STAFF & FACULTY DIRECTORY PROFILE
Matthew Lane
Job Title:
Social Studies Teacher
Department:
Social Studies
Email:
Phone: (510) 577-9100
ext.
272
Started at O'Dowd:
2014
Degrees:
*Bachelors Degree in Sociology/African-American studies from the University of Southern California (USC)<br /><br />*Masters in Education from Pepperdine University
Originally from:
Portland, Oregon
Why I Teach:
To empower young people to combine education and social justice to become agents of change in our ever dynamic 21st century society.
Most powerful teaching technique:
Building positive relationships and utilizing culturally responsive pedagogy within the classroom to nurture a safe, rigorous and diverse learning experience.
Why are the subjects you teach important?:
The ability to make direct and indirect connections to the past allows us to not only understand how we arrived to where we are today, but additionally can help us conduct our steps in the future. Furthermore, understanding the diverse cultural, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic and religious perspectives and experiences from history's past and present can help each of us to understand that we all play a unique role in the world; that anyone can make a difference.
Favorite quotes:
*"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast..? [Ephesians 2:8-9]
Favorite trivia:
USC has the most: <br /><br />1) Olympic medal winners ever 2) 1st round NFL draft picks 3) Total NFL Draft picks 4) Heisman Trophy winners 5) Players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame<br /><br />#FightOn
Recommended visual media:
*Menace II Society *Good Will Hunting *The Goonies *Freedom Writers *OJ: Made in America (doc) *Uprising: Hip-Hop and the LA Riots (doc)
Recommended reads:
*People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn *Native Son by Richard Wright *The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel *The Autobiography of Malcolm X *David and Goliath/Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Hobbies or outside interests:
*Raising three boys (including a set of twins) *Coaching/Training Basketball *Hip-Hop music