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!) Gina should not worry about her legitimacy as a white teacher. Since she was moved by the poem I think that shows that she is aware of her role in the dominant culture and how that impacts her interactions with her students. Furthermore, I do think that such poetry has educational value because not only does it present historical information in a way that may be more accessible to some students it also shows students that they can use different outlets to express themselves. I think Gina should take this as an opportunity to have an honest discussion with her students about the history of different cultural groups in the US.                 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: The solutions reinforces Gina's legitimacy as a teacher. The fact that she was so moved by the poem shows that she is aware of the cultural differences she faces with her students and would like to understand them; that is the first step of becoming a great teacher. Rated On: October 19, 2014 11:58 pm Rated By: Lauren Hill                 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 6:10 pm Rated By: NuXepy