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Interview Questions About Your Educational Background

What Employers Want to Know

• Types of Interview Questions
• Questions Asked About Education
• Tips for Answering Questions
• How to Make the Best Impression

It's important to be prepared to discuss your education with hiring managers during job interviews. A certain level of education may be a  job requirement for the position , so the interview will validate whether you have the credentials listed in your resume or application.

For some jobs, education will relate specifically to the qualifications required for the job for which you're applying. For others, especially  entry-level positions , it will be an indication of your ability to handle the role.

During a job interview, you will likely get one or two questions about your educational background. You might get a general question such as, "Tell me about your educational background," or a more specific question like, "What coursework have you taken that relates to your career?"

The hiring manager will ask questions about your education to learn how it has prepared you for the job. If you are a recent graduate, you can highlight how your education has prepared you for a career.

If your academic background is not very extensive or does not meet the requirements of the position, you can use your answer to explain how the education you do have connects to the job.

Types of Interview Questions About Education

There are a number of types of interview questions an employer might ask about your education. First, he or she might ask a question about how your major or minor, or your coursework, relates to the job you are applying for.

You also might get questions about why you selected particular courses or majors, or even why you chose the college you went to.

Some employers might ask you to describe a particular class project or assignment that relates to the job.

These kinds of questions are most common if you are a recent graduate, because your memory of your coursework is still fresh.

You might also be asked a question about your grades or your  GPA . For example, an employer might ask whether you think that your GPA or grades could reflect your ability to do the job.

Finally, a hiring manager may ask a question about why your educational  background does not fit the requirements of the job . For example, if a master's degree is recommended for the job and you do not have one, an employer might ask you to explain why you have not pursued a master's degree, or how your lack of a master's might impact your ability to do the job.

Typical Questions Asked About Education in a Job Interview

1. tell me about your educational background..

What They Want to Know:  This is a straightforward question. Interviewers want to confirm what level of education you have, and confirm it matches what you noted on your resume or application. This is also an opportunity for you to connect your education to skills that will be relevant in the job at hand. 

My degree in American history helped me develop the research skills necessary for a job in library science. For example, for my senior project, I researched historical newspapers at three different libraries, and also conducted extensive online research. My ability to find and read a variety of sources will allow me to help students that approach me with similar questions.

2. How has your education prepared you for your career?

What They Want to Know:  Interviewers are eager to see any connections between your academic knowledge and your career. In some cases, there may be a direct connection — for example, you may have a master's in education, and are applying for a role as a teacher. Other times, the connection may be less clear-cut, and this question can be a way to show you think on your feet and can draw connections.

I know that a bachelor's degree in English literature may feel very far afield from computer science, but one thing I've discovered while working as an engineer is the importance of communication. Those were skills that got really sharp through my undergrad experience. Then, of course, once I was in the workforce and realized programming was a passion, I attended graduate school in computer science at ABC University to strengthen my technological skills. 

3. Tell me about how a particular course or course project helped you succeed in a project with an employer.

What They Want to Know:  Interviewers are looking for you to connect your academic experience with work, and show that your academic skills are applicable. 

In my undergrad history class, we needed to work in groups to present a paper. It involved a lot of collaboration, and our group was chosen randomly, so we didn't have a pre-existing relationship. I quickly realized we needed an organizational leader and assumed that role. I find that often happens in offices too: There are a lot of people with passion and knowledge, but someone needs to direct and organize that energy. Recently, I worked on a project to update the company style guide, and found myself developing the framework for how we would organize the work, solicit feedback, and incorporate ideas. 

4. Do your grades reflect your potential?

What They Want to Know : You may get this question if your grades are not high. It's an opportunity for you to explain why they are not higher. If you have a strong GPA, of course, you can answer "yes" and elaborate a bit. 

At my college, it was always very clear which classes to take if your goal was a high GPA. Not only did I opt to take the more challenging classes—which meant sometimes getting lower grades than my peers—but I also participated in the track team, which required devoting many hours to practice, and held a part-time job. I'm proud of my experience in college, but as you can see, the grades are just one portion of what I did. 

5. Why have you not opted to pursue a master's degree?

What They Want to Know:  In some industries, a master's degree can be an indicator of ambition. Or, the interviewer may simply be curious if you plan to return to school. This is also an opportunity to show how you continue to learn and expand your skills, even if you are not getting a graduate degree. 

I did not pursue a master's degree because I had developed extensive programming skills while pursuing my undergraduate degree, and for this reason I was ready to begin my career in coding as soon as I graduated. For example, by my senior year, I had become fluent in Java, Python, C#, and PHP. Because of my coding knowledge and professionalism, I successfully moved up in the ranks at the first company I worked for after college. However, I continue to seek educational opportunities; for example, I am currently learning Ruby and Objective-C through an online program. 

6. Do you have any regrets about the way you spent your time during college?

What They Want to Know:  This question asks you to do some self-reflection, and can show interviewers a lot about your character. While it's likely best to avoid an answer that says flatly, "I don't have any regrets," you'll also want to avoid any response that is too negative or is self-sabotaging. 

I had a truly wonderful college experience. In general, I just wish I could have done more: taken more classes, participated in more extracurriculars, and attended even more guest speaker events. I got so much out of the experience, and did my best to balance academics with building relationships. 

7. Why did you not complete your college degree?

What They Want to Know:  This is an opportunity for you to explain why you haven't completed your degree. Since this can look like you don't have follow-through or commitment, try to point to an explanation for why you didn't finish the degree (a family situation, a better opportunity) that shows you are responsible. 

Midway through college, I had a summer internship with a start-up company. During that summer, I got very immersed in the creation of a product that became the focal point for the company's marketing strategy. I was asked to stay on, so deferred going back. I'd imagined it would just be a year, but it wound up turning into a big opportunity, and so I suck with that company, working there for 5 years. It's always on my list to complete the degree, but I've found, so far, that the degree isn't necessary for me to perform in the workplace.

Some other questions you may get about your education include: 

• What extracurricular activities did you participate in ?
• What influenced your choice of college?
• What other schools did you consider attending?
• Why did you choose your major ?
• Who helped you decide which college to attend?
• Do you have any long-term education goals?
• What skills have you learned in college that apply to your career?
• Your major doesn't relate at all to this job. Do you still think your coursework has helped prepare you for this job?

Tips for Answering Questions About Your Education

Connect your education to the job.  Whatever the specific question, be sure to  connect your educational background and other job qualifications to the position . Before your interview, make a list of the skills and  experiences  required for the position, and then think about courses you took and projects you completed that  helped you develop those skills .

Consider extracurricular activities.  You don't only have to include examples from coursework. Think about  extracurricular activities  at school that helped you develop specific skills or abilities necessary for the job.

Consider transferable skills.  If you majored in a topic that is unrelated to the job, try to think of  transferable skills  you developed in your courses that apply to the job. For example, perhaps you majored in English but are applying for a job in consulting. Talk about how all of your essay assignments helped you develop  communication skills , which are required for working with clients.

Go beyond the resume.  The hiring manager likely knows what school you went to and what degree you received, since this information will be in the  education section  of your resume. When answering questions about your education, don't just repeat what is stated on your resume. Mention a unique course or experience that shows how your educational background has prepared you for the job.

Don't be modest.  Now is not the time to downplay your academic achievements. Don't be afraid to mention an award you won, or an "A" you received for a project.

Don't lie.  If your grades were not good, or you did not complete your degree, don't lie to the employer. He or she will easily be able to find out whether you are lying. However, you can answer a question about your education honestly while still demonstrating why you are a good fit for the job. For example, if you did not complete your degree, you might emphasize the skills you developed through your coursework, and then highlight the work experience you gained when you left school.

How to Make the Best Impression 

Be prepared to discuss your education, and draw connections between the skills you gained there and the role at hand. 

If you did not complete a program or degree, or did not perform well, this is also an opportunity to explain that. And, if you did perform well, this is your opportunity to mention any acknowledgements or achievements. 

Finally, think of questions about your education as being a bit of a conversation-starter.

This is an opportunity for you to share a bit about yourself—your interests, why you chose your major, and so on.

You might find that this question turns the interview from a back-and-forth question-and-answer session into more of a conversation, which is typically a good sign during an interview. 

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Talking About Your Educational Background in a Job Interview

In job interviews, your educational background is a crucial part of your personal and professional experience that employers want to know about. It is an indicator of your knowledge, skills, and ability to learn and excel in a professional environment. Therefore, it’s important to be able to effectively communicate your educational background in a job interview to showcase your qualifications and increase your chances of getting the job.

We will also touch on specific examples and strategies to help you highlight your educational achievements and stand out as a qualified candidate. With this information, you will be better equipped to showcase the value of your education and impress potential employers.

Importance of Educational Background in Job Interviews

When it comes to job interviews, being well-prepared can make a significant difference. One of the most critical aspects of preparing for a job interview is being able to articulate your educational background effectively. Employers tend to ask about your educational background because it offers insight into your skills, knowledge, and potential as a candidate.

Why Employers Ask About Educational Background

The reason employers ask about educational background is to evaluate if the candidate has the necessary skills and qualifications essential for the job. Employers want to ensure that a person’s educational achievements align with the role they are being considered for. Asking about educational background allows employers to narrow down the candidate pool and select individuals who have a greater chance of succeeding in the position.

In addition to that, educational background provides a brief idea of a candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas of expertise. This information can be used by employers to customize their questions, assessments, and even job offers, based on the candidate’s background.

How Employers Use Educational Background to Make Hiring Decisions

Employers use a candidate’s educational background to make informed decisions during the recruitment and selection process. A candidate’s educational achievements can reflect their work ethic, discipline, and ability to learn new things. Employers look for candidates who have diverse experiences and education, as they add value to the company.

Educational background is used by employers to verify that candidates have the necessary education and credentials to meet the job requirements. In some cases, employers may also use a candidate’s educational background to determine compensation, promotions, and opportunities for career advancement.

Employers ask about educational background because it is a critical part of the hiring process. A candidate’s educational achievements can provide valuable insights into their skills, knowledge, and potential as a candidate. Therefore, job candidates should be able to highlight their educational background effectively to make a lasting impression on the hiring team.

What to Expect: Common Interview Questions About Educational Background

In any job interview, the subject of educational background is almost always going to be addressed to some extent. Employers are interested in candidates’ academic qualifications, because they want to hire people who possess the knowledge and skills that are necessary for the job. This section will provide you with insights into some common interview questions related to educational background, and tips for answering them.

Common Interview Questions Related to Educational Background

Below are some common interview questions related to educational background:

• What is your highest level of education?
• What degree(s) do you have, and from which school(s)?
• What courses or majors did you take, and how do they relate to the job?
• Did you participate in any extracurricular activities or clubs, and how did they prepare you for the job?
• Are you planning to pursue any further education or training in the future?

Tips for Answering Interview Questions About Education

Here are some tips for answering interview questions about your education:

Be Honest and Confident: Answer the questions truthfully, but don’t be afraid to highlight your strengths and accomplishments. Employers want to know what you’re good at and what you can bring to the table.

Make Connections: Try to relate your education to the job position you’re applying for. If you took courses or majored in subjects that relate to the job, emphasize that. Highlight how your extracurricular activities or clubs developed skills that are relevant to the job.

Show Your Passion: Show enthusiasm for your education and how it has prepared you for the job. Employers love candidates who are passionate about their careers.

Be concise: While it’s important to provide detail, you want to avoid oversharing. Provide only relevant information to the question.

Prepare Early: Review your educational background details beforehand to ensure that you are confident in your responses.

Your educational background is an essential topic in any job interview. Be prepared to answer related questions, communicate your qualifications confidently, and make clear connections to show your fit for the job.

Preparing to Discuss Educational Background in Job Interviews

When it comes to discussing your educational background in a job interview, preparation is key. Taking the time to research the company and job requirements, reviewing your educational background and experiences, and determining what skills and knowledge you gained from your education can make all the difference in how you present yourself as a candidate.

Researching the Company and Job Requirements

The first step in preparing to discuss your educational background in a job interview is to research the company and job requirements. This can help you not only tailor your responses to fit the company’s needs, but also demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in the role and the organization. Some key areas to research include the company’s mission statement, values, and any recent news or industry trends. Additionally, carefully review the job description and note any specific skills or qualifications that are required or preferred.

Reviewing Your Educational Background and Experiences

Once you’ve researched the company and job requirements, it’s time to review your own educational background and experiences. Make a list of all of your relevant degrees, certifications, and other educational achievements, as well as any relevant work or volunteer experiences. Consider how each of these experiences has prepared you for the job and think about specific examples of how you have applied the knowledge and skills you gained in these roles.

Determining What Skills and Knowledge You Gained from Your Education

Finally, when preparing to discuss your educational background in a job interview, it’s important to determine what skills and knowledge you gained from your education. This can be a tricky area to navigate, as you want to showcase your strengths without going overboard or sounding arrogant. Try to focus on specific examples of how your education has prepared you for the job, such as relevant coursework or projects, and relate them back to the job requirements. Additionally, consider any extracurricular activities or leadership roles you may have held in college, as these can demonstrate valuable soft skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Preparing to discuss your educational background in a job interview takes some time and effort, but it can pay off in a big way. By researching the company and job requirements, reviewing your own educational background and experiences, and determining what skills and knowledge you gained from your education, you can present yourself as a strong and qualified candidate who is genuinely interested in the job and organization.

