Different people come into and leave our lives at different stages, but a strong force from within me compels me to acknowledge Dr Anderson-Lain. Albeit I may lack the exquisite words to explain how she came to my life, she has significantly impacted my career life, and her dedication and commitment to a better and professional me are worth appreciating. When I joined the University to study, I lived to believe I had it all in my #beYOUtiful head.
However, what I held onto changed when I sat and began to listen to Dr Lain, She has augmented my understanding of some pedagogical concepts through different readings, and I heartily dedicate this piece to her. In a class where people of color formed the minority, her meticulous approach to the racial disparity shaped my appreciation of mentorship, showing love, and making home to students of color, derived from Callafel’s (2007) “Mentoring and Love: An Open Letter.” Since I was getting tired of color criticism, her teachings came at a critical time. When I felt hurt by isolation, her words of solace and voice of assurance strongly chased the hurt and saw it as a great avenue to healing. Also, her strong emphasis on the need to live for our culture and esteem love made me reflect strongly on the need to bond with other blacks. Therefore, Dr Lain’s approach to racial disparities positively impacted my thinking and relationship with people of all races.
Notably, I was worried why fewer students could be attentive during my lessons, but when I listened to her more often, I realized where the problem was and got the solution. She taught me about experience while in the education field, she has shown me the sense of taking every problem in class and making all possible outcomes, as Palmer (1998/2007) argues.
Remarkably, most aspects of life were full of constraints, and so education was. Although the theories she used underwent criticism, this did not deter her from moving on. Her learning experience was the best for me. Also, I noticed that education was key in solving many world problems: both the old and the new education merged. At times I was worried about how I would present a lesson in front of students from different races and walks of life. Still, she introduced to me the educational continuum of philosophies that Palmer (1998/2007) discusses in “The Courage to Teach” to help me present my ideas with the utmost quality. Therefore, if not for her, I could have grown dumbfounded and deferred, something normal to people from foreign lands.
Through constant interaction with her, I realized that dehumanization also affected the oppressors, although indirectly. I fully understood that liberation from oppression was painful childbirth that needed perseverance and was best achieved mutually (Freire,1970/2000). Dr Lain taught me how not to be an oppressor through Freire’s (1970/2000) "Pedagogy of the oppressed.” This lesson opened my eyes and gave me the stance to push on in education. In my wildest dreams, her teachings dismissed the thoughts. Besides, she opened my eyes to changing education to freedom. Her unique education culture analogy, case studies made me fully understand pedagogy derived from Dewey (1938). One of her analogies opened my eyes to learning that education would always be above fear and it enabled my confidence to learn through Hammond and Anderson-Lain’s (2016) “A pedagogy of communion. Theorizing popular culture pedagogy.”
At this point, I am fully confident to teach and influence the lives of many others. I thank her for being a great pilot in this beautiful pedagogical journey that lasted for 14weeks in class but will last a lifetime outside the classroom.
Wherever the wind blows, remember #beYoutiful
References
Calafell, B. (2007). Mentoring and Love: An Open Letter. Academia.edu.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Collier
Freire, P. (1970/2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed: 30th Anniversary Edition. New York:
Continuum
Hammonds, K., & Anderson-Lain, K. (2016). A pedagogy of communion: Theorizing popular culture pedagogy. The Popular Culture Studies Journal, 4, 106-132.
Palmer, P. J. (1998/2007). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. San Francisco: Wiley & Sons
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