What Goes Around Does INDEED Come Around!

This is a pretty amazing story....

I was at an A&M System Summit on Teacher Education conference for the past two days where the Chancellor's Teacher Academy members had to give a presentation. We were in front of  the new A&M Chancellor, John Sharp, and my Provost, my President, my Dean - and everyone else's Provosts, President's and Deans - and an audience of about 200 teacher educators from the A&M system as well as countless administrators of A&M teacher education programs. It was high powered, and I don't like speaking in high powered places.

I thought long and hard about the question we were all going to be asked, "What is your most significant contribution to your university". It's tough, 15 minutes, and what do you say that will differ from the five other academy members??  I decided after much thought to go with something I read that struck a chord with me..."When you change attitudes, you change thinking and change behaviors". I have tried to do this for my entire career when it comes to teaching children of color. I talked to the audience about my work in teaching our future teachers to teach with culturally relevant strategies and using Family Science as a conduit for authentic teaching. That I spent years studying culturally relevant strategies after witnessing so many events of blatant and overt discrimination in our classrooms. I told several stories, including one where I saw science classrooms in a small West Texas community where, every day, Hispanic students were on one side the classroom doing worksheets while on the other side, the Anglo students worked with microscopes, dissections, and other authentic science exercises. I went to the principal of that high school and asked him why. "Why can't the Hispanic students do science like the White students?". I remember his deadpan answer like it was yesterday, "Because, Mrs. McCollough, that is the way we have always done it."

My presentation went well, and the Q&A went exceptionally well. There were two responses where the crowd literally jumped to their feet and clapped -- answers that had to do with (1) creating lifelong learners vs. lifelong students by teaching real science process and literacy and (2) effecting reform in policy by educating the policy makers rather than keeping the research journals in the silos of higher ed.

After the presentation, I gathered my things, and started toward the front of the room when a young Hispanic woman stopped me.
"Dr. McCollough?"
(I didn't recognize her...should I??)
"Yes?"
"I wanted to let you know how much you inspired me with your talk."
(Relieved...) "Oh, thank you - I try to inspire..."
"Dr. McCollough, I was one of those worksheet students in ____ High School."

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. This occurred over 10 years ago!! She proceeded to tell me how in spite of my efforts (I was there for less than a year prior to obtaining my doctorate), things did not change. So, she is now an Assistant Professor in Teacher Education at A&M Commerce, and is........effecting change. We talked, exchanged information, and I will be sending her some material. I know a collaboration in Commerce is forthcoming.

I'm still in awe. I've told that story so many times. Now, I have an ending to add. How blessed I am to do what I do.