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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!) Being presented with the opportunity to read this poem as a student teacher can be the light that shines on the rest of your career or the light that goes out for the rest of your career. I think the tone it is read and the understanding behind the poem should all be of utmost importance. Giving a little background of the poem before reading it will ease all of those fears. It will also let the students know that she is not reading it for wrong reasons but for a meaningful and educational lesson. I think it will open up more discussion after the assembly and if not it is her opportunity to open up the discussion. This could be the light that shines on her career. |
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