Week 1: Education Excellence

Cannon Community

This week’s Cannon interviewee is Mr. Mogusu; he is the sixth grade math teacher for the middle school. We discussed his experience as a black educator at Cannon as well as his cultural heritage as a Kenyan in the United States.

Mr. Mogusu
  1. Tell us about yourself and how you came to Cannon?
    • Born in Kenya
    • Moved to the U.S. when he was 17
    • Graduated from King's University in Tennessee
    • Grew up in a single parent household with his mother
    • He is married with 3 children
  2. Can you tell us where you’re from and your family heritage?
    • The national language in Kenya is English
    • He is trilingual and speaks English, Swalhili, and his tribal language
    • Kenya is modern and the main city is Nairobi, a tourist attraction
    • Only some rural areas have wildlife
  3. As a Kenyan man can you share your experiences about the U.S. and if you faced any adversities?
    • Culture shock!
    • He had never seen snow until he came to the U.S.
    • Sports helped him adapt to American culture
    • In 1995, he saw the Ku Klux Klan in full garb in Tennessee
    • Completely shocked he thought the Ku Klux Klan was something that only happened in books
    • Senior year of college he got a job but the company retracted the offer because he had an accent
  4. How have those experiences impacted you as a person?
    • He is a relational person
    • Realizes in any culture there will be some discrimination
    • He gets to know people and gives them the opportunity to get to know him
    • He wants to know his student’s as themselves

Click the image for the audio of Mr. Mogusu's interview!

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Education Spotlight

This week’s educator spotlight is Aimy Steele; she was a Spanish teacher and principal in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus county. We spoke to her about the hardships she faced as a black woman in education. Along with the challenges her students faced as people of color.

Aimy Steele
  1. Can you tell us about yourself and your career path in education?
    • Former Spanish teacher, assistant principal, and school principal
    • Graduated from UNC Chapel Hill as a teaching fellow
  2. As a black woman in education, what are some of the hardships you’ve faced in the workspace?
    • It is up to her to decide how she wants to engage with people
    • She feels as though people are making assumptions about her andkeeping information from her
    • “Maintain confidence and control over your own life”
  3. What challenges have you seen the students of color face at your school?
    • Students get mentally torn down because of their race
    • Small issues can lead to permanent educational damage
    • Pressure from their culture to be academically perfect leads to extreme stress
    • In addition to teenage worries, students of color have to factor in their race too
  4. Where do you think the most strides in racial equality have been made in schools?
    • Policy changes and regulations
    • People of power are able to acknowledge problems and make sensible solutions
    • Recognize that all people are NOT equal because everybody starts at a different level of privilege

Click the image for the audio of Aimy Steele's interview!

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did you think when Aimy Steele talked about the hardships that the students of color faced in school?
  2. What did you think about Mr. Mogusu’s experiences in the United States?
  3. Did you find it interesting how the educators found ways to overcome their adversities?