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!) While I can appreciate that sometimes it would be nice to have more diversity represented by faculty at any given school I don't really understand how being white calls into question your legitimacy as a teacher. I went to a mostly white middle class high school in Columbus, Georgia. While this is very different from the schools I have served at as a teacher, I did have black teachers there. I did what they asked and didn't see them as less of a teacher just because we were different. They didn't seem to think it was an issue so neither did I. I also can't see how a poem would remove your legitimacy as a teacher. The history of African Americans in this country has been pretty bad. I think most Americans know that. It isn't a great reveal like the Wizard of Oz coming out from behind the curtain. It is a brutal American truth that we as a people should stop and consider occasionally so that we understand why our nation is as it is today. This recognition alone has educational value. If we can honor differences among or students with our educational practices then our students will be able to honor and respect us in return regardless of race.                 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, you pointed out some great points to the situation, and Gina shouldn't question herself as a teacher because of the color of her skin. Rated On: October 16, 2014 7:09 pm Rated By: Angela Avery                 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: Very informative. Nice Job! Rated On: October 17, 2014 5:59 pm Rated By: TuBuJy                 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: Good Rated On: October 3, 2017 6:08 pm Rated By: NuXepy                 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: A very thoughtful solution. Rated On: October 12, 2018 12:50 am Rated By: WyVeTu