So, I’ve again been super busy with my Maymester classes here at The University of Georgia. For those of you who aren’t sure what Maymester is, it’s a SUPER condensed summer session- you go hard core for about 3.5-4 weeks for almost 3 hours a day. I, in all of my excitement and brilliance, decided to take TWO Maymester classes, in addition to the responsibilities that I have with work and with church. Needless to say, that hasn’t left me much time to do updating here. Anyhow, I have, as always, been keeping up with life and the outside world via MSNBC.com, and here are some articles that I have found interesting:

1. What it Means to be a Black Man

I found this article to be REALLY good, as it gave a very good overview of what it means to be a black man in the United States. It included some statistical information that was definitely dismal, but countered it with including information about black men who have overcome the stereotypes to be very successful. I think this is a good article because it attempts to bring to light the issues that black men face. Besides, black women have been trying to figure out what black men think for years. It doesn’t get much better than this- at least when you consider the social issues.

2. Women Passing Men in Academic Fields

Okay women! We’re now earning the majority of degrees in fields that used to be dominated by men; fields such as: business, biological sciences, social sciences, and history. The number of women enrolled in college has skyrocketed over the past years, and according to the article, women outnumber men by AT LEAST 2 million on college campuses. I think this is great, and it shows the progress that has been made over the years. For those in doubt, women are just as capable and qualified as men…but now if we could only get equal pay for equal work…

3. Rethinking Marriage after 40

So, I went to several weddings last year, and I’ve been invited to several for this year. This article is interesting because it attacks the notions of women who didn’t marry young (young = 23-27) and shows that they (well some of them) still found someone and they weren’t confined to being an old maid or spinster. I also like to read articles on marriage because I know people who are getting married, and because I think that a lot of times our culture has minimized the value of marriage via shows such as The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Average Joe, Flavor of Love, etc. Marraige has value as a social institution (hence the battle for gay marriage) and as a religious institution.

I’m not sure how I feel about this blog and the subsequent comments that I read in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I definitely agree that to be a good teacher, it is not REQUIRED that you have a higher degree. It is important that you know your subject matter, and that you have the true desire to educate students and push them to be the best that they can be.

I was definitely upset that I saw a lot of comments that hinted that Education degrees are useless. While I have my undergraduate degree in Sociology and African-American Studies, I find it very useful that my Masters of Education will be in Social Studies Education. Not only will my Masters degree give me my certification to teach in the state of Georgia, I am given the opportunity to take courses that help you understand the Methodology of Social Studies Education, or the ideas behind curriculum and planning for classes. Additionally, we are encouraged to take courses such as Teaching US History, Teaching Geography, Teaching Economics, and courses in Special Education to fulfill the requirements for graduation.

I felt that it was very important for me to continue and get my Masters in Education, so that I could sharpen my craft of being a teacher. While there are aspects of the curriculum that seem very theoretical, there are also aspects that are very realistic and applicable. It bothers me that teachers are criticized for wanting to get higher degrees and higher pay. Why shouldn’t practice what they preach and continue with their learning in a formal setting? (We all know that learning also takes place in an informal setting). And why shouldn’t teachers want to get paid more? What if we as a society placed our priorities in the right place and truly paid teachers what they deserve for the work that they do?

I don’t know anyone who’s into teaching for the pay. And I also don’t know anyone who’s gone on to pursue a higher degree SOLELY for the reason of making more money. The people that I know are truly interested in making a difference in the lives of young people, and they feel that one way that they can be better prepared to do that is by having a Masters or a Ph.D. And I’ve had phenomenal teachers who hadn’t gone on to get whatever degree that would have gotten them more money. I’ve had phenomenal teachers who had gone on to get whatever degree that got them more money. Their advanced degree might have said that they had obtained more knowledge, but their passion and desire to help students was what made the difference in the classroom.

Whew. All that said, what do you all think? How educated should our teachers be? Does a teacher having that Masters or that Ph.D make a difference? Leave some comments…