always valued & perceived (assumed?) my female leaders & counterparts had inherently more sensitivity & awareness of nuance and perception, among customers or coworkers, than did / have our male counterparts – me included. I’ve long regarded these subtle & female qualities – for more human & intangible factors – to be an advantage in being a more effective & genuine leader. Men with whom I‘ve worked, who had similar leadership values/qualities were & are, for me, more trustable and approachable, as well as better listeners, vs. those biased only to topline, and otherwise dismissive or ignorant of nuance and human factors. There’s been several key examples of each that come to mind – these are men and women I respected, trusted and valued their opinion / perspective, as well as I regard as embodying the best of genuine technical capability. with flexible & sometimes humble leadership models & behaviors.
My Navy career clearly reinforced my perception of racial minorities – black & brown men, in particular – “when you’re in a foxhole w/a guy, and he’s got the same flag patch on his arm as you, that’s all that matters” – 5+ years on submarines imbued me with a clear & priority value on competence, flexibility and cool-headed reliability – I could not care less what God you pray to, the color of your skin or gender of who you aspired to come home to – when you can: keep your focus; be at your best when chaos reigns, or disaster’s a matter of seconds away – then I want you on my team! … skin color, racial/religious background, or who you love are the last of my concerns. I also learned to better appreciate those who listen more / talk less, and maintain a sense of humor / composure & routine, despite the challenges and/or depravities of long deployments -and- time away from sun, fun & family. I smile & identify when I think of that movie line – “I’m just trying to get me & my team through the next hour” – that’s been me – and if you’re on my team, then you’re part of the solution (to getting me home). If I’ve been the leader, and you’re on my team, then your success is my success, and it’s my job to discover & recognize w/each of my team-mates – what they’re good at, and how to be comfortable, being their best, and being “on their game” for me & our team.
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- How applies to – (i) teaching; -and- (ii) developing relationships with students.
More than ever, I realize & am reminded – how approachable, effective, valued, etc. I am by kids and young adults begins w/my own self-awareness. I can (and have) be perceived as (stereotypical) old / white / male and (consequently) inflexible, insensitive, disconnected, disinterested and/or an inherently poor listener. I’ve encountered many occasions when people first assume I am some or all of these things, only for me to have to (unknowingly) disprove them wrong over time (!) There’ll only be more such occasions as I get older, and those I work with, and/or teach, keep getting younger. There’s nothing I can do about being old or white, except continuing to work out, keep my weight down & sustain some awareness level of contemporary, social & I welcome the challenge. My approach has evolved as follows:
- Smile, listen & make eye contact … then listen some more
- Adjust my body posture to fully face & engage w/the person(s) talking w/me, or wanting my attention
- Ask questions, then ask more questions, all the while withholding opinion, judgment or decision(s), until it’s time. So too – that time may not come.
- “What do you think?” whenever possible
- Use the Socratic Teaching approach – ask questions & lead my audience, vs. tell them or obligate them to settle for my opinion/perspective
- When necessary – sit or kneel down to be face to face, vs. above my audience – coaching & officiating kids ≤ 12 years old, and as young as 7, on a swim deck taught me there’s no better way to help them hear what feedback or observation I have to share.
- Keep awareness – positive vs. negative / constructive feedback is more effective in a disproportionate ratio, such as ≥ 4:1, etc.
- Praise outcomes and be specific / detailed, to teach and reinforce – avoid superficial or broad/unspecific feedback.
- When I am leading or teaching – sustain awareness – I am from the Northeast & tend to talk fast – slow it down & strive to be audience-centric at all times: talk & express my thoughts, ideas, etc. FOR THEM (not to put it out there, or enjoy the sound of my own voice). If there’s nothing for my students, athletes or others I’m responsible for, to hear or learn, then leave it unsaid.
- Avoid a tendency to share too much info – there are those topics I know a lot about, and/or have subject matter expertise – again, I need to remain audience-centric, and acknowledge: when it comes to verbal expression, too often supply exceeds demand.
My effectiveness with students will first / foremost come down to:
- Calling out & enabling their Best
- Consistently challenging them in a constructive & positive way
- Being approachable, patient and relentlessly supportive of their goals and effort; as well as being a consummate professional & role model.
- Role modeling & acknowledging – I am:
- A Teacher, (occasional) subject-matter expert, and perhaps a mentor and/or writer of college application recommendations – I am not:
- A friend, confidante -or- in any way punitive or insensitive to the myriads of challenges teens & pre-teens endure, as they navigate their way.
Create a visual digital representation and post on your digital site – using photographs, video, animation, sound, performance, etc. and your choice of platform, as long as its universally legible) that illustrates your teacher identity & positionality …
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