Seminar Discussions Inspire a Teacher to Reevaluate the Founding
Derek Collins discovered his deeper vocation after beginning his job at Latta Public School near Ada, Oklahoma. Originally, he鈥檇 chosen to teach social studies so that he could coach. After putting in about three years on the job, he realized the teaching meant more to him than the coaching did. More than by pushing them to compete athletically, he could help young people by pushing them to think.
One of the most important things they need to consider is what it means to be an American citizen. Teaching American history means teaching a complicated story, in which a people begin by declaring all human beings created equal, yet delay securing for all groups the rights they believe them entitled to. It鈥檚 easier to teach the Declaration as a dramatic 鈥渂reak-up letter鈥� Americans sent Britain than to take its words seriously. But one 鈥渃an get in a rut,鈥� teaching this story the same uninspiring way year in and year out.
Collins re-energized his sense of vocation after two TAH seminars caused him to think again about whether the founders really meant what they said about human equality.
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