The Road to the Ivory Tower

     Prior to becoming a university professor, I spent 11 years working as a public school teacher. It was a time I enjoyed immensely and it provided me with a frame of reference for what it was like to be a part of an educational community. While I can't say that it was all fun and games, it was good work and I was proud to be a teacher. I do realize that there are many issues with public schools, but for the most part it was a rewarding career filled with like-minded professionals.

     Because of my joy of learning, I decided that it would be a good idea to continue my education and earned a master's degree and then a PhD in education. I must admit that my doctoral program was one of the most challenging yet stimulating periods of my life. No regrets there! In fact, just before I defended my dissertation one of my professors said that the road to earning a PhD was windy and contained many hoops, most of which were on fire. He wasn't kidding- so I donned my Kevlar suit and jumped through the final hoop in August of 2001. My first day of work as a professor was on September 11, 2001 and looking back on this I believe it foretold how life in the Ivory Tower would unfold. I do not make light of this date, because I sat in my new employee orientation meeting in Los Angeles as a television set played non-stop news reports of the terror attacks. Again, this is an experience for another post.

     Moving forward to life in the tower, I was quite naive when it came to academia. I was so... excited to be in a place of continuous learning and academic discourse that I couldn't wait to begin this new chapter in life. I expected to go to department meetings to discuss relevant educational issues, how to improve teaching pedagogy, and to look at how our work can help to develop effective teachers. Boy was I wrong there. Our meetings were filled with negativity and a level of self-centeredness that would shock even the most ardent of narcissists. For many years, I just sat back and took it all in- afraid to voice an opinion for fear of being smashed like a bug. (As one of my doctoral committee members used to say: "Hey, did you sing Kumbaya" today, soon-to-be-doctor-B?" Yes, they loved to call me "soon-to-be-doctor-B" and also mused at the fact that I had a very cheery, optimist outlook on life. Reflecting back on this, I believe they saw what the future would hold for me in academia.)