This oral history interview is an intimate conversation between two people, both of whom have generously agreed to share this recording with Oral History Summer School, and with you. Please listen in the spirit with which this was shared.

This interview is hereby made available for research purposes only. For additional uses (radio and other media, music, internet), please inquire about permissions.

All rights are reserved by Oral History Summer School.

Researchers will understand that:

  • Oral History Summer School abides by the General Principles & Best Practices for Oral History as agreed upon by the Oral History Association (2018) and expects that use of this material will be done with respect for these professional ethics.
  • Unless verbal patterns are germane to your scholarly work, when quoting from this material researchers are encouraged to correct the grammar and make other modifications maintaining the flavor of the narrator’s speech while editing the material for the standards of print.
  • All citations must be attributed to Oral History Summer School:
    Narrator’s Name, Oral history interview, YYYY, Oral History Summer School
I have read and agree to the terms listed above.
Library

James Decker

Location:

Remote

Recorded by

Nicolette Lodico

Listen to full interview
Full interview, track 1
Full interview, track 1
Full interview, track 2
Full interview, track 3
Clips from this interview:
No items found.
Summary:

This interview was conducted on September 2, 2020 with James Decker via Zoom conference from his home outside of Portland, Oregon. James has been teaching for 20+ years within the Salem Keizer Public School system. His path to teaching began with his experience as a camp counselor for children of special needs. Until last school year, he was teaching seventh grade social studies. Just days before the interview, he accepted a new position teaching social studies to sixth graders in a newly formed online academy within the same school district. James describes himself as a project-based educator, and is very excited about the opportunities remote education presents for both educators and students (e.g., increased one-on-one interaction between him and his students; work/life balance that comes with flexibility in schedules.) His experience with school administration, in terms of communication and flexibility in approach, have been mostly positive.

Themes:
The beginning of lockdown
,
Remote technology
,
Leadership
,
Problem solving
,
Isolation
,
Teachers
,
Mental health
,
Virtual field trips
,
Student apathy
,
Teacher burnout
,
Boundaries
,
Work/life balance
,
Prince Ea (Richard Williams)
,
Interviewer Bio:

Nicolette Lodico is an archivist and knowledge manager who specializes in helping people and organizations—particularly those whose work supports the public good—establish sustainable practices for managing both what they create and what they know so they can make informed decisions, be transparent, and minimize risk. She helps organizations tell the story about their work, to reflect on and learn from past work and share that knowledge with those who will benefit, and to provide opportunities for future researchers and historians to examine and evaluate this work. Currently, she is the director of global information and knowledge management at the Ford Foundation where she is overseeing a comprehensive, multiyear oral history project to gather the reflections of key former staff. She also is the former president and emeritus board member of the Technology Association of Grantmakers, a non-profit organization that cultivates the strategic and equitable use of technology to advance philanthropy. She earned her M.L.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Additional Info:
Interview language(s):
English
Audio quality:
Medium

Audio Quality Scale

Low - There is some background noise and the narrator is hard to hear.

Medium - There is background noise, but the narrator is audible.

High - There is little background noise and the narrator is audible.

This interview is hereby made available for research purposes only. For additional uses (radio and other media, music, internet), please click here to inquire about permissions.

Part of this interview may be played in a radio broadcast or podcast.

© 2023 Oral History Summer School. All rights reserved.