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!) As a English teacher I am partial to poetry. In my opinion, poems have educational value. If the poems are allowing the students to express themselves it is acceptable for the students to do this. As far as Gina being a legitimate teacher, her being white has nothing to do with determining this situation. She should not even act like the situation of her being white bothers her. The students easily pick up on things such as this. I do not think that she has anything to worry about. If there is every something that happens then hopefully the administrators would back her up.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: Rated On: March 8, 2014 4:21 am Rated By: Ron Boyd                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I agree with what you said. Even if the poem did have anything to do with white or black people, she should act like she didn't even notice. I like how you stated that white or black doesn't matter because it really shouldn't at all. It will only be an issue if she makes it a big deal. I understand why she might feel uncomfortable, but she needs to brush it off and not show anyone that it upsets her or causes her stress even if it does. Rated On: October 18, 2015 4:05 am Rated By: yseHug