Journal No. 8

As I was reading Gloria Ladson-Billings book The Dream-Keepers, I tried to reflect on my own experiences and interactions with the African-American community. Growing up in Malden, Massachusetts, I had a few close friends who were black. But that changed when I moved to Haverhill, Massachusetts during the fifth grade. I had moved to a predominantly white neighborhood. All of the kids that I hung out with were either white or Hispanic, so I had very little contact with African-Americans throughout my teenage years. Even through my college years, I didn't have any friends who were black. As I read the book, I wondered how my limited interactions with the black community would impact my ability to teach African-American students. On page 48 of Ladson-Billings book, one teacher, Mrs. Powell, was described as being "out of place" in a predominantly African-American school. The teacher was a middle-aged white woman who, from what I can gather from the text, has had very limited "exposure" to African-American students, which seems to have negatively affected her teaching. She didn't seem to think that any of her students were capable of being successful in the classroom, and even resisted giving "A's" to students who rightfully deserved them. Every student has the ability to succeed, not only in the classroom, but in life. Even if you don't feel that way, you need to expect the best out of your students when you teach. If you go into a classroom and expect the students to fail, then you're not doing your job as a teacher. It doesn't matter what race your students are; every student is capable of doing great things. Even though I haven't had much interaction with African-Americans, that's not going to change the fact that I expect the absolute best from them. I feel as though some teachers are in this profession simply to receive a paycheck. They're not doing it because they're passionate about teaching or making a difference in the lives of their students; they're only doing because it was the only thing available to them. It's incredibly disappointing to read accounts like the one about Mrs. Powell. I just want to do what's best for my students in the hope that they succeed in life.