Ma Richard L. Wilson Jr.

The 4th Marking Period: a Memoir of an African American Male Guidance Counselor Ma Richard L. Wilson Jr.

The 4th Marking Period: A Memoir of an African American Male Guidance Counselor is a day to day account of a Guidance Counselor who is overwhelmed by a task that he feels he is called to do. This text, however, alludes to several deeper themes that plague American education. Researchers have pointed out that our education systems should recognize the need for collaboration among professionals in our educational communities. Mr. Wilson's feeling alone in his efforts, in part, suggests the same need. Staff should feel free to express concerns without feeling intimidated or scorned. Staff should be given a safe place to confess biases without being labeled. This brand of honest transparency will break down barriers that appear in this case, to prevent collaborated success for the students. Another underlying issue revealed in this text is the frustration most education professionals feel when they are unable to tap into the causes for the symptoms of underachievement among students. These memoirs open the door for genuine self-examination of why one goes into education, what continued professional development should be employed, and a genuine evaluation of systemic problem solving. This honest account of one's feelings should be a beginning to open dialogue that would result in genuine help for the students and professional development for those involved. This open and honest assessment of the situation and portrayal of ones feelings lends itself to the next phase, earnest pursuit of solutions and deliberate application for the advancement of the students that this concerned African American Male GuidanceCounselor has portrayed. - Written by Mrs. Glyndora King, MA Retired School Teacher