How to Talk About Your Education in a Job Interview

When discussing your educational background in a job interview, it is essential to showcase your academic achievements and highlight your relevant coursework and projects. You need to convince the interviewer that your education has prepared you for the job and demonstrate how it has equipped you with the necessary skills that can add value to the company. Here are some tips to help you talk about your education effectively in a job interview.

Discussing your educational background

When asked about your educational background, try to keep your answer concise and straightforward. Mention where you attended school, your degree or certification, and the year you graduated. Talk about your academic achievements, such as your GPA and any honors or awards you received. However, be careful not to come off as arrogant or boastful. Remember, you’re just trying to give them a sense of your educational background.

Highlighting relevant coursework and projects

If you’re applying for a job that is related to your field of study, you should highlight any relevant coursework and projects that you completed during your academic career. These can demonstrate your skills and knowledge related to the job. For instance, if you’re applying for a job in marketing, you may want to discuss your practical experience in creating and executing a marketing plan during your coursework. Additionally, if you collaborated on any group projects, you could talk about how you worked with others to achieve a common goal.

Explaining how your education has prepared you for the job

Here is where you can shine by explaining how your education has prepared you for the job you’re applying for. Draw parallels between the skills and knowledge you acquired in school and how you can apply them to this job. Use the job description as a guide and discuss how your education aligns with the requirements of the role. It’s essential to communicate your critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that you have honed through your education. Be specific and give examples.

Discussing your educational background in a job interview could be a make-or-break factor in getting the position you want. By highlighting your academic achievements, relevant coursework, and projects, and explaining how your education has prepared you for the job, you increase your chances of impressing the interviewer and landing the role. Remember, you want to come across as confident and knowledgeable, but not arrogant or boastful. Good luck!

Examples of How to Talk About Your Education In a Job Interview

During a job interview, the interviewer will almost certainly ask you at least one question about your education. As such, it is essential to prepare your answers beforehand to impress the interviewer and show your qualifications. Here are some samples of answers to common interview questions about education, along with tips on how to tailor your responses to specific job requirements.

Sample answers to common interview questions about education

Question 1: what is the highest level of education you have completed.

Answer: “I have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from XYZ University.”

Explanation: Giving a straightforward answer is crucial to this question. Remember to mention the degree and the university’s name to show the quality of your education.

Question 2: What was your favorite course in college?

Answer: “I really enjoyed my Advertising and Promotions course. It gave me an excellent foundation for effectively and creatively marketing products to various audiences.”

Explanation: Your answer should highlight a specific course that is related to the job position you are applying for. Explain why you enjoyed the course, and how it has helped you develop critical skills.

Question 3: How has your education prepared you for this job?

Answer: “My education focused extensively on digital marketing, analytics, and communication skills. These skills are crucial to the job position I am applying for as a Digital Marketing Specialist.”

Explanation: Always relate your knowledge and skills learned from your education to the job position’s requirements.

Tips for tailoring your responses to specific job requirements

It is essential to tailor your responses to the job position’s specific requirements to demonstrate your capability and qualifications.

Research the job position’s requirements and company culture before your interview. This can help you better understand what the interviewer is looking for.

Use specific examples from your education that are related to the company’s job position. This helps to highlight how you can be a valuable asset to the company.

Be concise and personable in your responses. Stick to the point and refrain from going off-topic. Maintaining an engaging conversation with the interviewer is crucial.

Finally, practice, practice, practice! Practice with a friend or family member beforehand to increase your confidence and ease during the interview.

Talking about your education during a job interview can be a great opportunity to show your qualifications and experience. Remember to prepare your answers in advance and tailor them to the specific job position’s requirements. Practice your responses to help ensure that you present yourself positively and confidently during the interview.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Talking About Your Education in a Job Interview

When it comes to discussing your educational background in a job interview, there are several common pitfalls you should aim to avoid. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Don’t overemphasize your GPA:  While your grades are important, they shouldn’t be the sole focus of your discussion. Instead, talk about how your coursework and academic experiences prepared you for the role you’re applying for.
• Avoid being too general:  Simply stating where you went to school and what you studied isn’t enough. Try to be specific about what you learned and how it could be applied in a professional setting.
• Don’t make irrelevant or lengthy tangents:  While it’s good to have a clear understanding of your educational history, going off on tangents unrelated to the job can make you come across as unfocused or unprepared.

Now that we’ve identified some common mistakes to avoid, let’s move on to overcoming nervousness or uncertainty about discussing your education.

• Practice your talking points:  Before the interview, make sure you’re comfortable discussing key points related to your educational background. This can help you feel more confident and prepared.
• Think about how your education is relevant to the job:  Consider what skills and knowledge you gained in school that could help you excel in the role you’re applying for. Focusing on these areas can help you stay on topic and emphasize your qualifications.
• Prepare for potential questions:  Think about questions the interviewer may ask related to your education, such as how it relates to the role, what you enjoyed most, or what challenges you faced. Preparation can help you feel more confident and better able to answer these questions.

It’s important to approach talking about your educational background in a job interview with confidence and focus. By avoiding common mistakes and taking steps to feel more comfortable, you can increase your chances of impressing the interviewer and securing the job.

Using Your Education to Stand Out in Your Job Search

As a job seeker, having a strong educational background can give you an advantage in the job market. However, simply having a degree or certification isn’t always enough to stand out from other candidates. It’s important to know how to leverage your educational background to differentiate yourself from other job seekers. Here are some tips:

How to use your educational background to differentiate yourself from other candidates

Identify your unique skills: Take some time to reflect on the knowledge, skills, and experiences you gained through your educational background. Think about how they can be applied to the job you’re applying for, and how they differentiate you from other candidates.

Highlight relevant coursework: Include relevant coursework in your resume or cover letter that showcases your expertise in a particular area. This can provide hiring managers with a better understanding of your educational background and how it relates to the position you’re applying for.

Showcase projects or research: If you completed any impressive projects or research during your education, highlight them in your resume or cover letter. This can demonstrate your ability to apply your knowledge to real-world situations.

Certifications: If you have any relevant certifications, make sure to mention them in your resume or cover letter. This can show that you have not only completed formal education but also continued your learning in your field.

Highlighting your educational accomplishments on your resume and cover letter

When it comes to highlighting your educational background on your resume and cover letter, keep in mind the following tips:

Keep it concise: Make sure to only include the most relevant and impressive accomplishments. Don’t overload your resume or cover letter with too many details.

Use action verbs: When describing your educational background, use strong action verbs that showcase your accomplishments. For example, “Graduated with honors” or “Developed and completed a research project.”

Emphasize transferable skills: When highlighting your educational background, don’t just focus on the degree or certification itself. Instead, emphasize the skills and experiences you gained that can be applied to the job you’re applying for.

Your educational background can be a powerful tool in your job search. By identifying your unique skills, highlighting relevant coursework and projects, showcasing certifications, and emphasizing transferable skills, you can differentiate yourself from other candidates and stand out to hiring managers.

How to Address Gaps in Your Education in a Job Interview

When it comes to job interviews, discussing gaps in education or work experience can be a challenging topic. However, with the right approach and preparation, you can turn any perceived weaknesses into strengths. Here are some tips for addressing gaps in your education or work experience during a job interview:

Be honest and transparent: The worst thing you can do is try to cover up or lie about any gaps in your education or work experience. Instead, be honest and transparent about why there may have been a lapse in your record. Perhaps you took time off to care for a family member or overcome a personal challenge. Employers will appreciate your candor.

Spin it positively: Rather than dwelling on the gap itself, focus on the positive steps you took during that time. For example, did you volunteer or take additional courses to further your skills and knowledge? Use this as an opportunity to showcase your work ethic and motivation.

Tie in relevant experiences: If you’ve had work or life experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, be sure to highlight them. This can include internships, volunteer work, or even personal projects that demonstrate your skills and aptitude for the position.

Show willingness to learn: If your gaps in education or work experience mean you lack certain skills that would be beneficial for the job, express your willingness to learn and grow. Employers appreciate candidates who are coachable and adaptable.

By taking these steps, you can confidently address any gaps in your education or work experience and demonstrate to potential employers that you are the best candidate for the job. Remember, it’s not about avoiding the issue but rather addressing it head-on and showing how you’ve taken steps to overcome any challenges that may have arisen in your career path.

The Role of Continuing Education in Career Development

Continuous learning and self-development are crucial for career growth and advancement in any industry. As a professional, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies and continuously improve your skills to open up new opportunities and advance your career.

The Importance of Continuing Education in Career Advancement

Continuing education not only helps you stay competitive in the job market but also adds value to your current role within an organization. By learning new skills and techniques, you can become more efficient and effective at your job, and bring new ideas and perspectives to the workplace. Additionally, demonstrating a commitment to learning and growth can set you apart from other candidates when applying for promotions and new job opportunities.

How to Highlight Ongoing Learning and Development in Job Interviews

During a job interview, it is important to showcase your ongoing learning and development to make yourself a more attractive candidate. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Highlight professional development courses or certifications: Mention any relevant courses or certifications you have taken, especially those that relate to the skills required for the job you are interviewing for.

Describe how you have applied your learning: Be specific about how you have applied what you have learned and how it has helped you improve your work. You can give examples of how you have used your new skills to tackle certain tasks or projects.

Discuss your future learning goals: Show your interviewer that you have a plan in place for ongoing learning and development. Talk about what courses or certifications you plan to pursue next and why they are relevant to your career goals.

Emphasize your passion for learning: Show your enthusiasm for continuing education by discussing any personal projects or hobbies you have that require you to learn new skills. This can demonstrate that you are someone who is constantly seeking to improve and grow.

Continuing education plays a vital role in career development and advancement. By staying current with the latest trends and technologies, and continuously improving your skills, you can remain competitive in the job market, add value to your current role, and open up new opportunities for career growth. Remember to showcase your ongoing learning and development during job interviews to make yourself a more attractive candidate.

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Common Interview Questions

To help you prepare for your next job interview, here are 30 common interview questions and answer examples.

Common was updated by Rachelle Enns on October 26th, 2021. Learn more here.

Question 17 of 30

Tell me about your education.

What to avoid, how to answer, answer example, admin example, manager example, sales example, retail example, teacher example, marketing example.

Community Answers

Hiring companies commonly ask this question of recent graduates. The interviewer wants to know how your education or training has prepared you to succeed in the job. The goal of your response is to highlight your education and training. Then, make a connection between the knowledge you gained and how you will apply that knowledge to succeed in the role.

There are many ways to gain education, so avoid underestimating the training you've received by stating that you don't have any education to discuss. Whether it be formal (college, university courses, or career training modules) or informal education (self-learning, self-guided courses), the hiring company wants assurance that you have the training or knowledge required to do the job successfully.

If you do not have a formal post-secondary education, that is okay! Self-learning is education, too. Perhaps you recently gained skills through an online course or masterclass that will help you perform very well in this new role. If that's the case, be proud of your accomplishment and be prepared to talk about how this training will ensure your competency and success.

Whether or not the hiring company requires a certain education level, it's essential to show the interviewer that you have the necessary knowledge to do the job correctly. When outlining your training, be sure to discuss the learning opportunities and experiences most relevant to the position. You will also want to highlight any particular involvement, awards, or accolades you received along the way. If you attended post-secondary studies, you likely learned core skills transferable to any career path. For instance, if you worked on group projects in school, you could share how your education improved your ability to collaborate in challenging environments. In addition to the core knowledge gained from your diploma, certificate, or degree, think about the soft skills that you have earned: - Time Management - Creative Thinking - Proposal Writing - Public Speaking - Presentation Building - Independent Learning - Academic Research - Self-Motivation Confidently discuss what you learned and highlight how you will apply the knowledge to benefit the hiring company.

"I graduated from USD with my Bachelor of Science, major in computer science in 2007. I received various scholarships due to my strong grades, and I was on the Dean's List for three out of four years. My best grades were in algorithms courses, and I did very well with learning complex concepts. My education helped build a strong foundation and professional discipline, allowing me to continue to develop in-demand skills while working for the fastest-growing tech companies in the world."

"My post-secondary education was in communications and journalism. The courses in this program helped me to develop stronger business relationships through professional correspondence. I also learned persuasive writing skills, which have proven to be incredibly helpful when editing client proposals."

"I received my Master's in Computer Engineering and Computer Science in 2009. Before that, my undergraduate degree was in computer science. These valuable educational experiences helped me build my career in an in-demand and competitive industry. One area where I particularly flourished was in Computer Science Project Management, making me well-suited for leadership roles where I oversee developers and engineers."

"I have a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Spanish from UBC. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA, which I am very proud to have earned. I worked full-time while going to school, so I learned a lot about time management and discovered that I work best under some degree of pressure. The skills that I learned during university have helped me grow my career quickly. I have above-average communication skills, and since graduating, I have continued to refine many competencies. This continued education includes learning the art of negotiation and building my confidence in public speaking. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and professional skills to your company and complimenting your incredible team."

"I have my associate's degree in fashion merchandising and a bachelor's degree in media and communications. I received a scholarship for my excellent grades, and I was involved in various student body groups. My fashion merchandising knowledge helps me in my current job, as I plan a store's displays, assist with curating collections, and develop social media campaigns. My training in media and communications helps me to build better connections online and in person. Whether working alongside a customer, our seasonal buyers, or going to a local fashion event, I can fit in easily and contribute to critical goals by utilizing the knowledge that I gained from my formal post-secondary education."

