Q&A Session with Lisa Doyle

Q: My grades are dropping because I have moved a lot and find it
   difficult to catch up.  My teachers are ok, but not good teachers.
   What would you recommend I do if you were in my position?

A: Ask folks to spend a little time with you:
   - your parents (they will be surprised how much they remember!)
   - older siblings
   - smart friends
   - Find a tutor or mentor or recommend such a system to your school. I was
   in a mentoring program for a few years through work where I met every
   2 weeks or so with my student (7th-10th grade). She usually wanted to
   do math, but sometimes we just talked. Like I said, I was surprised
   how much I remembered (and I learned a few things, too!). We are good
   friends now too. I hope I made a difference in her life.
   o NOT last and NOT least, force your teachers to spend more time with you;
   they should all have special office hours where they can be reached for
   questions. That's their job, and we all pay them to do it with our
   taxes. If they're not very good teachers (and I admire you for being
   aware of that if it's true), they should attempt to make up for it by
   spending more time with you to try to explain things.

   My experience is that a teacher can make or break you, *especially in
   math*! I distinctly remember how well I did in math classes when I had
   good teachers and bad ones, an it was DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL! Sometimes
   it can be difficult to approach a teacher for whatever reason, but you
   are bound to benefit somehow. At least you are practicing asking
   questions even if you don't get the answer you want. And, you will have to
   do a lot more of that in college because *you* are paying for it and you
   want to get your money's worth! Once I confronted one of my teachers in
   college and discovered that he had no idea that that was how the students
   viewed his bad teaching. He acknowledged it and sort of attempted to change,
   but it was too late in the class to recover what we should have been learning
   all along. Plus the classes go faster in college, so you want to be skilled
   in asking questions (mostly having the nerve to do it) or you could get 
   really lost.

   If a teacher doesn't know something, they should admit it honestly and
   point you toward someone who does. They should also consult with you
   as a new student to find out where you were in the curriculum when you
   left the other school. They should assess where you are in relation to
   their curriculum and help you make up the things you missed. If you
   missed something important, everything else could be built on that and
   you won't understand any of it.  Review your books: if you see
   something unfamiliar, ask your teacher if that was already covered in
   the class and ask to review it.


Q: How are you ridiculed in your profession for acting on your thoughts on
   feminism?

A: The only slight teasing I can recall was when I referred to a revised
   document list as "Son of Document List" and my boss joked that he was
   disappointed I didn't say "Daughter" or "Sibling of Document List."
   Yea, it's a bad joke, but a light one. No one has said anything else
   to my face. It's not a concern for me currently.


Q: Do you find that music eases the stress that comes with your job?

A: Absolutely! Some find it a distraction but I 'hear' music in my head
   all the time so it makes the day pass faster, better, etc. when I have
   something nice to listen to (plus it's noisy here with construction
   and wind tunnels running, so sometimes I just want to block the noise).


Q: Do you take political action on the way you are treated, and what you
   learn?

A: Currently my 'political action' takes the form of participating in the
   Advisory Committee for Women (the group with whom you are
   corresponding). All of the advisory groups at the center stem from the
   Equal Opportunity office. All minority groups are well represented. My
   involvement right now is to the extent of making Ames Research Center
   a better place to work through understanding diversity. The concept of
   diversity is based on appreciating people for their differences and
   making the most of them rather than forcing people into pre-fab molds
   (i.e., think of the workforce as more of a salad bowl than a melting
   pot.)


Q: Although you never felt pressured to NOT go into math/science, did you
   ever really feel encouraged or given extra support, especially by
   teachers, to enter the field?

A: No. My recollection is that most teachers just wanted to finish the
   curriculum that was assigned to them. (The curricula are developed by
   the school board I believe.) I have mixed feelings about what a teacher
   should or shouldn't encourage because it might not be right for that
   student and they could feel pressured to do something they aren't
   comfortable with.

   But I *do* feel that they should relate the things they are teaching 
   you to REAL-LIFE applications.  Why do you have to learn some bizarre 
   math function when you have no idea what to use it for? I remember 
   being extremely frustrated by that. Most of the high school curricula 
   are to establish the basics for moving on to college (esp. math) versus 
   practical things that *everyone* will need to know like balancing a 
   checkbook or paying taxes. It wasn't until my 3rd or 4th college math 
   course when I started to see real applications for the math I was learning 
   and it was really enlightening!  All those years of learning math for 
   apparently no reason finally came together and made sense! Teachers really 
   need to emphasize on the WHY a lot more and less on grades.


Q:  What are your problems dealing with the misogyny and sexism?

A: misogyny (eek, where did that word come from?)? I don't cater to the
   concept.
   sexism?  Knowing how to respond to it and when is the most difficult.
   The fairest thing to do is say something tactful to the offender. You
   could clear up a misunderstanding immediately. If the offense
   continues, you can approach the person's supervisor because it could
   be identified as sexual harassment. Following that is a general
   process of dealing with the offense that primarily means talking it
   out with all involved.