If you are a white teacher, here are 10 things you should and shouldn’t do in the classroom regarding race that no one has told you:
#1. Don’t bring up ANYTHING race-related in the class unless you’re willing to talk about what you’re currently repenting of. And since that’s not happening...
#2. Don’t try and mimic the one Black teacher in your school across the hall. You’re ill-equipped and will be outed by your students as an uncaring fraud.
Save it for the yearly fantasy movies where the white woman comes in and inspires her kids through rap or classical.
#3. If your Black students bring up Black stuff, just nod and shake your head. You’ll appear wiser than you actually are.
#4. When I was doing poorly in math one semester, my white math teacher assigned me and one of the top students in the class to do study drills.
My grades went sky high and for the final I scored the equivalent of an A+. But for my efforts, my fellow students accused us of somehow cheating (meaning I cheated off of the top student’s exam).
The teacher had to point out how I took the test in the front and the top student was in the back. How sweet.
Which brings me to my next point.
5. Don’t assume that where your students start is where they will finish. We all do it subconsciously. And race just adds to the mix.
Apply the Von Trapp method of teaching: “There’s nothing wrong with the CHILDREN, only the Governesses.”
#6. The KIPP school started from the innovative teachings of one Black woman. Two white Jewish teachers in training asked if they could sit in on her class
and later start a franchise based on her learning style. She agreed with the one caveat that they credit her - which they always did.
But instead of her fellow white teachers lauding her and also learning to incorporate some of her skills into their teaching style,
they reviled her to the point where she stopped teaching entirely and only lectured - which brought in greater pay for less effort.
Your denial is ugly in not being willing to learn from anyone - especially from Black women - and only hurts the students that you teach.
#7. Traditional methods are not enough. And esoteric methods may be superior in many ways, but I’ve found that a spiritual bent (the CHILDREN and you are each on a journey of learning) where they communicate to you how best to teach them (combined with the traditional and esoteric) helps the most.
This applies doubly so for Black students where the racist curriculum, supplies, teachers and viewpoints are lined up against them.
#8. If you cannot be honest with yourself about race in your heart of hearts, your students will pick it up.
And no matter how hard you try to hide, you’ll slip up and say or do the thing that shuts them down entirely.
#9. No matter what, don’t send Black CHILDREN to detention. Figure it out.
Are they tired? Let them rest a little in the back.
Hungry? Thirsty? Send them out for a snack.
Are they antagonistic? De-escalate while finding out what’s really going on! (That takes skills you probably don’t have since your idea of spirituality is praying that you don’t have these Black CHILDREN in your class in the first place).
#10. Don’t study Black books. You’re not qualified. It would be like me teaching them golf when I’ve never picked up a stick or even played it on the WII (and have no desire to).
If your school system requires it, insist on a Black woman paid guest speaker to lecture at least three times.
Personally, I recommend Rich Dad Poor Dad for the classroom. Just by looking around at the school, your Black students can see that this economy is slated against them.
Teaching innovative means of income or even how the money system works is the key to grabbing their attention. Of course, that’s gonna be hard for you to fathom
since the racist method has gotten you where you you are today and so you’re somewhat indoctrinated
and you most likely couldn’t even see your perks or the pitfalls of your fellow Black colleagues.
In your mind, the Black ones who make it against the odds prove the equity of the system while the ones who don’t demonstrate failure based on the merits and nothing else.
Not to mention that if you’ve only worked a 9-5, 8-4 J.O.B., you’re not really qualified for that either. Best to read the book, nod and shake your head.
Black CHILDREN will figure it out - because they have to.
In short, the ONLY reason why I’m not saying FIRE ALL OF THE WHITE TEACHERS FROM ELSEWHERES is because an encounter with you won’t leave them hashtagged in the middle of the street.
Can’t wait ‘til we have our own media. Everything changes.
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