Also available as a full Zoom  video .
Originally posted November 19, 2020—29:21 run time)

Shawn always wanted to be a teacher, even as far back as the 6th grade. His goal was to teach high school Geometry to 10th graders. Fate intervened when he fell asleep in one of his undergrad math classes and woke up to find Prof Wendy Schiller teaching her American Presidency class. He didn’t have to listen long before deciding, “This is better” and changing majors.

The current Covid pandemic has kept him back East, but it won’t keep him out of the classroom. We talked about the pros and cons of teaching via Zoom. Like most, he prefers to work face to face. He admits that there are some advantages to the 1 to 1 interaction you can get in a class, especially when at student work on the screen or holding office hours. He has also found “flipping a class” to be very valuable in his discipline to allow for review of material prior to class.

His approach to teaching through the contentious political climate of today is simply great. He explains that while an ardent Eagles fan, he can appreciate the decisions and plays of the other teams, even the Cowboys. That appreciation is the missing piece. He feels the current situation is the result of a long road traveled, 40 years worth. We go on to discuss the “what happens now” phase. He explores how changes need to happen at all levels of politics—local, county, state—as well as at the national level. He prides himself on his students not knowing his personal preferences and keeping it that way helps guide his discussions.

Hopefully, he and his family will be able to join us soon. I look forward to sitting in on one of his classes. I’ll make sure I wear my green Eagles jersey when I do.

For more information: The Righteous Mind by Johnathan Haidt
 

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