Thriving in Academe
Tales from Real Life

Listening to Students Sparks a New Program

An exercise in which I asked my students to make me "student for a day" profoundly affected my teaching philosophy. I, Dr. Clarence Romero, "teacher" and "master dispenser of knowledge," would listen for a change.

The students said, "Teachers tell; they don’t listen. They don’t know who we are or what we’re all about." What I heard and learned nearly drove me to tears, and I considered terminating my teaching career. They wanted to be active participants in an educational process that had real life applicability. At the same time they realized they lacked the academic tools to be successful and the social skills to be accepted. I made it clear to the students that they would have to become part of the planning and decision-making process.

With input from my students, I founded and implemented the Latino Educators of Tomorrow (LET), a teacher preparation program that encourages students to overcome mental and physical barriers, to set goals and accept responsibilities. LET reinforces the idea that students are the masters of their own destinies.

Today, instead of seeing myself as a master dispenser of knowledge, I believe in listening and facilitating scholarly achievement. I strive to make students active participants in an education experiential process that has real-life applicability. To date, over 100 of our LET students have gone on to graduate from the university, and many students go on to become teachers and mentors for new students.

—Clarence Romero
Riverside Community College

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