"In 2011, I completed my Bachelor of Education degree with a minor in kinesiology. I graduated from UofS with honors and made the Dean's List for three years. During university, I played competitive sports and was the volleyball team captain in my final year. Currently, I am entertaining the idea of furthering my education to include a Master of Education, which I can complete online through Yorkville University. As a teacher, I value continuous learning and want to ensure that I set an exceptional example to the high school students that I teach."

"I earned my business degree with a major in economics from UW, where I also took part in their international exchange program. This exchange took me to Singapore for 12 weeks, which was an incredible experience. I even learned how to speak a little bit of Malay and Mandarin Chinese. So, while I focused my education on macroeconomics and the global trading system, I also gained valuable soft skills in culture and communication. Additional soft skills that I gained, which will certainly help me in this new role, are time management, cross-collaboration, and how to be intrinsically motivated."

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How to Answer: Tell me about your education.

17. tell me about your education..

Written by Rachelle Enns on January 8th, 2022

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Why Do Employers Ask the Question?

How to answer the interview question: "tell me about your educational background".

Updated January 15, 2024

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Imagine: it has been seven years since you completed your degree in biochemistry and applied physics. Since then, a lot has happened; you’re not the environmental physicist you initially intended to be.

Instead, you’re a self-taught web developer seeking your first web development role.

So, how do you answer the interview question , "Tell me about your educational background"?

'Tell me about your studies' is quite a common interview question. This article will go through what a potential employer is looking for when they ask it.

Spoiler: it is less a detailed history of your every achievement, and more an understanding of your knowledge, commitment and decision-making skills.

How Else Might This Question Be Asked?

Before delving into interviewers' potential motivations and what makes a good answer, first consider how the question might be phrased and what this tells you about the employer.

Tell Me About Your Academic Background

When an employer asks for information on your academic achievements, they’re not expecting you to list every subject you’ve studied and the grades you achieved.

Instead, they want you to highlight the academic achievements you are most proud of and reference how they have shaped the professional you are today.

Tell Me About Your Studies

Now, this interview question is slightly different in that it is not necessarily talking purely about formal education.

You could summarize your formal education before moving on to more recent studies, which could be online self-study or government-funded courses.

The important thing to remember though is that you need to be able to evidence any achievements.

How Does Your Education Relate to Your Career?

An employer may ask you this if there is no apparent link between what you studied at university and the role you are applying for.

How to structure your answer is discussed in detail further down in this article.

But, in brief, what the interviewer wants to hear here is that there is a deliberate connection between your past and present.

You are more likely to be invited by an employer to tell me about your educational background if you graduated not long ago or you’re applying for a role that requires certain qualifications.

While the employer would have already selected you for an interview after reviewing your resume, they may not know the intricacies of what you studied.

When they ask you to tell me about your studies, they invite you to evidence how your academic knowledge will benefit their organization.

They are looking for clear indicators of how your educational experience has prepared you for the job on offer.

For instance, you may have studied Advanced Engineering , which is an essential trait on their job description , and therefore you were called to interview.

However, one of the desirables was ‘wind turbine engineering’. If you wrote a paper on the subject, built a prototype or even studied the economics of wind farms, here’s your chance to express your knowledge and impress them beyond your resume.

By asking you to "tell me about your educational background", an employer is also seeking to understand how driven and targeted you are.

If you have four degrees in completely unrelated subjects, it could suggest to an employer that you are flighty and perhaps unsure of what career path to take.

However, if you can join the dots in the interview and explain what motivated you to embark on a course and how your choices have a logical purpose, you will show a strong level of self-awareness .

Of course, quite often, the question "What is your educational background?" is often company policy , especially during the graduate recruitment process where the employer is looking for specific qualities.

Suppose they have shortlisted a dozen graduates to interview, all with virtually the same qualifications.

In this scenario, they’re more interested in how you approached your studies and the transferrable skills have rather than what you studied (more on this below).

How to Answer "Tell me About your Educational Background"

When an employer asks you to tell me about your educational background, what they’re really asking you is, "What skills have your educational studies equipped you with? And how are these relevant to the job?"

Research the Organization and Role

Before you even attempt to answer the question "Tell me about your academic background", you must research the employer and the role.

In your interview preparation, list the 'Essential' and 'Desirable' criteria on the person specification for the role. Then, go through your history and find an example from your educational background that shows how you meet these.

This will form the basis for your answer.

Start Recent

If you have an extensive educational background, you might be wondering where to even start with answering the question "Tell me about your studies".

The logical place is with your most recent formal education.

For most, it will be either a university course or a high school diploma. For others, it could be a doctoral degree.

However, do not just repeat what’s in your resume . The employer is looking for more detail.

They want to hear you talk passionately about the studies that most appealed to you and what they taught you.

Mention Relevant Placements

Remember, an employer is seeking to identify the most knowledgeable and experienced candidate.

If you’re fresh out of university, you may feel you lack work experience.

Draw the employer’s attention to any practical experience you had. Make sure you reference what you learned from your experience and why it is relevant to the role.

For example, you may have worked on a prototype for a company in the same industry or spent a year on placement at a similar place.

Emphasise Your Strong Transferrable Skillset

You may need to dig deep with your answer and think about all the transferrable soft and technical skills you acquired during your studies.

Here are some examples of some soft skills you could talk more about (be ready with a real-life example of each one):

• Problem-solving
• Decisiveness
• Ability to work under pressure
• Public speaking
• Self-motivation
• Creative thinking

Likewise, you will also want to mention any relevant technical skills you acquired. These could include things like:

• Project management
• Big data analysis
• Programming
• Content creation
• Academic research
• Building/designing

Show Commitment to Continued Learning

Employers favour candidates who have a thirst for learning.

If you can demonstrate how you have continued to advance your knowledge in a specific field, you will stand out.

Continued education says to the employer that you are driven and committed.

Example Answers to Questions About Your Studies

To help you structure your answers so that you can use your educational background to its full advantage, here are three example answers. Each is to the question phrased in different ways.

This is a relatively direct way of asking what they want to know and is a good place to emphasise your transferable skills.

Example answer:

I majored in History and Sociology with first-class honours, which has directly prepared me for the role of a research assistant. Each subject I studied involved having an intense understanding and application of quantitative and qualitative research. I even studied behavioural science as part of my sociology course, which enabled me to delve deeper into the psychology of subjective interviewing to alleviate bias.

Tell Me Why You Chose the University That You Did

This is more focused on your academic education. The interviewer wants to hear about factors when you make big decisions.

Well, I wanted to make sure that I chose the course that would not only push me but specifically enable me to pursue a career as a Blue-Chip Project Manager . Therefore, I made a shortlist of three colleges offering similar opportunities, all with a placement year. Then, I visited each of the colleges, in turn, asked lots of questions, sat in on lectures and spoke to others who had majored that year before arriving at my chosen college. I also explored the preferred colleges listed by the employers I could see myself working at.

Why Did You Choose to Step Away From Your Area of Academia?

This is an interesting take on tell me about your educational background. It may come up if you are making a career change from academia to industry.

The employer may also ask you if your degree is very specific, and the role you’re applying for is seemingly unrelated. Therefore, you will need to form a strong answer.

Initially, I studied Data Science and Business Analytics because I wanted to be at the forefront of using technology to drive business change. During my studies, I was placed within an HR team that wanted to use data analytics to understand employee behaviour. While working with the HR project management team, I discovered that I was interested in understanding and supporting employees to reach their goals. Therefore, I chose to supplement my studies by taking various Personnel and Behavioral Psychology courses, which makes me quite a rounded candidate for the HR graduate position.

What to Avoid in Your Answer

There are several things you will want to avoid when answering the question "Tell me about your educational background":

• Talking about irrelevant studies – Keep your answer focused. Unless you’re applying for a theatre hand, there’s not much point in discussing your drama studies.
• Exaggerating your knowledge – You may have experienced a two-week educational placement at a leading magazine and have several articles published. While this does show that you are a promising writer, it does not make you an established journalist. Saying so may have you come across as aggrandising and untruthful.
• Comparing yourself to others – Try not to say, ‘compared to others in my year’. You may be the only one to have arranged an overseas placement, but you won’t want your drive to be mistaken for arrogance.
• Overworking your answer – Your answer to "Tell me about your studies" doesn’t have to be very long. It just needs to be relevant. You’ll tie yourself in knots if you overexplain your background.

Final Thoughts

Remember just to be honest .

You can’t go wrong if you provide a clear answer that explains your academic decisions to an employer.

If you started a course and realized it wasn’t for you and enrolled in a different one the following academic year, explain the reasons to the interviewer. They’ll appreciate that you know your own mind.

When an employer says to you, "Tell me about your educational background", they are genuinely interested in your answer. After all, in part, you have been selected for interview because you have the right qualifications.

However, they really want to know how you apply yourself, what skills you have and how they can benefit from your academic knowledge. If you can answer all three of these questions in one answer, you won’t go wrong.

Lastly, good luck – if you’ve been selected for an interview, you’re already part-way there to landing the job!

You might also be interested in these other Wikijob articles:

Or explore the Interview Advice / Interview Questions sections.

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How Do Employers Verify Education & College Degrees?

Applicants will go to great lengths to land a job.

With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that nearly 80% of job applicants have lied or would consider lying on their resumes. This falsification includes making up their education credentials.

As a hiring manager, you should always conduct education background checks, also known as education verification checks. This process will ensure you hire someone honest and qualified. Background screening will also protect you from liability.

Not sure how to work with a background check company to conduct education background checks? Look no further! This post will tell you everything you need to know about the process—and how to make it as quick and painless as possible.

What Is an Education Background Check?

An education background check confirms an applicant’s education claims, verifying their attendance and degrees earned at high schools, colleges, and vocational schools.

What Does an Education Background Check Show?

An education background check shows whether the applicant attended the schools they claimed to have attended, proof of degrees, training, and certifications, and dates of attendance.

Generally, education background checks can go back as far as they need to search for official records. Employers can confirm a candidate’s diplomas and degrees no matter when they received them.

In some cases, an education background check shows GPA and honors earned. An employer will request this information if it is relevant to the position they are hiring for (such as a higher education teacher).

Usually, an education background check does not verify licenses. Suppose an employer needs to confirm that an applicant has certifications to work in a specific field. In that case, they’ll have to use another type of background screening known as professional license verification .

How Do Employers Verify Education?

Employers verify education by requesting diplomas, sealed transcripts, or contacting educational institutions directly. Some companies employ third-party verification services to ensure accuracy.

Too many employers forgo education verifications. There are lots of reasons for this, one of the most common being that employers think the process is too complicated.

In reality, the process is quite simple. You will start by collecting basic information from the applicant. This data includes:

• The full name of the candidate (Note: Be sure to get the full name that the person graduated under. For instance, a female candidate might be applying under her married name but graduated under her maiden name.)
• The name and address of the degree-granting institution
• The dates attended (Note: Month and year should be sufficient. For instance, 08/2005–05/2009)
• The title and field of their degree
• A signed authorization release from the applicant

Your candidate will likely be familiar with the hiring process and be ready to give you this information.

Once you have the information, what’s next?

Ready for a trusted third-party provider? Get a Quote Today

Use a Third-Party Education Verification Service

The easiest thing to do is to hand it off to a third-party education verification service like ScoutLogic. We verify your applicants’ credentials directly with their respective institutions or a 3rd party service called the National Student Clearinghouse. By taking care of the process, our background screening team saves you time and hassle. If the verification is a high school, ScoutLogic will reach out to their registrar’s office.

The DIY Route

Some employers choose to handle the education verification process themselves. If you go this route, here’s what you can expect:

You’ll have to contact the institution and provide the information you collected from your applicant. Then, the institution will complete verification.

If you verify education via the DIY route, you must:

Anticipate Running into Problems

In a perfect world, education verification would be easy. However, the truth is that employers often run into problems. Issues like the following can slow down the process:

• You received the wrong information from your applicant (incomplete degree name, their maiden name instead of the name they graduated under, etc.).
• The institution only allows former students to access information.

By anticipating problems like these, you’ll keep the process moving along smoothly.

Watch Out for Diploma Mills

Throughout the education verification process, you need to watch out for diploma mills.

Diploma mills are essentially phony universities. They are unaccredited and sell fake degrees to “students.” Diploma mills might try to appear legit by accepting prior work experience or providing bogus online courses. Others will outright sell fake degrees.

So, when verifying education, be sure the institution has recognition from a valid accreditation agency.

Verify International Education

Some applicants may have received their degree abroad. If this is the case, you’ll want to be extra careful.

It can be easier for a candidate to falsify credentials from a foreign school. So, ensure you are thorough. Also, make sure that the diploma is equivalent to the required credentials.

Screen Beyond Education

There’s no doubt that verifying your applicant’s education history is crucial. However, it’s not the only thing that should concern you.

You’ll also want to verify your applicant’s criminal history, previous work experience, credit history , etc. This screening ensures you hire a great employee from the start and avoid problems down the line.

ScoutLogic offers a variety of screening services in addition to education verification. Learn more by contacting us today!

