“I further believe that to act as if power does not exist is to ensure that the status quo remains the same. To imply to children or adults (but of course the adults won’t believe you anyway) that it doesn’t matter how you talk or how you write is to ensure their failure. I prefer to be honest with my students. I tell them that their language and cultural style is unique and wonderful but that there is a political power game that is also being played, and if they want to be in on that game there are certain games that they too must play,” page 40.
When I read this quote I am immediately flooded with a lot of memories, thoughts and questions. I grew up going to a school that served predominately lower-income families. My fifth grade teacher, the first black and male teacher I had ever had, repeatedly drilled the class on the proper way to speak to adults. “You should never say ‘naw’ or ‘yeeah’,” he would say, “you need to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Although I cannot say definitely what his intentions were with these conversations, these memories immediately popped into my mind when reading this book. There are certain expectations implicit in operating in the power structure of our society. I am not sure all of the facets involved, but I am beginning to realize that my awareness of these operations comes directly from the privilege of my predominate culture.
In writing this book, I have the sense that Delpit is speaking to several audiences, black and white, progressive and traditionalist. Her argument attempts to challenge all sides of the debate to respond critically, with the burden most specifically upon the white, liberal educators, who represent the dominant culture. I have been challenged through the reading to question in what ways my teaching philosophies might actually be entirely ignorant of the need of minority students. However, as my experience stands now, I doubt my knowledge of minority needs and my ability to teach my students responsibly because my lack of interactions outside of my culture. Delpit is forcing me to look outside of myself to search out my presumptions, especially those that I think are culturally sensitive and inclusive.
I know that I have a lot of learning to do in order to become an effective educator for all my students. I recognize that I am representative of a part of the dominant culture, and I have therefore been afforded privileges. However, I am not sure how to reconcile these privileges appropriately in context to educating a variety of students from a variety of backgrounds that will not reflect my experiences or my familiarities. Educators are charged with the responsibility of providing an equitable education that pushes and encourages all the students, balancing the demands of academia, society and neighborhood. How can I be a teacher that actually hears the needs of non-white and poor students? I do not question my desire to meet the needs of all my students with a critical and multicultural classroom, but I do wonder where my presumptions cloud the most judgmental aspects of my teaching methodologies.
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