The ideologies of slavery/subjugation
in this country are far from dead, though they might look different. I know this is something that we all really
know and many of us truly understand, but is something that, perhaps more than
before, I am observing with my own eyes.
This semester, I am going into a high school classroom to learn from the
teacher, gain experience interacting with students, and ultimately see what
teaching really looks and feels like. As
I sat in the back of the room one morning, my mentor teacher started to discuss
the ACT with her students, and what she said took me aback. “You shouldn’t strive to get a 36, that’s
unreasonable, I’m going to tell you how to get a 24.” What?
Not only is she explaining to the students that she is going to deprive
them of an opportunity, of knowledge, of challenge, but she extending an idea
that these students already hear from the system and many people in America:
the idea that they – because they are black – have little to no
capacity. These children have as much
capacity as I do, as children in Germantown do, as students in Texas and
students in Asia. These students can and
should strive for great things in their life!
And they are taught that they should settle for less, settle for what
seems reasonable. I grew up in a family and
a world where I was told I could achieve whatever I wanted. These children are growing up in a world
where they are told they can only achieve what others think they can
achieve. Because of the color of their
skin. With these toxic, horribly false, incredibly
detrimental poisoning the minds of black and brown children in low-income
schools, how can we even pretend to be confused why there is such a thing as an
achievement gap? All the money in the
world cannot take back the words, the actions, the signals these kids are
receiving about their abilities.
I
was chatting with one of my mom’s friends here in Bryan, Texas, and she said something
that broke my heart. “Is
it wrong for me to want to get ahead, or do I need to be content where I
am?” She’s been told her whole life,
“Don’t strive for too much,” and she’s fighting with everything in her to not
heed that hindering call. Slavery is still
here in America, in the form of limiting warnings and dehumanizing hidden
curricula that attempt to discourage African Americans from achievement in this
nation. We enslave them with the idea that they have no capacity. Our children are hearing it,
taught it, even in school. What are we
going to do about that?
Pledged: Katie Imperial WC: 444
Actually, in your example, I don't even think I would denote some of these things as "hidden" in a curriculum. As you say, the educator is actively saying these things to students. Though some interpretations are hidden, it is plain and clear that the educator is explaining that they don't believe people of color capable (even theoretically) of succeeding where white students are always already given the advantage and obvious possibility of succeeding.
ReplyDeleteCurious, did you ask your mentor why she choose to do that? Not sure what relationship you have with her but I am interested in her reasoning she uses to back up herself up.
ReplyDeleteI actually didn't ask her about this... I probably should have! Not sure if I still could. I think it could be, like what Kynnedy was saying, that she was attempting to be realistic with her students, trying to dissemble the conception that a 36 is imperative for success. I do respect her a ton, so I don't think that conclusion would be out of character for her.
DeleteAlthough I feel like many educators in our education system uses horrible language around students, I don't think I completely disagree with the teacher that made the comment about the ACT. When I originally read it, I took it as if she meant shooting for a 36 is overrated just as much as applying to over 50 colleges as a senior in high school is. I completely understand the argument you're suggesting, but growing up in school, I always wanted my teachers to be real with me. If my teacher wasn't capable of teaching me how to obtain an ACT Score of a 36, the last thing I wanted my teacher to do was to lie to me. Another thing I thought about was obtaining a 36 could possibly attract schools that students wouldn't feel comfortable in. (It could also help a student get a full ride to the school of their choice). It also makes me think about the purpose of the ACT, should it be important as much as it is?
ReplyDeleteI am still, also, curious about the reasoning behind the teacher's statement. If I would change what she said, I would change how she phrased it.
Kynnedy, thank you for this viewpoint! I honestly didn't think of this when contemplating what she had said. I totally understand this, and really think this could have been her aim. I guess I, upon hearing that, just felt a sense of loss for the students in the classroom. They are so bright and soak up new knowledge and ideas with enthusiasm. It's sad for me to think that they might be deprived of challenge and stretching that could benefit them now and later in life! But, yes, you're right, I definitely could have just been taking offense where no offense was intended or necessary! Thank you!!
DeleteThis is an interesting discussion and brings a few thoughts to mind. Although the issue is being addressed, just a few years ago it was found that language throughout standardized tests were biased toward to whites in the middle class. This fundamentally hindered blacks from achieving scores as high as their white classmates. Additionally, as we've discussed in class, school systems are becoming more segregated (In part to an increase of whites attending private schools). Im not exactly sure what the demographic was in your class but is sounds like it was primarily black. If the U.S. allows this trend of racial separation to continue, black students will more than likely receive a much less funded education in public schools, making it harder to succeed in the future.
ReplyDelete