We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big
difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
--Marian Wright Edelman

It was a hot fall evening in September 2000. Caught in an early evening thunderstorm, rain dribbled down the collar of my new silk blouse. I was worried as I entered my first doctoral level class led by Dr. Jerry Aldridge. My hands fidgeted under the table as I feigned having some idea about Jerry’s lecture topic, the teleology of child development. As the three hours ground to a close, I realized I was in deep trouble. I felt I had been magically lifted into a foreign language hall to absorb a lecture delivered in Greek. For the first time in my school career, I knew my prior experiences had not prepared me for this level of work. I needed differentiated vocabulary instruction and fast!

As I reflected on Jerry’s brilliance, I realized he owned words, and for me that meant owning the intellectual world of a scholar. I wanted to be in this word club desperately! To gain admission into the academic world and word club, I started my first informal ethnographic study on the “language of professors” and I continually questioned my experiences. What is it that set these scholars apart from the rest of us, the ordinary thinkers?

I have come to believe after years of observing this phenomenon that the difference rests on words. Yes, words! Words learned through professional and personal experiences are at the heart of these linguistic differences among people. I desperately wanted this intellectual power for myself five years ago. Now I want it for the Cornerstone teachers and children I serve.

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