Freedom Writers

The article I chose to reflect on is “Freedom Writers, White Teacher to the Rescue” by Chela Delgado.  Delgado is the community action coordinator at the June Jordan School for Equity in San Francisco.  Delgado argues that the movie Freedom Writers is unrealistic in its portrayal of a white teacher changing the lives of her students of color. Delgado raises a number of questions at the beginning of her piece, two of which I found most interesting:  “Is it the young white teachers saving kids of color?” and “Is it the guilt I feel as a teacher who may not have succeeded as well as these superheroes?”

Over the past year I have been reading quite a bit on the “white culture of power” and how important it is for white teachers to be sensitive to the needs of their students of color.  I guess I’m trying to figure out, after all the readings, why some people believe white teachers cannot teach black students or Hispanic students or any students that don't look like them.  I have also wondered along the way, why there aren’t more teachers of color teaching students of color.  At least in Rhode Island, it appears to be a predominantly white profession.  I feel as though it is important for all teachers to be sensitive to their students’ needs and to pay attention to the culture and environment these kids live in every day.  As a teacher, I think it is my obligation to know my students very well in order to reach them and teach them to the best of my ability.  I do a lot of community building at the beginning of the year since I teach a very diverse group of kids.  Some years the community building works better than others, however, I have a good baseline in which to find ways to connect to my student’s lives.  I think it is important for any good teacher, no matter what color, to find ways to connect the curriculum to the student.  I also find it fascinating to watch my students talk to the class and teach us all something new, something interesting about their lives.  I don’t pretend to like the things my students like.  For instance, I am old and white and I don’t really like hip-hop music.  I love country music which is the last genre my black students want to listen to.  They would see right through me if I came into class playing the latest hip-hop songs.  However, I am constantly asking them to connect literature to a song, a movie, an app, something that they are interested in. Then they have the opportunity to show me what they like as I am showing them why the themes in literature are timeless.  There have been many, many times my students have chosen a song from a genre or group that I did not think I would like, and I was pleasantly surprised that I loved the song, bought the song, and now have it as part of my playlist.

Anyway, I’m ranting.  Delgado did make me think about her second question which is how teachers that do their job everyday with so many obstacles in their way, can compete with the Hollywood super-teacher mentality.  This one is hard because some teachers are at the right place and at the right time to make a significant impact on their community.  Is it luck?  Is it that this teacher is better than others?  We can all sit back and come up with excuses as to why some teachers appear to be so over-the-top awesome while others, equally as good, receive a “thanks, you really helped me overcome ___ and I appreciate your help” (isn’t it great when this happens?) from their students.  I don’t know, I think if we were in this profession for the sole purpose of getting lots of kudos, maybe we are in it for the wrong reasons.  I feel really good when a lesson goes well and I reach a student in a way that surprises us both.  I will still go see the teacher-hero movies because I find them to be inspiring.  Will I feel bad about myself that I’m not that teacher?  No, I won’t.  Although, I might walk away with an idea or something interesting that I may try in my classroom.