How Long Does Conducting an Education Verification Check Take?

Another common reason that employers forgo education background checks is that they think they take too long. Employers might be too impatient to wait around. Or, they might be desperate and need to hire someone right away.

No matter how much of a hurry you’re in, the wait will be well worth it. You’ll hire someone qualified from the get-go. You won’t have to find out later that the person lied, saving you and your company the hassle of rehiring.

Even better is that education background checks don’t take that long. Some institutions have procedures that drag out the process. But, for the most part, employers expect the results within a few days.

Why Do Employers Need to Verify Education History?

Here are some of the most compelling reasons to conduct education background checks:

It Helps You Weed Out Dishonest Candidates

As we mentioned earlier, lots of candidates lie in their applications. You would be naive not to verify their degree credentials.

By conducting an education background check, you confirm that your candidate has the education they claim to have. You also ensure that you’re hiring someone honest. As a hiring manager, you probably don’t want someone who lied on their resume as your employee.

It Ensures You Hire Someone Qualified

An education background check not only ensures your candidate has good moral character. It also ensures they have the qualifications to do the job. A candidate with the proper education will adequately fulfill their role.

Additionally, hiring a qualified candidate protects employers from liability. This matter is crucial in healthcare , education, and other highly specialized fields. If you hire someone who falsified their credentials, your company will be responsible.

It’s Affordable

Employers might avoid education background checks to cut down on expenses. In reality, background checks are very affordable.

The cost of background checks will depend on several factors (including how many you’re running). With services like ScoutLogic, you can save big when you run multiple background checks. We also keep our costs low through our partnerships with institutions.

So, don’t let cost stop you from running education background checks. The small price you pay will end up saving you money in the long run. You’ll be hiring someone good that will help your company profit. And you won’t have to go through the recruiting process all over again.

Get Your Free Assessment Today

If you are a hiring manager, education background checks are a must. They ensure you hire someone honest and qualified. They also protect you from liability.

Lucky for you, education verification doesn’t have to be complicated. ScoutLogic takes care of the process quickly while staying within your budget. With us, you’ll be on your way to hiring the right applicant for your company.

Ready to get started? Click here for your free assessment.

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The Oxford Handbook of the History of Education

John L. Rury is a professor of education and (by courtesy) history and African and African American studies at the University of Kansas.

Eileen H. Tamura is a professor emerita of history of education at the University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa and past president of the History of Education Society (U.S.).

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This handbook offers a global perspective on the historical development of educational institutions, systems of schooling, ideas about education, and educational experiences. Sections deal with questions of theory and methods, ancient and medieval education, the rise of national school systems, the development of universities in different contexts, problems of inequality and discrimination in education, and reform and institutional change. Specific chapters discuss colonialism and anticolonial struggles, indigenous education, gender issues in education, higher education systems, educational reform, urban and rural education, the education of minority groups, comparative, international, and transnational education, childhood and education, nonformal and informal education, and a range of other topics. Chapters consider changing scholarship in the field, connect nationally oriented works by comparing themes and approaches, and provide suggestions for further research and analysis. Like many other subfields of historical research and writing, the history of education has been deeply affected by international social and political upheaval occurring since the 1960s. In this regard, as chapters weigh the influence of revisionist perspectives at various points in time, they take particular note of those arising after that time. In discussing changing viewpoints, their authors consider how schooling and other educational experiences have been shaped by the larger social and political context, and how these influences have affected the experiences of students, their families, and the educators who have worked with them. Each chapter includes notes and a bibliography for readers interested in further study.

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From 1871 to 2021: A Short History of Education in the United States

In 1600s and 1700s America, prior to the first and second Industrial Revolutions, educational opportunity varied widely depending on region, race, gender, and social class.

Public education, common in New England, was class-based, and the working class received few benefits, if any. Instructional styles and the nature of the curriculum were locally determined. Teachers themselves were expected to be models of strict moral behavior.

By the mid-1800s, most states had accepted three basic assumptions governing public education: that schools should be free and supported by taxes, that teachers should be trained, and that children should be required to attend school.

The term “normal school” is based on the French école normale, a sixteenth-century model school with model classrooms where model teaching practices were taught to teacher candidates. In the United States, normal schools were developed and built primarily to train elementary-level teachers for the public schools.

The Normal School The term “normal school” is based on the French  école normale , a sixteenth-century model school with model classrooms where model teaching practices were taught to teacher candidates. This was a laboratory school where children on both the primary or secondary levels were taught, and where their teachers, and the instructors of those teachers, learned together in the same building. This model was employed from the inception of the Buffalo Normal School , where the “School of Practice” inhabited the first floors of the teacher preparation academy. In testament to its effectiveness, the Campus School continued in the same tradition after the college was incorporated and relocated on the Elmwood campus.

Earlier normal schools were reserved for men in Europe for many years, as men were thought to have greater intellectual capacity for scholarship than women. This changed (fortunately) during the nineteenth century, when women were more successful as private tutors than were men.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, newly industrialized European economies needed a reliable, reproducible, and uniform work force. The preparation of teachers to accomplish this goal became ever more important. The process of instilling in future citizens the norms of moral behavior led to the creation of the first uniform, formalized national educational curriculum. Thus, “normal” schools were tasked with developing this new curriculum and the techniques through which teachers would communicate and model these ideas, behaviors, and values for students who, it was hoped, through formal education, might desire and seek a better quality of life.

In the United States, normal schools were developed and built primarily to train elementary-level teachers for the public schools. In 1823, Reverend Samuel Read Hall  founded the first private normal school in the United States, the Columbian School in Concord, Vermont. The first public normal school in the United States was founded shortly thereafter in 1839 in Lexington, Massachusetts. Both public and private “normals” initially offered a two-year course beyond the secondary level, but by the twentieth century, teacher-training programs required a minimum of four years. By the 1930s most normal schools had become “teachers colleges,” and by the 1950s they had evolved into distinct academic departments or schools of education within universities.

The Buffalo Normal School Buffalo State was founded in 1871 as the Buffalo Normal School. It changed its name more often than it changed its building. It has been called the State Normal and Training School (1888–1927), the State Teachers College at Buffalo (1928–1946), the New York State College for Teachers at Buffalo (1946–1950), SUNY, New York State College for Teachers (1950–1951), the State University College for Teachers at Buffalo (1951–1959), the State University College of Education at Buffalo (1960–1961), and finally the State University College at Buffalo in 1962, or as we know it more succinctly, SUNY Buffalo State College.

As early as the 1800s, visionary teachers explored teaching people with disabilities. Thomas Galludet developed a method to educate the deaf and hearing impaired. Dr. Samuel Howe focused on teaching the visually impaired, creating books with large, raised letters to assist people with sight impairments to “read” with their fingers.

What Goes Around, Comes Around: What Is Good Teaching? Throughout most of post-Renaissance history, teachers were most often male scholars or clergymen who were the elite literates who had no formal training in “how” to teach the content in which they were most well-versed. Many accepted the tenet that “teachers were born , not made .” It was not until “pedagogy,” the “art and science of teaching,” attained a theoretical respectability that the training of educated individuals in the science of teaching was considered important.

While scholars of other natural and social sciences still debate the scholarship behind the “science” of teaching, even those who accept pedagogy as a science admit that there is reason to support one theory that people can be “born” with the predisposition to be a good teacher. Even today, while teacher education programs are held accountable by accreditors for “what” they teach teachers, the “dispositions of teaching” are widely debated, yet considered essential to assess the suitability of a teacher candidate to the complexities of the profession. Since the nineteenth century, however, pedagogy has attempted to define the minimal characteristics needed to qualify a person as a teacher. These have remained fairly constant as the bases for educator preparation programs across the country: knowledge of subject matter, knowledge of teaching methods, and practical experience in applying both are still the norm. The establishment of the “norms” of pedagogy and curriculum, hence the original name of “normal school” for teacher training institutions, recognized the social benefit and moral value of ensuring a quality education for all.

As with so many innovations and trends that swept the post-industrial world in the twentieth century, education, too, has experienced many changes. The names of the great educational theorists and reformers of the Progressive Era in education are known to all who know even a little about teaching and learning: Jean Piaget , Benjamin Bloom , Maria Montessori , Horace Mann , and John Dewey to name only a few.

As early as the 1800s, visionary teachers explored teaching people with disabilities. Thomas Galludet developed a method to educate the deaf and hearing impaired. He opened the Hartford School for the Deaf in Connecticut in 1817. Dr. Samuel Howe focused on teaching the visually impaired, creating books with large, raised letters to assist people with sight impairments to “read” with their fingers. Howe led the Perkins Institute, a school for the blind, in Boston. Such schools were usually boarding schools for students with disabilities. There are still residential schools such as St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo, but as pedagogy for all children moved into the twentieth century, inclusive practice where children with disabilities were educated in classrooms with non-disabled peers yielded excellent results. This is the predominant pedagogy taught by our Exceptional Education faculty today.

As the reform movements in education throughout the twentieth century introduced ideas of equality, child-centered learning, assessment of learner achievement as a measure of good teaching, and other revolutionary ideas such as inquiry-based practice, educating the whole person, and assuring educational opportunities for all persons, so did the greater emphasis on preparing teachers to serve the children of the public, not just those of the elite.

This abridged version of events that affected teacher education throughout the twentieth century mirrors the incredible history of the country from WWI’s post-industrial explosion to the turbulent 1960s, when the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement dominated the political scene and schools became the proving ground for integration and Title IX enforcement of equality of opportunity. Segregation in schools went to the Supreme Court in 1954 with  Brown vs. Board of Education.  Following this monumental decision, schools began the slow process of desegregating schools, a process that, sadly, is still not yet achieved.

As schools became more and more essential to the post-industrial economy and the promotion of human rights for all, teaching became more and more regulated. By the end of the twentieth century, licensing requirements had stiffened considerably in public education, and salary and advancement often depended on the earning of advanced degrees and professional development in school-based settings.

In the second half of the twentieth century, the Sputnik generation’s worship of science gave rise to similarities in terminology between the preparation of teachers and the preparation of doctors. “Lab schools” and quantitative research using experimental and quasi-experimental designs to test reading and math programs and other curricular innovations were reminiscent of the experimental designs used in medical research. Student teaching was considered an “internship,” akin to the stages of practice doctors followed. Such terminology and parallels to medicine, however, fell out of vogue with a general disenchantment with science and positivism in the latter decades of the twentieth century.  Interestingly, these parallels have resurfaced today as we refer to our model of educating teachers in “clinically rich settings.” We have even returned to “residency” programs, where teacher candidates are prepared entirely in the schools where they will eventually teach.

As schools became more and more essential to the post-industrial economy and the promotion of human rights for all, teaching became more and more regulated. By the end of the twentieth century, licensing requirements had stiffened considerably in public education, and salary and advancement often depended on the earning of advanced degrees and professional development in school-based settings. Even today, all programs in colleges and universities that prepare teachers must follow extensive and detailed guidelines established by the New York State Education Department that determine what must be included in such programs. Additions such as teaching to students with disabilities and teaching to English language learners are requirements that reflect the changing needs of classrooms.

As the world changed, so did the preparation of teachers. The assimilation of the normal school into colleges and universities marked the evolution of teaching as a profession, a steady recognition over the last 150 years that has allowed the teacher as scientist to explore how teaching and learning work in tandem and to suggest that pedagogy is dynamic and interactive with sociopolitical forces and that schools play a critical role in the democratic promotion of social justice.

Campus Schools and Alternative Classroom Organization During the ’60s and ’70s, new concepts of schooling such as multigrade classrooms and open-concept spaces, where students followed their own curiosity through project-based learning, were played out right here at Buffalo State in what was then the College Learning Lab (Campus School). Campus School shared many of the college’s resources and served as the clinical site for the preparation of teachers. School administration and teachers held joint appointments at the college and in the lab. Classrooms were visible through one-way glass, where teacher candidates could observe and review what they saw with the lab school teacher afterward. Participation in these classrooms was a requirement during the junior year. (I myself did my junior participation in a 5/6 open class there.)

However, as the SUNY colleges became less and less supported by New York State budgetary allocations, the Campus School was soon too expensive to staff and to maintain. The baby boom was over, and the population was shrinking. Job opportunities for the graduates of Buffalo State were rare. A 10-year cycle of teacher shortage and teacher over-supply continues to be a trend.

Standards and Norms In the 1980s, education in America once again turned to “norming,” but now the norms were not measuring one child against others; rather, each child was assessed as he or she approached the “national standards” that theoretically defined the knowledge and skills necessary for all to achieve.  

Fearing America’s loss of stature as the technologically superior leader of the free world, A Nation at Risk , published in 1983, cast a dark shadow over teaching and schools for many years to come until its premises were largely disrupted. During the time after this report, however, being a teacher was not a popular career choice, and teaching as a profession was called into question.

By 1998, almost every state had defined or implemented academic standards for math and reading. Principals and teachers were judged; students were promoted or retained, and legislation was passed so that high school students would graduate or be denied a diploma based on whether or not they had met the standards, usually as measured by a criterion-referenced test.

In the 1980s, education in America once again turned to “norming,” but now the norms were not measuring one child against others; rather, each child was assessed as he or she approached the “national standards” that theoretically defined the knowledge and skills necessary for all to achieve.

