Prudence Carter Article

The reading this week was “Black” Cultural Capital and the Conflicts of Schooling by Prudence Carter.  Her article talks about the Black student and, again, how important it is for teachers to be cognizant of their teaching practices as far as cultural knowledge.  She talks about how Black students lack dominant cultural knowledge.  Also, Carter talks about tracking and the fact that there are not many Black students in the upper level Honors and A/P classes.  It was interesting how she mentions that kids think these classes are for White and Asian kids.

After reading this article I wished I could thank Carter for finally getting me to understand what Black students are really thinking.  At the beginning of the reading, I actually wrote myself a note that I wish we could invite a few Black students to our class to really chat with them about their school experience.  The many authors that we have read have almost lectured to us about this population of students but I really did not feel a connection to the Black student until this reading.  For example, Rayisha is the student that engaged in “loud verbal play” and admitted that her actions created both academic and disciplinary problems (page 65).  My first reaction was that this student was annoying and that’s why the teachers had such a hard time with her.  But then as I read on, I realized that she was a wise young lady.  She knew that if “you just showed up you get a pass”.  So many teachers in my building I think feel this way about their reluctant learner students.  Show up and you pass.  When I had the low level or reluctant learners, I did need them to show up because everything we did was in class.  I very, very rarely gave them homework.  Many of them were homeless, did not have computers, and/or were working to support a family.  However, they did not just get a pass from me for showing up.  They also needed to produce work and do well.  But in order for that all to happen it was imperative that I connected the work to their life (I am referring to all of my students in this population, of course, not just the Black student).  If our lessons connect to our students’ lives, then they will be more engaged and, as Rayisha wanted, they will be challenged in a class that is fun.  Rayisha said, “You can’t learn if you’re in an environment that’s not fun.”  I think a lot of teachers feel as though you have to be an actress or Barney the Dinosaur in order to teach today.  Actually, teachers need to realize that connecting the material to a student’s life, especially the bright but reluctant learner, is what brings on the fun.  That’s where the connections happen and that’s how we get kids to come to school.

Another point Carter made was regarding the Black student that does conform to the White dominant culture of power.  I was wondering if these students were doing the right thing to conform as it seemed they put aside some of their values and belief systems in order to make it in this crazy world.  I was happy to see that some kids were willing to be “codeswitchers”, “cultural mainstreamers” and “cultural straddlers” (page 63).  I am going to be honest and maybe say something inappropriate but I guess I have wondered over years (way before I started teaching) why more minorities didn’t “get it”.  I thought about why some people didn’t rise up and want to live a better life than the life they were in.  As a White female that grew up in a nice little house in a nice little town, I really did not think about how the culture was what kept people from realizing a better life, at least what I perceived at the time as a better life.  So, through my experiences at my urban-ring high school and through all the research I have done regarding social justice I began to understand why and how upbringing, culture, perception, etc. has so much to do with how a person perceives the world and his or her place in it.  Then comes Carter talking about these kids that rise above and part of me says “Yes” and part of me says “Oh, darn”.  I don’t know if I am making any sense as I think I am babbling but I am looking forward to this week’s class to chat some more about it.

Here is Prudence Carter talking about equity in school and the sociocultural context.  It is 20 minutes but she is quite engaging.  She talks a lot about academic ideologies and beliefs and how social location informs ideology.  Really interesting …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecCuLEV9wok