As I read Other People's Children by Lisa Delpit, I felt a sterner tone than what has been expressed in the previous readings. Delpit wasn't sugarcoating how White people have communication blocks, but I don't think she was honing in entirely on white privilege. I felt as though Delpit was saying the Whites naiveness, or blindness, is rooted in the educational system. The White educators she references in the first few excerpts are products of the same upbringing they are teaching. It's a broken record. Delpit even states, "it is not they, the children, who must change, but the schools". I almost wonder if I am interpreting this reading wrong; did anyone else feel Delpit's writing style was drastically different or that this article was focused on our educational system and not the educators?
As I continued on, I immediately connected the theory that "many of the 'progressive' educational strategies imposed by liberals upon black and poor children could only be based on a desire to ensure that the liberals' children get sole access to the dwindling pool of American jobs" to the conspiracy of the Rockefeller effect. The idea is that John Rockefeller funded the general education system with the goal of providing just enough education to keep people in the working class but never reaching the top. He is quoted to have said "I want a nation of workers, not freethinkers". While his board closed in the 1960's, it's clear that the foundation of it has lived on. A broken record.
I particularly enjoyed reading how Delpit showed the contrast between oral styles of teaching. It made me think about the growth mindset I learned about in CEP 552. A growth mindset involves the idea of being able to improve one’s capabilities through hard work and dedication, paralleled with support from others. Alternatively, a fixed mindset is when one believes they only have a certain level of capabilities and are not able to change them. As I learned about this concept, it was very clear that people had more success and confidence when they felt supported. For example, Abi fostered a growth mindset when she implemented the art bin at the Starbucks she was working in. The way you talk to people really does matter.
The author, Delpit, argues that the current state of our educational system is failing to meet the diverse needs of the students and faculty leaving people feeling invisible or misunderstood.
I love your broken record comparison. I agree that it is sterner than what we have read and I love that she points out that it is the system and not the people. I feel like the universal pre-K concept that is trying to be implemented nation wide will begin to address this by utilizing play education and also improving ang reteaching the teachers. We can start reshaping the curriculum for students and start to educate them on the realities of this world. How politics work how to make policies how to educate others on processes of unifying cultures and social economic classes so that we are all receiving a beneficial education with all the same resources.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting! Thanks for sharing because I didn't know about this and I think it's a wonderful concept. With my daughter entering preschool in less than two years, I would love to see some positive changes!!
DeleteI understand her argument about not meeting the diverse needs of some of the students, but as a teacher with about 100 students per day, it is really a challenge. We can't change who we are to become a teacher. We can try our hardest to remain a strong force for good in their lives and try as best we can to meet each student where they are to provide the best education we can for them.
ReplyDeleteYes! This is why I feel she is saying the educational system is failing both the students and faculty. It's not just the students experiencing a disservice but also the staff. The teachers are, generally speaking, only doing their best and educating their classrooms with the same education they were taught. And to add to the detriment, they lack the support and supplies they desperately rely on. The system is failing everyone, just like healthcare.
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