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!) I teach science so to find value in any poem is more difficult but I do know that many pieces of literature are used to teach historical events and cultures around the world. I think that she should identify this poem as a piece of culture for the student body of that school and, most importantly, use it to learn about her students. She may feel out of place at this school because she is the minority. However, she is still in a situation to encourage and make a difference to the students of her school. All students need to feel supported and understood by their teachers. It may take longer for students to trust her if they are use to having negative experiences with white people but it is not impossible. As far as her legitimacy, she is still the capable teacher she has always been. She needs to realize that it might be a struggle but that just increases the reward. Oppression can only be eradicated when all people are treated the same by all. Each individual can take the opportunity to follow the Golden Rule and oppression would not exist. One person can start this movement, and maybe she is that person for this school.