Well I just finished reading Chapter 1, and I thought it was an excellent introduction to the author, his background, and teaching philosophy. But more importantly what the purpose of this book is, and his overall hypothesis. Michie wants to explore first hand teaching experiences of teachers in urban classrooms. Specifically minority teachers.
One aspect of the chapter that I was very impressed by was Michie bringing to the forefront his one prejudices and how this books is really his interpretations (a snapshot as it is called in the book) of the events he observed. I feel that researchers do not do this enough. Last semester I had a course covering Ethnographic research and one of the key aspects of this research approach that I liked a lot was admitting your own prejudices and biases right away. That way the reader knows where the author is coming from, and has the best possible "whole picture" at their disposal to make their own conclusions.
"Regular" research very rarely does this.
Did everyone get an e-mail about the author coming to speak at SXU? I am in Michigan and can't go, but maybe someone in Chicago could? I know everyone has a busy schedule, but I thought it interesting that the opportunity was there.
ReplyDeleteI too like the author's approach to this subject and look forward to the rest of the chapters.
I'm in South Carolina, but sounds interesting. I finished both chapters and while I am interested in what Michie has to say, I'm slightly offended by some of the material. Maybe I'm just being extra sensitive. I just had a very visceral reaction about being a white teacher teaching black kids. I had a curriculum coordinator (an African American woman) tell my African-American colleague in my classroom that "a white teacher can't teach our black kids as well as us." It really hurt considering my scores with my African American students rose more than some of the African American teachers' scores with the same populations. I agree that some teachers of color have similar life experiences and perspectives as our students of color, but does that make me less able to teach students of all races, ethnicities and creeds? I really like a certain quote from Chapter 2 where the black teacher says that she's seen white teachers be successful, as long as they are honest about their shortcomings when teaching students of color. I'll have to find it and post about it.
DeleteI have to say that I, too, was intrigued with the emphasis placed on having a person of color teach a group of students of the same race/ethnicity. I get it, but again I don't. This is reminding me of my friend who taught in a suburban school in Illinois. She taught 3rd grade with a high hispanic population. She had two african-american students, both male, and both labeled gifted. Her second year at this school, the vice-principal took over, who was african-american. She was working on her doctorite, focused on the concept that african-american males need to be taught and spoken to differently than other students. My friend respected this, however, she did not let it change her teaching (she had a high-need to utilize her ELL skills first.) The principal did not like that the two gifted african-american male students in her class were not being spoken to differently and these beliefs were reflected in her observations. Needless to say, my friend no longer works at that school. When I brought this up at my school, I am a female white teacher in a large population of african-american female teachers, they agreed that there is some truth behind how african-american males are spoken to. I guess in my mind, I kind of find this...well...like saying that we aren't all the same...that your race determines how you are taught. I was not brought up this way, to believe that different races need to be spoken to differently, so I guess that's why 1) I don't get where the author is coming from and 2) why I do get where the author is coming from. I hope the rest of this book helps me better understand this perspective.
DeleteI didn't hear that the author is coming to SXU. I'll have to look into it.
ReplyDelete