“No one speaks from nowhere, and no one speaks from everywhere.” This line has been repeated many times over the course of my FNED 346 class and I can completely understand why. A person’s personal history and experiences is going to shape the type of teacher they become, no doubt about it. Just as a volunteer I had a particular stance before walking into the doors of my assigned elementary school. I grew up in a good neighborhood, with a Mom who worked on academics with me every night. I was able to read a book when I was in kindergarten and have always been ahead of the class in mathematics. I went to an all-white Catholic school and really didn’t know much about diversity. This could definitely be a challenge to me as a teacher, but I refuse to look at it as that way. Instead of sticking to one narrow minded point of view I will always have the chance to learn from others, whether they are my peers or my students. To be constantly learning is a very important thing to do, and I find myself lucky for it.
We had a discussion during my FNED 346 class about teaching styles and how they can sometimes be blurred. A white teacher may have a very unique style that a black student does not understand. An example of this would be if students started packing up before the bell rang. A teacher might say “This class doesn’t end until 10:20” and continue on with what they were previously saying. Majority of the students would get the hint and stop packing up. If a student did not understand that the teacher was REALLY saying “Do not put your things away yet” and they continued to do so they would be looked upon as disobedient. A difference in learning styles is never a good reason for a student to fall behind.
An example of this that Delpit gives in her article is a teacher that is indirect, soft spoken, and unassuming. A student might find her to be weak, ineffectual, and incapable of taking on the role of being the teacher. There are many different teaching styles and many different learning styles, and they will not always be compatible. Being a good teacher is making sure you are getting through to all of your students, not making assumptions’ about them and writing them off.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi, Tanna! I think my biggest realization of the semester came during the Lisa Delpit unit. I still have trouble sometimes understanding the undercurrents of what some people (especially teachers) mean and have to ask for clarification. When we took that little true and false quiz, I failed miserably! I misread people’s “authoritative” speech all the time. I think it’s more that I don’t understand than I think the teacher is “weak” or “ineffectual”…it’s more like it goes right over my head. Plus anyone who thinks you are weak or ineffective obviously hasn’t talked to you for more than a minute. I think the most important thing Delpit says is that we need to recognize our own positions and understand that everyone may not relate or be able to understand. That way we don’t assume our students do and are able to recognize when they don’t. It reminds me of Goldenberg-In the Bad or Good of Girlhood- where there was the story of the young girl who wouldn’t take off her jacket and the teacher thought it was a body image thing. The teacher was the same race as the student, but still came from a different perspective. Keeping our minds open will help us see these communication snags earlier and be able to provide a smoother communication in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanna,
ReplyDeleteI love your comment about the danger of assumptions. That is a key to being a culturally competent teacher. Your connection to Delpit is relevant. Establishing authority in a culturally effective way is crucial to establishing a democratic learning environment.
Welcome to the good fight,
Dr. August