Edward L. Hill, Jr., Ed.D Georgia College and State University

1. The Examination of the African-American Barbershop: It’s Educational Function as a Learning Community and its Implications for Creating Classroom Culture. Edward L. Hill, Jr., Ed.D Georgia College and State University

2. “Black men who have succeeded have an obligation to serve as role models for young men entrapped by a vicious cycle of poverty, despair, and hopelessness.” Benjamin Hooks

3. We can whenever and wherever we choose successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need in order to do this. Whether we do must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven't so far." -- Ron Edmonds, 1973

5. The Barbershop as a Culture. • The African American barbershop is as old as the history of the African in America. Its’ history reveals a fascinating social institution that has played a significant role in the lives men. • This institution is a foundational experience that develops and enhances the academic, cultural, and social practices of African American young men.

6. The Barbershop as Culture Continued.. For most of the 20th century within the residentially separated African American community, this fundamental social institution was a central location for meaningful association and dialogue and learning among men.

7. The Barbershop as a Culture Continued . Historically, the barbershop-this intriguing male dominated territory has served as a recreation center and a social setting for exchanging viewpoints, and debating about local and national events.

8. Why conduct the research? Examination of “conventional” classrooms against the backdrop of the culture reflected in African American institutions will likely reveal that schools are lacking in important aspects of African American culture (e.g., spirituality, harmony, verve, creativity, movement, affect, communalism, and oral tradition)—making schooling a remote and foreign experience for many African American children (Boykin, 1994; Hale, 2001).

9. Research Justification This research is designed to validate that there is a powerful and affirming socialization taking place in African American communities (the barbershop) that could be instructive to school leadership in the areas of curriculum and instruction.

10. Research Design: A Critical Ethnography • Observational and Anecdotal notes will be taken from barbershops. • Personal interviews, audio and digital recordings of interactions will be taken.

11. Research Question • What do we need to rethink and/or do differently to construct competent and benevolent educational experiences for Black male students? • If classroom environments were similar to that of a barbershop, black male students would achieve more academic success.

12. Overview of Research The African-American Barbershop: It’s Educational Function and the Implications of Creating Classroom Culture and Learning Communities.

13. Research Objectives • Research the idea of single-gender environments and learning styles. • How does the barbershop foster learning? • What leadership style is best suited for this learning community. • Implications

14. Research • What is the significance of the barbershop to African American male and their achievement both academically and socially? • How can a classroom teacher create the same type of environment the barbershop embodies?

15. Dimensions of African American Culture (Boykin, 2000, 1994; Hale, 2001; Hale-Benson, 1999; Hilliard, 1998; Shade et al., 1997) • Spirituality • Harmony • Movement • Verve • Affect • Communalism • Expressive Individualism • Oral Tradition • Social Time Perspective **These aspects should be central in the curriculum and instruction for African American students.

16. Structural Comparison of Barbershops and Schools

17. Barbershop’s environmental factors that may influence achievement • Implications • Existent vs. Non-Existent in Classroom • Superior to information in the classroom (e.g. survival tactics, communal affairs etc.) • An appendage to information in the classroom (e.g. benefits of getting education) • Contrary to information in the classroom (e.g. historical facts (esp. racial politics)) • Irrelevant to information in the classroom (e.g. gossip, idle talk,, etc.)

18. Barbershop’s Practices that may influence achievement. • Classroom Practices • Allow African American males to express opinions. • Relate material to real world experiences. • Open Forum. • Designate a small portion of class/school for discussion. • More one-on-one relationships. • More student input in the classroom. • Class rules, information.

19. Instructional Leadership When administrators and educators see and understand the beauty and wisdom that exists in students’ communities, they can then begin to translate this knowledge and values into classrooms as necessary and foundational building blocks for teaching and learning.

20. The Barbershop and its impact on Transformational Teaching and Leadership • Recent research on transformational leadership (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Marks& Printy, 2003; Silins, Mulford, & Zarins, 2002) has shown that how a principal leads influences their school improvement work and thus its rewards. Marks and Printy (2003) • Other research similarly shows that effective transformational and instructional leadership positively impacts staff motivation, commitment and empowerment (Dvir, Eden, Avolio, &Shamir, 2002), engagement (Silins et al., 2002), and perceived efficacy (Hoy & Woolfolk, 1993). • Such leadership practices also benefits the organization as a whole by fostering shared purposes and goals, school structure and networks and collaborative • organizational culture (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Silins et al., 2002), and program

21. The Barbershop and its impact on School Reform and Leadership • Many of us in the business of school and educational change have painfully come to realize –that the heavy burden of responsibility ultimately rest on the heads of the teachers. However noble, sophisticated, or enlightened improvement models might be, they come to nothing if teachers don’t adopt them in their own classroom and if they don’t translate them into effective classroom practice.

22. Comment, Concerns, SuggestionsContact InformationEdward L. Hill edward.hill@gcsu.edu(478) 445-2126