The pressure to teach to a standards-based curriculum, to test all students in an effort to ensure equal education for all, led to some famous named policies of presidents and secretaries of education in the later twentieth century. National panels and political pundits returned to the roots of the “normal school” movement, urging colleges of teacher education to acquaint teacher candidates with the national educational standards known as Goals 2000 . The George H. W. Bush administration kicked off an education summit with the purpose of “righting the ship” since the shock of A Nation at Risk .  Standards-based curriculum became a “teacher proof” system of ensuring that all children—no matter what their socioeconomic privilege—would be taught the same material.  This “curriculum first” focus for school planning persisted through the Clinton administration with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the George W. Bush administration with No Child Left Behind , and the Obama administration with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the accompanying federal funding called Race to the Top .  Such packaged standards-based curriculum movements once again turned the public eye to a need to conform, achieve, and compete.

For teachers, the most important development from this pressure to teach to the standards was the controversial Common Core , a nationalized curriculum based on standards of education that were designed to give all students common experiences within a carefully constructed framework that would transcend race, gender, economics, region, and aptitude. So focused were the materials published on the Common Core that schools began to issue scripted materials to their teachers to ensure the same language was used in every classroom. Teacher autonomy was suppressed, and time for language arts and mathematics began to eclipse the study of science, social studies, art, music.

Now What? That takes us almost to today’s schools, where teachers are still accountable for helping student achieve the Common Core standards or more currently the National Standards. Enter the COVID pandemic. Full stop.

Curriculum, testing, conformity, and standards are out the window. The American parent can now “see into” the classroom and the teacher can likewise “see into” the American home. Two-dimensional, computer-assisted instruction replaced the dynamic interactive classroom where learning is socially constructed and facilitated by teachers who are skilled at classroom management, social-emotional learning, and project-based group work. Teacher candidates must now rely on their status as digital natives to engage and even entertain their students who now come to them as a collective of individuals framed on a computer screen rather than in a classroom of active bodies who engage with each other in myriad ways. Last year’s pedagogical challenges involved mastery of the 20-minute attention span, the teacher as entertainer added to the teacher as facilitator . Many of our teacher candidates learned more about themselves than they did about their students. Yet, predominately, stories of creativity, extraordinary uses of technology, and old-fashioned persistence and ingenuity were the new “norm” for the old Buffalo State Normal School.

There has been nothing “normal” about these last two years as the world learns to cope with a silent enemy. There will be no post-war recovery, no post-industrial reforms, no equity of opportunity in schools around the world. But there will be teaching. And there will be learning. And the Buffalo State Normal School will continue to prepare the highest quality practitioners whose bags of tricks grow ever-more flexible, driven by a world where all that is known doubles in just a few days. Pedagogy is still a science. Teaching is a science, but it is also a craft practiced by master craftsmen and women and learned by apprentices.

Teaching has been called the noblest profession. From our earliest roots as the Buffalo Normal School to the current challenges of post-COVID America, we have never changed our dedication to that conviction.

Ultimately, however, as even the earliest teacher educators knew, the art of teaching is that ephemeral quality that we cannot teach, but which we know when we see it at work, that makes the great teacher excel far beyond the competent teacher.

Teaching has been called the noblest profession. From our earliest roots as the Buffalo Normal School to the current challenges of post-COVID America, we have never changed our dedication to that conviction. We are still doing what the words of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai encourage us to do: “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” That was and always will be the mission of Buffalo State, “the Teachers College.”

This article was contributed as part of a guest author series observing the 150th anniversary celebration of Buffalo State College. Campus authors who are interested in submitting articles or story ideas pertaining to the sesquicentennial are encouraged to contact the editor .

Wendy Paterson, ’75, ’76, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, is an internationally recognized scholar in the areas of early literacy and reading, developmental and educational technology, and single parenting. She received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 1996.

Read other stories in the 150th anniversary guest author series:

Pomp, Pageantry Seize the Day in 1869 Normal School Cornerstone Laying

Transforming Lives for 150 Years: Memoir of a 1914 Graduate

Buffalo Normal School Held Opening Ceremony 150 Years Ago Today

New Buffalo Normal School Replaces Outgrown Original

The Grover Cleveland–E. H. Butler Letters at Buffalo State

Test Your College Knowledge with a Buffalo State Crossword Puzzle

Photo: Staff of the Record student newspaper, 1913 .

References:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/teachereducationx92x1/chapter/education-reforms/

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school

https://britannica.com/topic/normal-school

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1216495.pdf

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Normal_school

http://reformmovements1800s.weebly.com/education.html

http://www.leaderinme.org/blog/history-of-education-the-united-states-in-a-nutshell/

3 Educational Philosophies

“Theories are more than academic words that folx with degrees throw around at coffee shops and poetry slams; they work to explain to us how the world works, who the world denies, and how the structures uphold oppression.”

Bettina L. Love, 2019

Learning Objectives

• Learn the four key Educational Philosophies
• Explore non-systemically dominant educational systems and their philosophical roots
• Compare how the privileging of educational thought and philosophy in the US  is based in social, political, and economic power
• Develop an initial personal philosophy of education through self-reflection and self examination taking into account narratives and counterstories

Activity – Educational Philosophy Assessment

In order to start reflecting on your own philosophy of education, complete the following:

• Educational Philosophies Self Assessment – https://evaeducation.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/6/9/19692577/self_assessment.pdf
• Scoring Guide for the Self Assessment: https://evaeducation.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/6/9/19692577/self_assessment_scoring_guide.pdf

What does this survey reveal about your underlying philosophy?

Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Explain.

What might this survey reveal with your reasons in becoming a teacher?

Foundations of Educational Philosophy

Pause and Ponder – Education

You may have heard comments implying that education in the United States is not political, separate from religion, and accessible to everyone. The reality is that from its early existence in the western hemisphere in the 1600s, it was indeed political, religious, and accessible only to a select few. These traits continue to influence the evolution of education in the United States today.

The education system in the United States is a social institution. A social institution is a pattern of behaviors and social arrangements that have evolved to meet the needs of society. Quite often, how those needs are defined in official conversations is dependent on who has the social, economic, and legal power to do the defining.

Given this, and since the current system in the US was derived from a system that was explicitly designed to reproduce wealth and privilege for societal elites, it should be no surprise that the foundational theorists upon which the US education rests are representative of a narrow range of perspectives on education. Many educational approaches, perspectives, and philosophies have been neglected in the development of the US system. For instance, the educational system in the US is not rooted at all in the philosophies of Aztec or Mayan civilizations. Nor does it include understandings about teaching, learning, or intellectual growth from Muslim, Hindu, or Yoruba societies. It is accurate to say the US system of education and the philosophies on which it rests are decidedly Eurocentric.

Critical Lens – Eurocentrism

Eurocentrism (also Eurocentricity) is a worldview that is centered on or privileges European-based civilization or a biased view that favors it over nonEuropean-based civilizations.

In order to understand the educational system in the US in a way that supports educators in meeting the needs of all students, we offer the following orientation to the educational philosophies on which this system was founded.

A philosophy grounds or guides practice in the study of existence and knowledge while developing an ontology (the study of being) on what it means for something or someone to be—or exist. Educational philosophy, then, provides a foundation which constructs and guides the ways knowledge is generated and passed on to others. Therefore, when thinking and reflecting about your own philosophy of education, you need to acknowledge your values, beliefs and attitudes towards the educational system, as this will guide your practice. Therefore, it is of critical importance that teachers begin to develop a clear understanding of philosophical traditions and how the philosophical underpinnings inform their educational philosophies. Philosophies need to translate ideas into action. If you want to use certain techniques, then you need to understand how they are effective in the classroom to create that portion of your education philosophy.

Over the course of history, philosophy has experienced several paradigm shifts that influence teaching and learning. Philosophical traditions from the 19th century helped anchor the early foundations of educational philosophy and the development of public education in Europe and the United States.

Activity – Think and Reflect

Think and reflect on the following guiding questions:

• What does being a teacher mean to you?
• What are the skills that, from your perspective, effective teachers have?
• What should be taught?
• How should it be taught?
• What is knowledge?
• Why is it important to establish a trusting relationships between students, teachers and the community?

Whether you are aware or not, you have begun writing philosophical statements about education and being a teacher.

3.1 Philosophical Perspectives of Education

As students ourselves, we may have a particular notion of what schooling is and should be as well as what teachers do and should do. In his book entitled Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study, Dan Lortie (1975) called this the “apprenticeship of observation” (p. 62). Many people who pursue teaching think they already know what it entails because they have generally spent at least 13 years observing teachers as they work. The role of a teacher can seem simplistic because as a student, you only see one piece of what teachers actually do day in and day out. This one-dimensional perspective can contribute to a person’s idea of what the role of teachers in schools is, as well as what the purpose of schooling should be. The idea of the purpose of schooling can also be seen as an individual’s philosophy of schooling.

Philosophy can be defined as the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. In the case of education, one’s philosophy is what one believes to be true about the essentials of education. When thinking about your philosophy of education, consider your beliefs about the roles of schools, teachers, learners, families, and communities. There are four philosophical perspectives currently used in educational settings: essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, and social reconstructionism/critical pedagogy. Unlike the more abstract philosophical perspectives of ontology and axiology, these four perspectives focus primarily on what should be taught and how it should be taught, i.e. the curriculum. These are explained below.

3.2 Four Key Educational Philosophies

Essentialism.

Essentialism adheres to a belief that a core set of essential skills must be taught to all students. Essentialists tend to privilege traditional academic disciplines that will develop prescribed skills and objectives in different content areas as well as develop a common culture. Typically, Essentialism argues for a back-to-basics approach on teaching intellectual and moral standards. Schools should prepare all students to be productive members of society. The Essentialist curriculum focuses on reading, writing, computing clearly and logically about objective facts concerning the real world. Schools should be sites of rigor where students learn to work hard and respect authority. Because of this stance, Essentialism tends to subscribe to tenets of Realism. Essentialist classrooms tend to be teacher-centered in instructional delivery with an emphasis on lecture and teacher demonstrations.

Perennialism:

Perennialism advocates for seeking, teaching, and learning universal truths that span across historical time periods. These truths, Perennialists argue, have everlasting importance in helping humans solve problems regardless of time and place. While Perennialism resembles essentialism at first glance, Perennialism focuses on the individual development of the student rather than emphasizing skills. Perennialism supports liberal arts curricula that helps produce well-rounded individuals with some knowledge across the arts and sciences. All students should take classes in English Language Arts, foreign languages, mathematics, natural sciences, fine arts, and philosophy. Like Essentialism, Perennialism may tend to favor teacher-centered instruction; however, Perennialists do utilize student-centered instructional activities like Socratic Seminar, which values and encourages students to think, rationalize, and develop their own ideas on topics.

Progressivism

Progressivism focuses its educational stance toward experiential learning with a focus on developing the whole child. Students learn by doing rather than being lectured to by teachers. Curriculum is usually integrated across contents instead of siloed into different disciplines. Progressivism’s stance is in stark contrast to both Essentialism and Perennialism in this manner. Progressivism follows a clear pragmatic ontology where the learner focuses on solving real-world problems through real experiences. Progressivist classrooms are student-centered where students will work in cooperative/collaborative groups to do project-based, expeditionary, problem-based, and/or service-learning activities. In progressivist classrooms, students have opportunities to follow their interests and have shared authority in planning and decision making with teachers.

3.3 A Response to Dominant Systems:

Social reconstructionism.

Social reconstructionism was founded as a response to the atrocities of World War II and the Holocaust to assuage human cruelty. Social reform in response to helping prepare students to make a better world through instilling liberatory values. Critical pedagogy emerged from the foundation of the early social reconstructionist movement.

Critical Lens – Liberatory Thinking

“Liberatory thinking is the re- imagining of one’s assumptions and beliefs about others and their capabilities by interrupting internal beliefs that undermine productive relationships and actions. Liberatory thinking goes beyond simply changing mindsets to creating concrete opportunities for others to experience liberation. The opportunities provides cover for and centers underrepresented and marginalized people. It pushes people to interrogate their own multiple identities in relation to others and to think about the consequences of our actions, especially for students of critical need. It explores how mindsets can impede or ignite progress in the classroom, school, and district.”

Chicago Public Schools

For more information in Liberatory Thinking, please refer to the Equity Framework  from the Chicago Public Schools

Critical Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy is the application of critical theory to education. For critical pedagogues, teaching and learning is inherently a political act and they declare that knowledge and language are not neutral, nor can they be objective. Therefore, issues involving social, environmental, or economic justice cannot be separated from the curriculum. Critical pedagogy’s goal is to emancipate marginalized or oppressed groups by developing, according to Paulo Freire, conscientização, or critical consciousness in students.

Critical pedagogy de-centers the traditional classroom, which positions teachers at the center. The curriculum and classroom with a critical pedagogy stance is student-centered and focuses its content on social critique and political action.

3.4 Ways of Knowing

Pause and Ponder – Ways of Knowing

In addition to the historically neglected  thinkers and the theories presented above, it is important for educators to consider that there are many ways of knowing and acquiring knowledge

How do you know something is true?

In the US school system, for instance, students begin the day when a bell or signal goes off at the same predetermined time every day. This scheduling system shapes students’ awareness of how days in their lives will most likely be structured. Consider an alternative: What would happen if the school day started every day when the sun passes a certain point across the horizon. What would students learn about the world? How would students’ way of knowing about time and responsibility be changed?

