 |
Home
| How It Works
| Stats
Login | Register |
|
Case: White Intern in a Black inner-city school My sister, Gina, who is a young White girl, started her student teaching in a predominantly Black school in inner-city America. She initially approached her job with optimism and purpose. However, she began to experience her first doubts with the presentation of an emotionally charged poetry reading at an all-school assembly. The poem painted a picture of the oppression of the African Americans by the European American majority. My sister was moved by the poem and accepted the historical truth of its message. At the same, she said she wondered what educational effects of the poem were and whether it would affect her legitimacy as a White teacher in a Black school. She talked to me about her experience. I am an experienced teacher, but I could not answer whether poems like that have any educational value, and whether or not my sister should worry about her legitimacy as a White teacher. I don't what she should do in this specific situation. Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I believe that all poetry can have educational value in schools if it is used to express feelings, start discussions, or is analyzed for its literary value. I do not think that a teacher's legitimacy can be threatened by a poem, novel, or artwork that depicts a historical event; however, the teacher's reaction to sensitive topics can affect his or her legitimacy. I do not think that Gina's legitimacy has anything to do with her race or the race of her students. Like all teachers, she will have to convince her students of her legitimacy by showing them that she respects all of her students regardless of their race or background, values individuality, and is knowledgeable and sensitive to the needs of students of all races. If Gina can relate to her students, she will earn their respect. |
||
Rating
|
||||||||||||||||||