Human Teacher, Human Classroom
As a white male entering the teaching profession, I have often wondered how I will reach my
students who are of different social statuses than myself. Will I be able to connect with my students in a positive and meaningful way that will foster intellectual growth and meaningful learning? It is my hope that through culturally-relevant pedagogy, I can do so. I envision teaching texts such as Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John, or Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner in conjunction with other texts that have been produced from white authors, like Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.
Yet I grapple with how I can do this with strict curricula and Common Core. These are traditionally molded to contain largely white narratives, and as someone who wants to teach in an urban school setting, I do not believe that these dominant narrative texts will resonate well with the student body, and why should they? How can underprivileged and underserved students appreciate literature that excludes their cultural narrative? I feel that the "achievement gap" or "educational debt" that plagues the marginalized is not only a consideration of how socioeconomic, sociopathological, and genetics play a role in student achievement, as Winn and Johnson outline; it also relates to the very things they are being taught in the classroom. Thus, it seems necessary to allow "students' whole selves to be a part of the school practices and curriculum" (Winn & Johnson, 13).
This "voice and choice" approach will thus become a cornerstone of how I structure my classes. I want to know what students' interests are and what kind of texts they are interested in. Students learn best through having interest in the material, so I would wish to utilize that to enhance the learning experience. When students are united in interest and goals, their collective learning thus improves. The power of unity under a common goal in youth is powerful, and this is clearly shown in Hagopian's "Students Kneel to Level the Playing Field." Students, motivated by Kaepernick's bold social justice advocacy, have reacted in similar ways. They kneel, protest, and advocate for social justice for the marginalized because they realize the value of inclusion. While Kaepernick may have started this advocacy, I find it beautiful that the young are realizing the value of social justice because they are the heirs to the society that the patriarchy will leave behind. Through inclusive education and awareness today, they can create a future where all might be equal, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or social class.
Thus, if I subscribe to some of the behaviors that white teachers commit in Lathan's "Dear White Teacher," I will consider myself a failure as a teacher. I will not offload students onto others of their same racial demographic because it is easier for me. I will not withhold reaching out to parents because of who they and their children are. I will not let students fail because I did not give them the proper support. Instead, I will work harder to create the best educational experience for those students because not only is it going to be my job, it is my passion. It is my hope that my classroom will be more than a classroom--a place where students have to go for a brief period of the school day--I want it to be a safe space; a milieu of humanism and compassion where all students feel comfortable to be who they are. I will shield them from the "furnace of failure" that the school may be because I believe every student can be reached and taught. It may be challenging, and I may fail at times, but in the words of JFK (which ring true irrespective of his privilege), "we do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard." Through teaching texts that communicate a universal human experience, I hope to instill a sense of humanity and compassion in my students. Through reading a variety of multicultural texts, from understanding Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart as a tragic hero, sympathizing with Annie John's teenage rebelliousness, to crying at the end of The Kite Runner and Of Mice and Men, I hope to promote the universality of the human condition.
students who are of different social statuses than myself. Will I be able to connect with my students in a positive and meaningful way that will foster intellectual growth and meaningful learning? It is my hope that through culturally-relevant pedagogy, I can do so. I envision teaching texts such as Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John, or Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner in conjunction with other texts that have been produced from white authors, like Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.
Yet I grapple with how I can do this with strict curricula and Common Core. These are traditionally molded to contain largely white narratives, and as someone who wants to teach in an urban school setting, I do not believe that these dominant narrative texts will resonate well with the student body, and why should they? How can underprivileged and underserved students appreciate literature that excludes their cultural narrative? I feel that the "achievement gap" or "educational debt" that plagues the marginalized is not only a consideration of how socioeconomic, sociopathological, and genetics play a role in student achievement, as Winn and Johnson outline; it also relates to the very things they are being taught in the classroom. Thus, it seems necessary to allow "students' whole selves to be a part of the school practices and curriculum" (Winn & Johnson, 13).
This "voice and choice" approach will thus become a cornerstone of how I structure my classes. I want to know what students' interests are and what kind of texts they are interested in. Students learn best through having interest in the material, so I would wish to utilize that to enhance the learning experience. When students are united in interest and goals, their collective learning thus improves. The power of unity under a common goal in youth is powerful, and this is clearly shown in Hagopian's "Students Kneel to Level the Playing Field." Students, motivated by Kaepernick's bold social justice advocacy, have reacted in similar ways. They kneel, protest, and advocate for social justice for the marginalized because they realize the value of inclusion. While Kaepernick may have started this advocacy, I find it beautiful that the young are realizing the value of social justice because they are the heirs to the society that the patriarchy will leave behind. Through inclusive education and awareness today, they can create a future where all might be equal, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or social class.
Thus, if I subscribe to some of the behaviors that white teachers commit in Lathan's "Dear White Teacher," I will consider myself a failure as a teacher. I will not offload students onto others of their same racial demographic because it is easier for me. I will not withhold reaching out to parents because of who they and their children are. I will not let students fail because I did not give them the proper support. Instead, I will work harder to create the best educational experience for those students because not only is it going to be my job, it is my passion. It is my hope that my classroom will be more than a classroom--a place where students have to go for a brief period of the school day--I want it to be a safe space; a milieu of humanism and compassion where all students feel comfortable to be who they are. I will shield them from the "furnace of failure" that the school may be because I believe every student can be reached and taught. It may be challenging, and I may fail at times, but in the words of JFK (which ring true irrespective of his privilege), "we do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard." Through teaching texts that communicate a universal human experience, I hope to instill a sense of humanity and compassion in my students. Through reading a variety of multicultural texts, from understanding Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart as a tragic hero, sympathizing with Annie John's teenage rebelliousness, to crying at the end of The Kite Runner and Of Mice and Men, I hope to promote the universality of the human condition.
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ReplyDeleteYour worry on how you will be able to meet the needs of your students that are of different social status from you is something that every teacher worry about everyday they stand in front of the classroom. I love your idea of wanting to involve the students in the teaching process, and I believe is a better way to make the students feel among, which will bring about a conducive environment of learning.
ReplyDeleteI also hope that, as a white teacher, I will be able to reach my students and connect with them. Like you, I will definitely include culturally relevant texts. I will not avoid confrontation with students or parents just because they're of a different race and I certainly won't hand off my students to other teachers. As teachers we have to take control of the classroom and be there for our students no matter what.
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