Critical Lens – Cultural Practices

Here are two news stories with examples of cultural practices that are not taught in mainstream schools because they have been steered away from in this imperialistic, colonizing culture. Nevertheless, they have been sustained by thinkers and teachers and continue to be sustained today.

Culturally informed childbirth practices: Navajo woman starts nonprofit to improve maternal health

Traditional care of the land: For tribes, ‘good fire’ a key to restoring nature and people

3.5 Educational Thinkers

The thinkers and perspectives in the preceding section of this text are considered foundational thinkers in mainstream formal education in the US, other thinkers from the same time period and throughout history are considered foundational contributors to education throughout the world. Some of this has to do with the notion of US colonialism, imperialism, exceptionalism (the belief that the United States is either distinctive, unique, or exemplary compared to other nations), and the legacy of the enslavement of Black Americans in the United States. Because of these legacies, very few people of color were accepted into the cannon of formal educational thinkers. As a result, the US system has been shaped by a very narrow sample of foundational theorists, and many educators who trained in the 20th and 21st centuries in the US had their perspectives formed under this narrow umbrella.

The following individuals and theories are presented so that you can broaden your perspective and better serve all students during your career in education.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois

Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Du Bois completed his graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard University, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate. He became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.

In an effort to portray the genius and humanity of the Black race, Du Bois published The Souls of Black Folk (1903), a collection of 14 essays. The introduction of the book famously proclaimed that “the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line.” Each chapter begins with two epigraphs – one from a White poet, and one from a Black spiritualist – to demonstrate intellectual and cultural parity between Black and White cultures.

A major theme of The Souls of Black Folk is the double consciousness faced by African Americans: being both American and Black. This was a unique identity which, according to Du Bois, had been a handicap in the past, but could be a strength in the future: “Henceforth, the destiny of the race could be conceived as leading neither to assimilation nor separatism but to proud, enduring hyphenation.”

Double consciousness is the internal conflict experienced by subordinated or colonized groups in an oppressive society. Originally, double consciousness was specifically the psychological challenge African Americans experienced of “always looking at oneself through the eyes” of a racist white society and “measuring oneself by the means of a nation that looked back in contempt”. The term also referred to Du Bois’s experiences of reconciling his African heritage with an upbringing in a European-dominated society.

More recently, the concept of double consciousness has been expanded to other situations of social inequality, notably women living in patriarchal societies as well as LGBTQ2S+ people living in homophobic and transphobic societies.

The idea of double consciousness is important because it illuminates the experiences of Black people living in post-slavery America, and also because it sets a framework for understanding the position of oppressed people in an oppressive world. As a result, it became used to explain the dynamics of gender, colonialism, xenophobia and more alongside race. This theory laid a strong foundation for other critical theorists to expand upon.

Carter Godwin Woodson

Woodson was an American educator, historian, author, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He achieved a graduate degree at the University of Chicago and in 1912 was the second African American, after W. E. B. Du Bois , to obtain a PhD from Harvard University . Woodson remains the only person whose parents were enslaved in the United States to obtain a PhD . He taught at two historically Black colleges: “ Howard University and West Virginia State University ”. Woodson believed that education and increasing social and professional contacts among Black and white people could reduce racism, and he promoted the organized study of African-American history partly for that purpose. He would later promote the first Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., in 1926, forerunner of Black History Month.

Woodson published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861. Believing that history belonged to everybody, not just the historians, Woodson sought to engage Black civic leaders, high school teachers, clergy, women’s groups and fraternal associations in his project to improve the understanding of African-American history. He founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History whose purpose he described as the “scientific study” of the “neglected aspects of Negro life and history” by training a new generation of Black people in historical research and methodology

hooks is a US based educational theorist and social activist. In Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, she argues that a teacher’s use of control over students dulls the students’ enthusiasm and teaches obedience to authority, and keeps students from learning critical thinking. hook’s pedagogical practices exist as an interplay of anti-colonial, critical, and feminist pedagogies and are based on freedom. hooks also built a bridge between critical thinking and real-life situations, to enable educators to show students the everyday world instead of the stereotypical perspective of the world. hooks argues that teachers and students should engage in interrogations of cultural assumptions that are supported by oppression.

note: bell hooks intentionally does not capitalize her name, which follows her critical stance that language, even how we write one’s own name, is political and ideological.

Henry Giroux

Giroux is a foundational critical theorist in the US and Canada, best known for his pioneering work in critical pedagogy in K-12 and higher ed. His work advocates supporting students developing a consciousness of freedom and connecting knowledge to power, and the ability to take constructive action. His latest work examines the pitting of people against each other through the lens of class, race, and any other differences that don’t embrace white nationalism.

3.6 Latin American Thinkers

We will now analyze the impact of the pedagogical practice, as well as the educational thought, of different key educators in Latin America. These educators influenced a cultural change with ideas and concepts that modified the parameters of the educational system that was established in LatinAmerica.

Some of these educators have not been recognized in the educational system around the world. However, their work has been a catalyst in  giving way to cultural and educational transformations in Latin America. The following educators stand out for their innovative tendencies who fought for an educational system to which all people had access.

When studying these Latin American educators, it should be noted that they generated a change that had a great impact on socio-cultural problems and that their success, or failure, depended on the government policies carried out in the corresponding countries.

Deeper Dive – Latin American Thinkers

You can watch the history of each Latin American thinkers in Spanish in the following video:

Paulo Reglus Neves Freire

Freire is a Brazilian philosopher and educator, was one of the most influential thinkers behind social reconstructionism. He criticized the banking model of education in his best known writing, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which is generally considered one of the fundamental texts of the critical pedagogy movement. Banking models of education view students as empty vessels to be filled by the teacher’s expertise, like a teacher putting “coins” of information into the students’ “piggy banks.” Instead, Freire supported problem-posing models of education that recognized the prior knowledge everyone has and can share with others. Conservative critics of social reconstructionists suggest that they have abandoned intellectual pursuits in education, whereas social reconstructionists believe that the analyzing of moral decisions leads to being good citizens in a democracy.

The installment dedicated to Paulo Freire covers the different stages of the life of the Brazilian pedagogue and politician. The documentary shows his Christian roots and his first steps related to literacy and adult education in Brazil, especially the one carried out in Angicos. Then, it continues with Freire’s years in exile, which included a diverse tour of Chile, the US, Nicaragua, etc. and the publication, in 1970, of two of his most important works: Education as a practice for freedom and Pedagogy of the oppressed. At the same time, it is argued that these works strengthened a political idea that became the organizer of the movement of the oppressed in Latin America.

Pause and Ponder – Dominant Narrative

The work of Freire, Giroux, and hooks are included as necessary responses to the exclusionary and marginalizing nature of the dominant narrative of educational systems. Even today, although educators may study their work, the systems they’re employed with tend to perpetuate the inequalities and dynamics Freire, Giroux, hooks, and others address.

Gabriela Mistral

Mistral, pseudonym of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, was a Chilean poet, diplomat and pedagogue. She received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945 for her poetic work, she was the first Ibero-American woman and the second Latin American person to receive a Nobel Prize.

Her political-ideological profile is represented as a hybrid between her Catholic, but not conservative, beliefs and her liberal traits, although she is not strictly defined as liberal. Her words and poetry, which frequently gave life to various newspaper articles, generated multiple conflicts with the most conservative sectors of society. Mistral, however, continued on her way and affirmed her work in the rural and indigenous sectors. During her trip to Mexico, at the invitation of Vasconcelos, she fulfilled her full potential as a teacher, promoting a pedagogy based on the child, with Christian roots and that took into account the singularities of the rural and indigenous areas in which she worked. In 1945 she became the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, something that made visible the impact of her teaching practice, intellectual and poetic practice.

Domingo Faustino Sarmiento

Sarmiento was an Argentine politician, writer, teacher, journalist, serviceman and statesman; governor of the province of San Juan between 1862 and 1864, president of the Argentine Nation between 1868 and 1874, national senator for his province between 1874 and 1879 and minister of the interior in 1879.

His controversial, anti-racist and unitary side is reaffirmed, and the fact that he belongs to a generation that understood writing as a political practice. He questioned what was the best educational system for all of the students in Latina America. He starts investigating the opposite approaches of education in Massachusetts and Prussia. He believed that the students had a better option to succeed and learn independently in a society under the Prussian system, which was centralized and under the management of the state. The educational system in Massachusetts, on the contrary, was decentralized and the society was the principal entity to promote education. Therefore, the habits of each state were instilled in the students. For example, a republican state will have a republican approach to education and he did not agree with this approach. Therefore, after his investigations he laid the programmatic foundations of a national educational system, in where it was centralized and Popular Education was provided to all of the children in Argentina.

Later on, his side as a statesman is taken up again with the contributions he made in the elaboration of the Law of Common Education of Buenos Aires (1875) and the sanction under his presidency of the National Law of Common Education (1884).

Jesualdo Sosa

Sosa, better known as Jesualdo, was a Uruguayan teacher, writer, pedagogue and journalist. His teaching led him to dedicate himself with greater purpose  and knowledge on the activities, interests and needs of the child.

Starting from a critique of the traditional school and the capitalist system, Sosa combined there a proposal with Escolanovist overtones, which promoted the autonomy of children, their creativity, their expression, their work training, and was articulated with the activities of the community. That experience was collected in Vida de un maestro, a production that, despite the censorship attempts it suffered from dictatorial governments, was able to expand worldwide. After that publication, his life is described as a time of maturation, systematization and recognition, which gave him the chance to be called to collaborate in different parts of Latin America.

Simón Narciso de Jesús Carreño Rodríguez

de Jesús Carreño Rodríguez was a Venezuelan hero, educator, and politician. He was the tutor of Simón Bolívar and Andrés Bello. He contributed concepts and ideas including written works aimed at  the process of freedom and American integration.

In the seventh installment, Simón Rodríguez is recognized as a great precursor of our American pedagogical thought, as a fighter for the emancipation of Latin America and for public education for all as a form of social progress. His philosophy favored the equality in education as he believed this was a right for all citizens. He highlights his conception of equality, which was not restrictive as  he believed that equality started in educational practices. He sacrificed all his belongings and left everything for his ideals. In the miniseries,

José Vasconcelos Calderón

Vasconcelos Calderón was a Mexican lawyer, politician, writer, educator, public official and philosopher. He was part of the revolutionary movement led by Francisco Madero, which promoted the democratic transformation of a country that, at that time, was shaken by the dictatorships of Porfirio Díaz Mori. As a result of a political setup, Vasconcelos became Secretary of Education of the Federal Government (1921-1924). His management in this position is distinguished as short and intense, since there he carried out, with the support of Gabriela Mistral, his most recognized work, promoting high culture, rural literacy missions and muralism as ways of recovering Latin American roots. His work, The Cosmic Race, is considered a condensation of his position in favor of mestizaje, which is the biological and cultural encounter or its arrangement between different ethnic groups, in which they mix, giving birth to new species of families and new genotypes. This was a very controversial work as it was not aligned with the thinking of the people from this time.

José Carlos Mariátegui

Mariátegui, La Chira, was a Peruvian writer, journalist and political thinker, a prolific author despite his early death. He is also known in his country by the name of El Amauta. He was one of the main scholars of Socialism in Latin America.

“The revolution is not only the fight for bread, but also the conquest of beauty” is a representative phrase of José Carlos Mariátegui, which marks the beginning of the installment referring to the Peruvian writer, journalist and intellectual. At first, the documentary goes through what is considered his first school, recounting his initial steps in the writing of the newspaper La Razón, where he grew as a journalist and became involved in workers’ struggles and reformist ideals. Then it is analyzed how during his exile in Europe, Mariátegui was nurtured by Marxist ideas, the struggles of Italian workers and began to work on the notion of indigenism as a creative and revolutionary myth. During his return, it is stated that he strengthened his political proposal of autochthonous socialism, marked by a juxtaposition between Marxist theory, Latin Americanism and indigenism, with a strong emphasis also on gender equality and the depatriarchalizing of educational practices. These aspects are present in its most important editorial offering, Amauta. In 1928, he created the Peruvian Socialist Party and published Seven Interpretive Essays on Peruvian Reality, from which he criticized the liberal model of education (which placed the problem of indigenous people in education) and the lack of their recognition as subjects of law.

José Julián Martí Pérez

Martí Pérez was a writer and politician of Cuban origin. Democratic republican politician, thinker, journalist, philosopher and Cuban poet, creator of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and organizer of the War of 95 or Necessary War, named after the Cuban War of Independence. He suffered the vicissitudes of critical thought from a very young age, when he was imprisoned and exiled. Strongly involved in the struggles against Spanish colonization and US interference in the Caribbean, he claimed Bolivarian principles. His political and educational thought is described through four topics: the decolonization of Latin American knowledge, the formation of good people and the role of love in pedagogy, the special place given to creative work and the recovery of Latin American identity. In 1892, a time of exile, he founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party as a tool for the independence of the island and finally died on the battlefield years later.

Jorge J. E. Gracia

Gracia was born in Cuba in 1942 and was a Cuban refugee in the USA. He studied at both Universidad de La Habana and Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro in Havana before moving to the U.S., where he  earned a degree in philosophy from Wheaton College in 1965. He went on to receive a master’s degree in philosophy from University of Chicago in 1966, a licentiate in medieval studies from Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in 1970 and his doctorate in medieval philosophy from University of Toronto in 1971.

