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 can relate to your sister. In 12 years of teaching, I've only ever taught in mostly African American schools. In my classroom, I've only taught about a dozen white children in my entire career. I think that as a white teacher, I can bring something to the table to help bridge the gap between whites and blacks. She has to make sure though that she make an effort to understand the children she is teaching as well as understand her own differences as well. It is through understanding differences that she can truly connect with her students by gaining trust and understanding. She should also encourage open dialog including speaking about her feelings about the poem.