What follows below is an introduction
to Andy Ranachan, and our recent conversation with him about
his teaching experience at Linden.
An educator and labour
union activist, Andy Ranachan says he hated high school except
for the subject of history. He funded his university education
by working in a factory as a millright -- an experience which
inspired him to organize labour, union and bargaining units
at York University. Since 1974, Andy’s keen interest
in politics and social policy have led him to part-time teaching
of humanities, social science, political economy, political
science and history at York University, Ryerson University
and the University of Toronto. He has served on numerous community
boards, worked as a social policy consultant, and recently
spearheaded the Regent Park/ University of Toronto Learning
Exchange programme for local residents.
This is Andy’s
second year teaching Linden’s high school students history,
literary theory, civics, introduction to anthropology, and
psychology and sociology.
Linden: People say The Linden School is
one of Toronto’s best-kept secrets. How did you discover
us?
Andy: I stumbled upon the job opening
at Linden by chance. However, I had heard about Linden through
a Linden family. I found the job advertisement intriguing
and despite the fact that the requirement of women’s
studies could not be met, I knew I would be the right fit
as I shared the same philosophy that informs women’s
studies. I teach history from the bottom up, utilizing the
trinity of race, gender and class. I had the option of further
university teaching but chose Linden instead. One of the main
reasons for this decision was that at university I would be
teaching more of the same things. I knew that at Linden I
would be required to re-think and re-tool the subject matter.
Linden: How has your vast background in
education informed your pedagogy at Linden?
Andy: I have always believed in the
capacity of education to really improve and empower people
in terms of their understanding of and relationship with the
outside world. I think education is critical to turning out
good citizens. My own interrupted educational background and
my subsequent teaching at university and involvement in community
education have confirmed this. At Linden, you actually get
to engage with students and transmit the value of education
at the first floor before they leave for university, and before
they become too jaded and too cynical.
Linden: Does Linden’s girl-centred
education make a difference in how you teach?
Andy: I have always taught history
from the bottom up. Coming to Linden meant that I was able
to be consistent with my values and teaching style. In my
classes we don’t just look at history from the top, but
we also look at how history impacted those who were excluded
from decision-making and participation. It’s somewhat
ironic that Linden students expect you to show how events
have impacted women and the under-privileged, but, at university,
students aren’t interested in social and cultural history.
They just want a straightforward delivery of political and
economic history with a minimum amount of critical thinking
and analysis. Linden allows me to teach the way I want to
and to go beyond.
Linden: How are Linden students different
from other students at York, Ryerson and U of T?
Andy: They are much more open and
flexible. They don’t come with as many pre-conceptions
about a topic. They don’t come with a view of how and
why things happened. They are not looking for the same kind
of certainty and surety I’ve seen in many students. There
is a greater sense of wonderment amongst Linden girls and
they are much more open to new hypotheses and new ways of
analyzing things. My university first year students were less
willing to push themselves further, here it’s the opposite.
Linden: What is the most challenging aspect
of teaching girls at Linden?
The challenge in teaching in Linden’s
high school is that you really have to consciously plan to
engage students on a class-by-class basis. You have to allow
for participation and build this into your lesson plan. Students
expect you to do this. Our students have high standards of
us, and as a result we have high standards for them. Linden
students don’t want a talking head at the front of the
classroom. They don’t want a teacher who just sees them
as a vessel that can be filled up. They expect two-way interaction.
The great thing about being at The Linden
School is that you also get to meet your students’ parents.
It’s very interesting and useful, and you get great feedback
from parents. You don’t get this opportunity at the university
level.
Linden: What is your perspective on single-sex
education?
Andy: I experienced co-ed education
growing up, yet I have intuitively always known about the
benefits of single-sex education. I have coached girls in
the North Toronto soccer league and at Jarvis Collegiate for
the last 20 years. I learned that one has to coach girls differently
from boys in terms of tactics, in terms of performance and
in terms of competitiveness. A good soccer team is only as
good as its weakest player. Therefore, the focus is on teamwork.
Girls grasp this concept much better than boys, who are more
concerned with individual performance as opposed to team performance.
Girls apologize when they foul the other player, and boys
don’t.
From a pure soccer point of view, I prefer
coaching girls, as they understand teamwork. Girls also respond
much better to group work in class than boys. They relish
it, in fact. When I worked with trade unions, men would try
their best to avoid group discussions as they don’t like
to express themselves. I had to ensure that I invited women
to these groups or there would be no conversation and no end
product. Girls understand that everyone has to be heard, and
they have less desire to be the top gun. However, I don’t
think the two are necessarily mutually exclusive. Anyone who
is a leader in business and education has to be able to work
with groups. Therefore, being a good team player is an indispensable
leadership skill. The vision of a lone male wolf running a
corporation all by himself is a myth!
Linden: What is it like to work with Linden’s
faculty?
Andy: The scale of Linden means that
we share a small space and the same students. This means that
you are able to get more feedback about your own teaching
and you also learn about how your students are doing in other
classes. This helps you in your own teaching. In terms of
collegiality, this place is quite remarkable. Students come
first and faculty share information and resources without
any hesitation.
Linden: What is keeping your students busy
these days?
Andy: We are studying the Declaration
of Independence and the American Constitution while the U.S.
elections are in progress. Students are involved in a project
which monitors Canadian coverage of the election and looks
at what key constants in American history keep recurring.
For example, we see a recurring theme of pride in democracy,
individualism, freedom and equality. Students observing the
election coverage are able to study how these concepts impact
voting and why U.S. presidents have to be aware of these key
core historical values.
Linden: What about the Canadian home front?
Andy: We are excited about The Greatest
Canadian show on CBC. Students have received kits from CBC
and we are compiling two lists: who students think should
be amongst the top ten Canadians, and who they think the rest
of Canada will chose as the top ten Canadians. We will be
assessing this process as we go along.
Apart from academics, I also oversee the
social justice club and coach soccer. I not only coach students
that take my classes but also other grades. Academics and
co-curricular activities at Linden are a seamless web which
allow me to contribute to the idea of Linden being a livable,
active community. I also find that one of the great benefits
of teaching at Linden are the Grade one, twos and threes.
During my first two weeks at Linden, I dreaded knocking them
over. Soon, I was touched by how many knew my name and enthusiastically
greeted me each morning. You are an integral part of the school
no matter what level you teach.
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