Gracia’s areas of research included metaphysics, ethnic and racial issues, philosophy of religion, and medieval and Latin American philosophy. These topics led him to author over 20 books and edit more than two dozen volumes of works by others. One of his most notable contributions was his 1984 edited anthology on Latin American philosophy, “Philosophical Analysis in Latin America,” which was the first work of its kind published in English by a philosopher.

Beyond his vast collection of writings, he was also a leader for many important organizations. He was the founding chair for the American Philosophical Association’s Committee for Hispanics in Philosophy and sat as president of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, Society for Iberian and Latin American Thought, American Catholic Philosophical Association and the Metaphysical Society of America.

Gracia worked for the State University of New York at Buffalo from 1971 until he retired in January 2020 as SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen Chair in the departments of philosophy and comparative literature.

Héctor-Neri Castañeda

Castañeda was a Guatemalan American philosopher who emigrated to the U.S. in 1948 as a refugee. He attended the University of Minnesota to earn his bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees.

After graduating with his PhD, Castañeda studied at Oxford University for a year before returning to the U.S. to work at Duke University for a short period of time. He went on to work at Wayne State University, where he founded the philosophical journal Noûs , which is still in production to this day.

Eventually, he moved to Indiana University in 1969 and became the Mahlon Powell Professor of philosophy as well as that university’s first dean of Latino affairs.

Castañeda is most notable for developing the guise theory , which applies to the analysis of thought, language and the structure of the world through abstract objects. He is also credited with the discovery of the concept of the quasi-indexical or quasi-indicator. This is a linguistic expression in which a person referencing another can shift from context to context, much like in the way ‘you’ can refer to a specific person in one context and another person in a different context.

In addition to his research, he was awarded a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation and received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Science Foundation. He was also given the Presidential Medal of Honor by the government of Guatemala in 1991, among many other accomplishments.

Activities – Personal Philosophy of Education

In order to start building your own personal philosophy of education, it’s important to be able to articulate how you will incorporate diverse perspectives and ways of knowing into your teaching.

Instructions:

• Select a mainstream-culture based  single story about education and analyze it. Examine how an ideology or stereotype is perpetuated through  it
• Explore some or all of the story’s origins functions  impact on education
• Then examine the alternative stories: those told by the survivors of the single story
• Propose ways to change the story both in your teaching  and in the educational system in general

Like learning, teaching is always developing; it is never realized once and for all. Our public schools have always served as sites of moral, economic, political, religious and social conflict and assimilation into a narrowly defined standard image of what it means to be an American. According to Britzman (as quoted by Kelle, 1996), “the context of teaching is political, it is an ideological context that privileges the interests, values, and practices necessary to maintain the status quo.” Teaching is by no means “innocent of ideology,” she declares. Rather, the context of education tends to preserve “the institutional values of compliance to authority, social conformity, efficiency, standardization, competition, and the objectification of knowledge” (p. 66-67).

It should be no surprise then that contemporary debates over public education continue to reflect our deepest ideological differences. As Tyack and Cuban (1995) have noted in their historical study of school reform, the nation’s perception toward schooling often “shift[s]… from panacea to scapegoat” (p. 14). We would go a long way in solving academic achievement and closing educational gaps by addressing the broader structural issues that institutionalize and perpetuate poverty and inequality.

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Perez, D. (2022a, January 3). Chapter 4: Foundational Philosophies of Education. Pressbooks. https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/dellaperezproject/chapter/chapter-3-foundational-philosophies-of-education/

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (A. R. Luria, M. Lopez-Morillas & M. Cole [with J. V. Wertsch], Trans.) Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. (Original work [ca. 1930-1934)

Wamba, Philippe (1999). Kinship. New York, New York: Penguin Group. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-525-94387-7.

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Why does history education matter?

Experienced teachers and leaders Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb, authors of What is history teaching, now? , John Catt Educational, discuss the importance of history education and why it continues to matter today

History is a booming industry. As a nation, we are obsessed with finding out about the past, uncovering new evidence and trying to solve historical mysteries. The wealth of documentaries, podcasts, books and even dedicated TV channels demonstrate that history is not just important; it is relevant. Our innate desire as humans is to know who we are as individuals and what forces and events have shaped our own and collective identities.

For teachers, history education can be relentless in the pursuit of ensuring that students feel history is vital to their lives. This is because history matters. If we want young people to be able to distil opinion from fact and then articulate reasoned arguments, if we want them to be empathetic to everyone in their communities or to understand their place in the world, then they must be given the opportunity to study history.

Macmillan (2009) reminds us that ‘history is not a ‘dead subject’. It is wiser to think of history not as a pile of dead leaves or a collection of dusty artefacts, but as a pool, sometimes benign, often sulphurous, that lies under the present, silently shaping out institutions, our ways of thought, our likes and dislikes.’ History is a verb – shifting in complex and confounding ways. Like a tide, with every new source uncovered and every interpretation that emerges, history shifts in unpredictable ways.

Diverse and representative history curriculums

In 2023, history teachers are changing the focus of their curriculums to ensure that they are diverse and representative, ensuring that silenced voices have been woven in. History teachers know the importance of history as a form of identity and belonging and its role in either dispelling or reinforcing myths and stereotypes. The history curriculum must be a kaleidoscope of lenses for this to happen. Resultantly, as architects of their curriculum, history teachers thoughtfully select diverse enquiries to be studied, weaving in broad ranges of sources and interpretations.

History teachers have worked tirelessly to put scholarship at the centre of the enquiries studied. By placing historical debate and arguments at the centre, this immerses the pupil into organic and evolutionary world that is history education and the work that historians do – helping them to appreciate that history is something which lives and breathes as a discipline and is not consigned to dusty tomes sat removed at the back of library shelves.

Historians such as Rubenhold, Kauffman, Olusoga, and Sanghera have empowered history teachers to achieve this. Through their ground-breaking work, they have transformed the study of commonly taught topics such as the Tudors and the British Empire by illuminating the many lenses and objects through which these periods could be studied. Their work is powerful in how it resonates with contemporary issues, such as racism, migration, misogyny and ableism.

Understanding historical events in education

For students to understand the significance of events like the toppling of Colston’s statue or the murder of George Floyd and the toppling of Colston’s statue and to be able to navigate through the myriad of polarised opinions which explode during such times, they need to understand how the past connects with the present.

Students need the knowledge and critical thinking skills to be able to dissect such events and frame them within the broader narrative of the past: the long history of migration and Black History, alongside Britain’s uncomfortable history of colonisation and its role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

By doing so, students can engage in social justice debates and appreciate why, in modern times, issues such as systemic racism exist so prevalently. They can explore how and why politicians use migration and race as election dog whistles, and they can examine the range of Black civil rights movements.

This is strengthened by Counsell, who argues that ‘The historical consciousness of children matters because they are human beings. History teaches us the meaning of human-ness.’ (Counsell, 2007). This is why history education fosters critical thinking – an ability to infer from sources, evaluate differing interpretations, analyse change and continuity, and be able to form convincing written and oral arguments.

Digital technology in history education

History in 2023 is exciting. Digital technology has developed the examination of ruins and unearthed new evidence about the past. It has digitised sources, enabling greater access to previously inaccessible evidence. Revolutionary developments in science and technology (such as examining isotopes) have helped to unlock narratives in history, such as Ivory Bangle Lady and helped to foster new interpretations.

In the age of the internet, social media has added a new type of source to history education – including announcements from world leaders to their role in triggering global movements, such as the #MeToo movement. It has also created a channel through which historians and history teachers can engage with one another, strengthening the role of scholarship within the classroom.

That history is a dead subject could actually not, therefore, be further from the truth. history is more alive than it has ever been and is, therefore, an important part of each child’s education:

‘…History matters. It is not just ‘useful,’ it is essential’ – (Corfield, 2008)

• Counsell, C cited in Culpin, C The 2007 Medlicott Medical Lecture – What kind of History should School History Be? (Historical Association, 2007).
• Corfield, P (2008) All people are living histories, which is why History matters – Making History (online) found at https://archives.history.ac.uk/makinghistory/resources/articles/why_history_matters.html accessed 12 July 2023.
• Macmillan, M (2009) The Uses and Abuses of History, (Random House: New York), pg. 3.

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What happens when kids see themselves in the history they learn in school? 

The $1.27 million MKE Roots project helps K-12 students improve school performance by revealing history and culture in Milwaukee neighborhoods.

• By Tree Meinch
• May 1, 2024
• 4 min. read

There’s this thing about teaching history in a traditional classroom setting: The material has a tendency to lodge in minds with an air of far-off places and faint relevance. Or worse, it can fail to stick in the brain altogether — dates and facts in one ear and out the other, maybe lingering just long enough to help a student pass a quiz. 

This ineffective approach to learning, known by some as banking, can plague teachers and students alike, says Dr. Melissa Gibson, associate professor of educational policy and leadership. Early in her career as a high school teacher, she recognized the phenomenon while working in the Chicago suburbs, rural Wisconsin, Los Angeles and even Guadalajara, Mexico. She also saw history lessons consistently drained of the contributions of people of color. Now, as a teacher educator and pedagogical researcher at Marquette, she’s leading the charge for alternative options. 

Her latest big swing, MKE Roots: The Democratizing Local History Project, is forging fresh tools for Milwaukee classrooms. And with the support of an interdisciplinary Marquette faculty team, the emerging program landed a $1.27 million grant last fall from the U.S. Department of Education. With it, Gibson and partners are launching a three-year program in multiple K-12 schools, where social studies instruction will benefit from a vibrant educational ecosystem that emphasizes Milwaukee’s communities of color.  

“My charge was this: I just want them to be curious, and to see themselves in the social studies.” Dr. Melissa Gibson, principal investigator and associate professor

The project orbits around the idea of place-based learning within local settings where students live and learn. Fundamentally, it leverages partnerships with living people and interactions with landmarks outside the classroom, while featuring Black, Latinx and Indigenous history in which students can recognize their own roots. In this way, community leaders and entrepreneurs who are the fruit of the city’s diverse history become co-educators and models for students while engaging them in immersive settings. 

“What students are learning is a completely new way to see their city,” Gibson says. “My charge was this: I just want them to be curious, and to see themselves in the social studies.” Part of her framework stemmed from local storytelling initiatives and partnerships led by Dr. Robert Smith, Harry G. John Professor of History and co-principal investigator of MKE Roots, and Milwaukee cultural leader Adam Carr.

For several years, Gibson had been applying the place-based framework of MKE Roots in her own Marquette courses for future educators. Then, the pandemic sparked a rare opportunity to partner with Milwaukee’s St. Joan Antida High School. 

At the all-girls Catholic school near downtown, administrators noticed an alarming slip in social studies performance when the school switched to remote learning in 2020. That fueled a desire for creative solutions to put students back on track. Thanks to some word-of-mouth connections between Marquette and St. Joan’s innovative new principal, Megan Otero, the high school resumed in-person classes in 2021 with a new credit-recovery elective, spearheaded by Gibson. 

Initially dubbed Explore Milwaukee, that pilot course ran two semesters at St. Joan while garnering impressive results and broader interest, including from leaders of Milwaukee Public Schools. With Smith’s partnership, the pilot evolved into MKE Roots under the umbrella of Marquette’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching and Outreach, which he directs.  

The key ingredient for success, Gibson says, is taking students off campus for immersive encounters — and sweetening the deal with food. At Zócalo Food Truck Park in Walker’s Point, for instance, they met co-owner and Milwaukee culinary mastermind Jesus Gonzalez. On the north side, students explored the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, an entrepreneurial hub prioritizing Black-owned businesses. 

“With a class like this, everything we are studying is so immediately relevant to their lives,” Otero says of her students, who represent 26 of Milwaukee’s 33 ZIP codes. “We’re talking about their neighborhoods. We’re talking about the streets they pass through when they come to school every day.” 

Touring Walker’s Point, for example, many students went wide-eyed when they heard that the neighborhood’s earliest known Mexican immigrant arrived in the 1880s, less than 40 years after Wisconsin became a U.S. state. That lesser-known piece of historical DNA, paired with inspiring tastemakers like Gonzalez, can make a significant impression on young minds. And it can change how they participate as residents. 

The project’s academic partners say many students of color are hungry for these stories as they confront racist narratives that prevail about their city and neighborhoods. “Through Milwaukee Roots, students have the opportunity to know themselves differently and to see themselves and their communities differently,” says Dr. derria byrd, assistant professor of education policy, a co-facilitator of the project. “Teachers also have the potential to be changed.” 

On the heels of the federal grant, the staff, programming and rollout for MKE Roots is still taking shape, with St. Joan and Milwaukee Public Schools as committed partners. While the programming will be tailored to each school, Gibson plans to deliver a web-based service that maps out vital place-based learning sites across the city. Teachers in respective classrooms can leverage that resource in building their lessons plans. So, the program offers new tools, even when a school is limited in its ability to offer off-campus trips. 

