This
is my ninth year teaching at Los Gatos.
Although I’ve also taught at Palo Alto and Gunn High Schools, I love
teaching here because of the terrific enthusiasm among the students as well as
the generous community and parental support of the school. Los Gatos also benefits from having some of
the most dedicated and gifted teachers in education. Where else will you find teachers willing to place their
authority – not to mention their self respect – on the line in front of the
whole town to raise money for charity and get a few cheap laughs at the
Fractured Follies?
I come to the subjects I teach -- Government, Economics and Comparative Politics – not so much as an educator, but rather as a practitioner. My knowledge of these fields is informed by a wide range of experiences, including six years in the Coast Guard performing search and rescue, intelligence, conservation and drug enforcement duties; teaching and research experience in international security and development; study at the University of Oslo’s Peace Research Institute (PRIO); and over a decade of consulting on public policies related to education, labor, and poverty. I have a passion for these subjects because I believe that we all affect the people around us – near and far – and it’s important for each of us to understand the affects of our actions on others as well as the actions of others on ourselves.
If
you grew up with the idea that ‘teachers teach and students learn,’ then my
approach is likely to be disorienting at first, but you’ll get the hang of
it. Good teachers are good students; we
wouldn’t have a passion for our teaching if we didn’t have a drive to
understand. At the same time, good
students always have something to teach. I come to the classroom every day expecting to learn, and I’m
rarely disappointed. Typically the
students who do best in my classes are those who are willing to share their
knowledge or engage in a discussion about important issues. I strive to give each student an opportunity
to contribute by moderating discussions and holding each student to a high
standard of respectfulness.
Of
course being a beginner is uncomfortable.
We’ve worked so hard to become competent and unassailable. Being a beginner means taking chances,
moving beyond the bounds of comfort and complacency that define our acceptance
in society. The rewards,
however, are significant. Few things in
the world are as they seem. And those
who take chances get to see the world for all of its possibilities. Taking a chance may simply mean asking the
right questions, challenging popular views or challenging an instructor’s
authority (…ahem … respectfully!), doing those things that help move the class
toward a deeper understanding of the world around us. Moreover, students who take chances and move outside of their
comfort zones are rewarded twofold: first, students who share ideas develop
mastery of a subject more quickly than those who do not; second, I reward
students who try harder with higher participation grades.
Teaching
a class where everyone starts at a different level of competency and progresses
at a different pace is a challenge. Add
to that the fact that I teach five courses and have over 160 students to teach
and you can begin to digest true size of the challenge. Nevertheless, my goal is to help each
student get the most out of this course.
I’m available to help students and have lots of flexibility to work with
students with different needs and abilities.
I am available before and after.
Students can also reach me on line to ask questions (lghsrogers@yahoo.com) or submit ideas
and papers. But students need to
take the initiative. Those who
want help need to ask for it early enough to make a difference – before
projects are due and before their grades slip too low to be recovered.
I
expect each student to work to the best of her ability. My goal is to help each student achieve his
potential. Students who
consistently perform well, who work hard, who try, who make the attempt to
understand complex material – these students earn my respect. Every so often, these are the students who
get breaks should the need arise. There
is a degree of subjectivity in evaluating most student performance: assignment
grades are based on the overall quality of work and on the level of
effort. Students who tackle
particularly unique or complex ideas may receive a grade adjustment for the
higher degree of difficulty.
In
the classroom I expect that all students will behave in a mature manner
and treat each person in the classroom with respect. The subjects that we will be discussing are
contemporary and sometimes people get carried away with their ideas. However, this class requires students to use
a thoughtful, reasoned approach when addressing hot-button issues. Students who show disrespect to others
will be dismissed from the classroom and may receive additional disciplinary
action.
During
this course I’ll use question-based discussions extensively (what we call the Socratic
method) along with some lecture, group presentations, simulations and the
occasional film to explore a wide range of issues. The course is very fluid – its focus may shift dramatically as
current events unfold, presenting us with important issues. The upshot of all this is that participation
is vital to student success in this course: this means that students
are active discussants who can demonstrate knowledge of current events and how
they apply to what we’re learning.
Students
are often lulled into a false sense of comfort because I have a laid-back
presentation in class. True, I enjoy an
adult atmosphere where everyone is comfortable sharing ideas without disrespect
or harsh reproach. But don’t expect my
laid-back style to translate into laid-back grades. I expect that students will perform to the
best of their abilities and reward students accordingly: turn in
excellent, thoughtful work, get a good grade; turn in substandard work, get a
substandard grade.
Being
respectful and taking the initiative are crucial for working together. Stand up for your rights and beliefs – that’s what these courses
are all about – but do so in a respectful manner. This course will deal with some sensitive issues the only way I
know how to deal with them – head on.
While I try to do so respectfully, some students do get offended. This may be due to the approach I use
(remember, Socratic); I’m bound to push some buttons occasionally. If that happens, please let me know. As uncomfortable as it may be, it’s the only
way two people can learn to communicate respectfully.
In
the past year a lot has been said and written about teacher bias in the
classroom. Yes, I am biased – as are
all people. My approach to teaching
differs from others. I believe that Social
Studies without controversy is nothing more than indoctrination. All of us come with experience and
knowledge that skew our individual points of view. Intellectual honesty demands that I be matter-of-fact and upfront
about my viewpoints rather than hide behind a veil of “objectivity” or
“facts.” All objective material and
facts require interpretation, and all of us need practice recognizing and
analyzing different points of view that emerge as facts are “interpreted.” I will not teach subjective issues as fact;
nor will I ram my point of view down students’ throats. Instead, I see that the inevitable
disagreements we have are an opportunity to learn from one another. Respecting points of view by engaging people
with thoughtful questions and data help us delve into the depths of issues and
avoid vague notions of cause or simplistic solutions.
With
so many students and assignments, the potential for a paper to get “lost in the
shuffle” is higher than usual.
Therefore, students must keep a copy or backup disk of all key
assignments submitted (those worth 100 points or more). Alternatively you can submit any work via
e-mail and I’ll keep a copy for you in a file.
This will protect both of us from any mishaps. But be warned: if a paper is missing from my inbox and you can’t
present a copy, then you will receive a zero for that assignment. Don’t let this happen. Backup early and often on all assignments.
The world rewards those who can keep to their deadlines. Overnight homework is due in class the next day – no exceptions. I don’t assign this kind of work unless we’re going to use it for class. For longer papers (those worth 100 points or more) you have some flexibility. Turn in your paper on time and you get the opportunity to earn full credit. One full grade will be deducted from all papers received within one week of the due date. Papers not received within a week will receive a zero; students may not make-up old work unless they have excused absences or have made arrangements with me prior to the deadline.
Robert Frost said, “I am not a teacher but an awakener.” Like Frost I believe the highest calling of teaching is to wake people up. We spend so much of our lives asleep -- preoccupied by the latest reality-TV fad – that we remain unaware of what’s important. There is so much going on in the world that deserves our alert presence. Helping to make people mindful and aware is the ultimate goal of this course: I hope that each student will strive to become an awakener.