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!) Regardless of your sister, or the student's race, the history of oppression is still there and it is important to teach. A poem that is emotionally charged can help students talk about issues that their parents and even they experience. I would say that poem may open up a dialogue between the students and the teacher and may help both sides learn about things they didn't know before. I imagine it can be frustrating to feel like she may lose her legitimacy, but I think talking about the poem and its contents with her student is the best route to go. We often skirt around tough issues because we don't want to offend anyone, but really as teachers it is important to address it head on so that students understand that you know where they are coming from, and that you are not there to oppress anyone, but to help everyone, regardless of race.