The Milwaukee sites will include institutions such as America’s Black Holocaust Museum, art installations and other landmarks in communities of color, paired with backstories and question guides. With input from area teachers, that resource will help build out what MKE Roots is calling a “pedagogical ecosystem” for K-12 classrooms that goes beyond depositing facts into student minds. The MKE Roots project will also fund and facilitate week – long professional development summer camps for interested educators that will allow them to visit key destinations and touchstones of the curriculum. 

With an emphasis on community partners, the whole approach channels a broader mission within Marquette’s values to serve and empower its greater ecosystem. “We want our students, our staff and faculty to be part of our local communities,” says Smith. “We aren’t going to be the academics who parachute in and out.” 

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Civics simulations help this Indiana teacher’s students connect to history, citizenship

This story was  originally published  by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at  ckbe.at/newsletters

In Adam Williamson’s social studies class, students learn American history “in the full light of day.”

That means everything the country has accomplished and its historical significance, along with its mistakes along the way, Williamson said.

As a 16-year veteran teacher and department chair at Mississinewa High School, a school around 70 miles northeast of Indianapolis, Williamson told Chalkbeat that the criticism that teachers face for teaching negative or divisive lessons about history is misdirected.

“Contrary to some prevailing opinions out there, teachers aren’t responsible for this attitude — we are often the first line of defense in trying to convince students that the United States is worth revering despite its past mistakes,” Williamson said. “I savor those moments when I can make a student stop to reflect and consider the perspectives of people who lived in the past and evaluate their decisions accordingly.”

And just as important as helping students understand the past is helping them grow into their roles as future adults, citizens, voters, and leaders. For this goal, Williamson said active learning is the key.

He leads students through mock legal proceedings, as well as simulated congressional hearings as part of the  We the People  curriculum and competition, and helps them understand how civics will affect their day-to-day lives.

“The fact that many of them are eager to begin adult life can provide leverage for engaging them in these sorts of participatory lessons,” he said. “I often say, “You’re going to be an adult in the eyes of the world soon, so you might want to know how this works.” That reality check tends to be effective for most students.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a social studies teacher?

I considered the career when I was in high school and then attempted a career in acting when I got to college. I quickly decided that there was too much drama in the drama department and reverted back to social studies education. Now, I have a difficult time thinking of something else that I would find more rewarding than teaching.

What’s a lesson that you like to teach that helps your students understand how civics is relevant to them?

I often teach civics using simulations. I particularly enjoy my mock trial and legislation simulations — I find that students begin to make direct connections to their own lives when they engage in those processes. Active learning pays dividends!

What are the biggest questions that your students have and have those changed over time?

In my history courses, I get a lot of questions about why the United States government has historically made a poor choice, or why the nation has made so many mistakes. The “information age” has presented us with new challenges regarding communication. Social media and internet video blogs have created echo chambers for criticism toward the United States government. Contrary to some prevailing opinions out there, teachers aren’t responsible for this attitude — we are often the first line of defense in trying to convince students that the United States is worth revering despite its past mistakes!

I see the teaching of United States history as an opportunity to invite my kids to confront American history in the full light of day, warts and all, and consider all that America has accomplished and all that it represents to humanity despite our missteps along the way. I savor those moments when I can make a student stop to reflect and consider the perspectives of people who lived in the past and evaluate their decisions accordingly.

What are some of the obstacles to engaging young people in voting and other civic duties? What helps?

Disengagement seems to be chronic, but that might be an illusion. It’s easy to focus on the cynicism toward government among Generation Z, but there are actually quite a few students who are engaged and/or want to be engaged in their communities.

Trying to make the rest of them understand that civic and political engagement is worthwhile isn’t an easy task. I find that running students through the processes of civic and political life demystifies things for them. Again, active learning is key. The fact that many of them are eager to begin adult life can provide leverage for engaging them in these sorts of participatory lessons. I often say, “You’re going to be an adult in the eyes of the world soon, so you might want to know how this works.” That reality check tends to be effective for most students.

Tell us about your work with We the People and the impact it has on your students.

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution  is, without a doubt, the most rewarding and effective curriculum I’ve ever used. I underwent training for the program at the annual summer institute as soon as I finished student teaching and soon after began teaching it at my first job in middle school.

The students thrived under the curriculum. It was so encouraging to see those young people diving into complex topics and engaging in dialogue about them with respected adults! Soon after, I was moved to our high school to pilot the program there and coordinate the program across the district. Since that time, we’ve had very successful We the People teams at all three levels and I’ve been able to enjoy watching students of all ages broaden their minds and consider their role in our body politic.

Nearly every student who has taken the We the People course with me has personally reflected on how thankful they were that they took part. That is very fulfilling for a teacher to hear. A few of those students have moved on to law school and public service, and I find it extremely satisfying to know that I played some part in those students’ journeys.

How do you approach news events or community happenings in your classroom?

I encourage students to stay in touch with current events by following their favorite news source, and I often invite students to ask questions about what’s going on in the country and in the world. There’s usually a connection to something we’re discussing in class, whether I’m teaching history or civics. Topical conversations pop up regularly as a result.

I also begin each semester by establishing norms for discussion and debate, and these often go a long way toward keeping the conversation civil and on-topic. When students make their own norms for discussion, they are not only invested in sticking to those norms, but they keep each other accountable to them.

Perhaps most importantly, I encourage students to be aware of the source of their information, particularly in regard to media bias and information reliability. We talk about how to determine trustworthy information sources and how to determine bias.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was a fairly conscientious student in high school. I cared about my grades, and I embraced the practicality of being a rule-follower. When I became a public school teacher I struggled to confront students who didn’t share those same values. It took some adjustment to understand the perspectives of students who intentionally deviated from school rules and norms and those who didn’t value academic success. I’m thankful for colleagues who helped me understand those perspectives and build rapport with those students.

In high school, I was very involved in the arts. Since I began teaching I’ve done everything I can to support those programs, from attending performances and donating to their funds to encouraging students to take that leap and express themselves through art, music, and dramatic performance.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

Before you speak, ask yourself: “Does it need to be said? Does it need to be said now? Does it need to be said by me?” Asking myself those three questions has, on more than one occasion, helped me avoid more trouble than I bargained for.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

It’s a toss-up between  “Teaching with Love and Logic”  by Jim Fay and David Funk and  “Help for Billy”  by Heather Forbes.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at  [email protected] .

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What's the history of 'outside agitators'? Here's what to know about the label and campus protests

Graham Lee Brewer

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

FILE - People gather to protest against the Israel-Hamas war at a plaza at the University of Texas at Dallas, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Richardson, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Historically, when students at American universities and colleges protest — from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter — there's a common refrain that “outside agitators” are to blame. College administrators and elected officials have often pointed to community members joining protests to dismiss the demands of student protesters.

Experts say it's a convenient way for officials to delegitimize the motivations of some political movements and justify calling in law enforcement to stop direct actions that are largely nonviolent and engaging in constitutionally protected speech.

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“This tactic shifts focus away from genuine grievances and portray radical movements as orchestrated by opportunistic outsiders," said Shanelle Matthews, a professor of anthropology and interdisciplinary studies at the City University of New York and a former communications director for the Movement for Black Lives.

Over the last few weeks, students on campuses across the country have built encampments, occupied buildings and led protests to call on colleges and universities to divest their endowments from companies profiting from the Israel-Hamas war . Several college and city leaders have pointed to the threat of outsiders when describing the protests — and some have responded by cancelling or shifting plans for commencement ceremonies.

Here's what to know about the phrase “outside agitators” used during historic student movements.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (1960s-1970s)

Protest movements are typically comprised of local community members and organizers from other parts of the state or country that work together toward a common goal. In the 1960s, state and local officials often focused on this hallmark of community organizing and suggested that civil rights protests were organized by people outside of a given community.

In 1960, a group of Black college students took out a full page ad in Atlanta newspapers called “An Appeal for Human Rights” that expressed solidarity with students everywhere protesting for civil rights. Segregationist politician and then-Georgia Gov. Ernest Vandiver suggested it was created by foreigners and called it a calculated attempt “to breed dissatisfaction, discontent, discord and evil."

“It did not sound like it was prepared in any Georgia school or college; nor in fact did it read like it was written even in this country,” he told the press .

The idea that outside agitators were involved in civil rights protests became so common that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the label in his letter from the Birmingham Jail in 1963.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” King wrote. “Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”

Former President Richard Nixon hoped to tie the 1970 shooting deaths of Kent State students by the National Guard to outside agitators, but the FBI was unable to provide such a link. The students had been protesting the Vietnam War.

During the Civil Rights Movement, the label was used as a weapon against community members who spoke up or provided support to protesters and organizers, said Dylan C. Penningroth, an author and historian who teaches law and history at the University of California, Berkeley.

“It delegitimizes internal dissent against the status quo. So anyone who speaks up against the status quo, whatever that is, is by definition an outsider,” he said.

It also ignores the fact that local civil rights organizers often take cues from other protest movements, Penningroth said, and building solidarity with others around the country is often an important part of enacting change.

BLACK LIVES MATTER (2013-present)

Nearly a half-century later, the 2014 killing of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked widespread protests against police brutality.

Again, outside agitators were frequently invoked and blamed for destruction, looting and the burning of buildings.

The same language was used to describe protests in the wake of the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, which resulted in over 10,000 arrests nationwide .

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz suggested that 80% of those who participated in the unrest that followed in Minneapolis were from out of state. But an Associated Press analysis found that 41 of the 52 people cited with protest-related arrests had Minnesota driver’s licenses.

PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS (2024)

The number of people arrested in connection with protests on college and university campuses against Israel’s war in Gaza has now topped 2,800. The Associated Press has tallied at least 70 incidents on at 54 schools since the protests began at Columbia on April 18.

Official have used outside agitator rhetoric in a handful of examples nationwide. After dozens of students were arrested in May 4 demonstrations at the University of Virginia, a top law enforcement official suggested outsiders had “bull horns to direct the protesters on how to flank our officers.”

“We’re receiving intelligence that outside agitators are starting to get involved in these campus protests,” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told Fox News on May 6.

In anti-war protests on campuses at Atlanta’s Emory University, Boston’s Northeastern University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, school officials and law enforcement have made inaccurate claims about the presence of non-students.

NYC PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS (2024)

On April 30, New York City police officers in riot gear entered Columbia University’s campus and cleared an encampment, arresting more than 100 people. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly cited the presence of “outside agitators” to justify the use of police force.

“There is a movement to radicalize young people and I’m not going to wait until it’s done and all of a sudden acknowledge the existence of it,” Adams said at a May 1 news conference.

Pressed for specifics, though, the mayor and police officials have had little to say. Adams has repeatedly said that he decided police intervention was necessary in Columbia’s demonstrations after learning that the husband of one “agitator” was “arrested for federal terrorism.”

But the woman referenced by the mayor wasn’t on Columbia’s campus that week, isn’t among the protesters who were arrested and has not been accused of any crime.

Nahla Al-Arian told The Associated Press she was visiting the city last month and briefly stopped by the campus to see the protest encampment. She also said Adams was mischaracterizing the facts about her husband, a former computer engineering professor who was charged two decades ago with giving illegal support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in the 1980s and 1990s.

Students involved in the Columbia protests have told The AP it is true that some people not affiliated with the university have been on campus and played an active role in the demonstrations, but they have vehemently denied that those allies were leading or “radicalizing” the students.

“While it's true that people with nefarious intentions crash protests, it's the exception rather than the rule,” Matthews said. “Given that, people should be wary of this narrative.”

AP writers R.J. Rico in Atlanta, Steve LeBlanc in Boston, David B. Caruso in New York and Jim Vertuno in Austin contributed.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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• president kathy johnson graces the cover of the spring 2024 issue

CAMPUS NEWS: MAY 14, 2024

Silver and blue 2024, president kathy johnson graces the cover of the spring 2024 issue of silver & blue.

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The spring 2024 issue of Silver & Blue magazine is now available.

The spring 2024 edition of Silver & Blue magazine is headed to your mailbox and is available around campus. The magazine offers alumni, students and friends of the University of New Orleans an exciting snapshot of the institution and its impactful work on campus and beyond.

Our cover story features University of New Orleans President Kathy Johnson, the eighth president and the first woman to helm UNO in its 66-year history. Read about her journey as a first-generation college student and why she has a passion for collaborative work. Here is a hint—she’s fond of the servant-leader model of guidance.  

This issue includes a feature on alumna Ellen Lee who knows first-hand the importance of second chances and has created a scholarship to help returning UNO students with the opportunity for academic success. Read about alumna Rebekah Lewis and her passion for primatology that has led her to work at the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary and meet UNO student Alvin Webre, one of the oldest fall 2023 graduates, who left retirement to pursue a college degree and “repurpose.”

Readers also can meet assistant women’s basketball coach Lonnika Thompson and learn more about her indomitable spirit as she battled back from a serious health condition.

Other highlights include stories about an archaeological dig at the oldest active cathedral in the United States, a concrete canoe race with engineering students, a conservation field school in central Africa, and faculty research that will help save Louisiana’s coastline and help train the workforce using virtual reality tools.

And, if you gasp in awe at the spectacular “First Look” photograph, it is the work of our video producer and drone pilot Esther Clowney.

A digital copy of Silver & Blue is available online here .

College Sports Executive Kiki Baker Barnes Tells UNO Graduates Be ‘ready to embrace the unexpected’

St. Claude Gallery Exhibits ‘Beyond Family’ by UNO Professor Ariya Martin

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