Welcome to the #DragonFamily: Kenneth Driggers

Kenneth Driggers is MSUM’s new Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations in the School of Teaching and Learning.  

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Macon, Georgia, home of the Allman Brothers Band, but spent most of my time before coming to MSUM in Atlanta, Georgia.

 Q: What does a day in your life look like?
A: I usually wake up around 7 a.m. and have a quick breakfast and a couple cups of strong black tea. I am most productive in the morning, so I will usually do most of my research and writing before noon. In the afternoons I like to do some lesson planning and usually a HIIT workout before dinner, during which reality TV is usually the go to -, recently my choice show is Survivor.

Q: What made you want to go into education? 
A: I am not sure exactly. My family is full of teachers - my mom, my aunt, my grandmother, and my sister are all teachers. The explanation is that I had a few awesome teachers in middle and high school, and ever since then I have always wanted to pass that along and serve in that position for students.

 Q: What do you love most about the department you work in?
A: My colleagues are world class. They really make the School of Teaching and Learning feel like home and are always willing to answer my questions or offer advice. Second, I really appreciate that the STL values social foundations of education. That area has become exceedingly rare in modern education programs, and it is so important, so I am thankful that MSUM shares those values.

Q: What is a fun fact about you? 
A: I used to play in a touring rock and roll band. We have a couple of albums up on Spotify, in which I played guitar for the band.

Q: Where is your favorite place to eat in the FM area? 
A: Good question that requires multiple parts. For breakfast, I have to shout out Randy's Diner on University - the best hashbrowns. For dinner, it is hard to beat Prairie Kitchen's burger. It might be the best burger I have ever had.

 Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? 
A: I really want to go to Nepal and spend some time in Kathmandu before heading up to the mountains to do some hiking (but not Everest…). 

Q: What is your biggest motivator in life?
A: My whole goal, in both my teaching and my writing, is to find ways to allow people to be more human. Today's society is so inundated with manipulative advertisements (including social media), productivity expectations, etc., we sometimes start to see those things as proxies for living, I would like to find philosophical ways to counteract that.