One day while Michelangelo was in his studio staring at a piece of stone, he told his friend, “I can see an angel imprisoned in the marble and I must set it free.” He took hammer and chisel in hand until he released the angel. When we look at our students, do we see blockheads…
The activities this weekend at OTC showed some of the many ways that we are the community’s college. Our spring picnics provide a fun way for our campuses to reconnect and for our students, faculty, staff, retirees, and local community to come together to celebrate. At Friday’s picnic, we also got to re-experience one of…
I want to thank everyone for all the congratulatory messages and well-wishes last week upon the announcement of my appointment as Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs beginning in July. It has been a privilege to serve as Dean and it will be an honor to serve in my new role. Dr. Shirley Lawler has…
This past Saturday evening I enjoyed an evening with several others from OTC at the NAACP Freedom Fund Celebration. One part of the program that tugged on my heart was an award given that night to Betty Boyd. Betty’s history is also related to our history at OTC. Her husband, Homer, is a graduate of…
This weekend I took advantage of our beautiful weather to work in the yard. My kids got me a new weed-eater for Christmas and I had the chance to use it for the first time. My education in Weed-Eating 101 made me sympathize with some of our students. I tried plowing through some heavy weeds…
It is Monday morning and Ms. Porter, the prim, always unruffled, college algebra instructor, did not show up to teach her 7:00 AM class. In the 15 years that she has taught at OTC, she has never once missed a class. The students told the department secretary that they had waited for 15 minutes and…
On my way home last week from the ‘Achieving the Dream’ conference, I met a young man from Senegal named Malick. He was working at a newsstand at the Dallas Airport while he goes to a community college to learn English and to get his degree in hospitality management. His parents moved to America 25…
And the winner for best instructional film clip is . . . I did not hear that category last night during the Academy Awards but, with every other category imaginable, it is possible I just missed it. We do love the movies. If pictures are worth a thousand words, then movies might even have an…
Do you have your students talking to themselves? I don’t mean that your students so are exasperated that they are hearing voices, but are they asking themselves questions that make them more effective learners. Trisha White, a Math Instructor, believes that students who struggle in math haven’t learned to ask themselves the right questions. Trisha…