Teaching Other People's Children

Argument Statement: In the chapter titled “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children” by author Lisa Delpit in her book Other People's Children Cultural Conflict in the Classroom,  she argues that there is a cultural divide in a classroom with regards to race which impacts not only power differences but also creates an environment where one culture is being erased–especially when a white teacher teaches Black students. 

First talking point “When I get black kids, I just try to undo the damage that they did” (22), quoted by a Black teacher in the chapter. When I read this, I froze. I know for a fact that I’m causing damage to someone almost all of the time, there is practically no way to avoid creating damage, but I was thinking about my students. As much as I don’t want to create damage, I’m confronted with the reality that I am and it’s invisible to me. As much as I try to include practices of culturally responsive teaching, the teacher quoted in the chapter is correct, I am creating harm. My whiteness is prevailing over my Latinidad (probably for a plethora of reasons) and that leaves me to confront the harm I am creating. 

Second talking point: “Children from middle-class homes tend to do better in school than those from non-middle class homes because the culture of the school is based on the culture of the upper and middle classes– of those with power” (25). A lot of the time when we talk about power, we talk about power based on race, sex, even religion. Johnson even argued that class was removed from problems in the educational sector because class can change (I disagreed with this point but regardless this is what Johnson argued). Delpit is arguing that class is deeply embedded in the culture of power that is present within the classroom. Middle and upper class existence has certain codes of power that are mirrored in the classroom– other students who were raised in other classes have different rules of power, and obviously those who know the rules will have the advantage of playing fair and winning over those who do not know the rules altogether. This also made me think a lot about my educational experience and the reasons for my success in the classroom. 

Third talking point: “The dilemma is not really in the debate over instructional methodology, but rather in communicating across cultures and in addressing the more fundamental issue of power, whose voice gets to be heard in determining what is best for [lower class] children and children of color" (46). Delpit is arguing not just that we have an issue of a power imbalance– which is true but does not innately imply a need for change or any actionable step that will result in change. However, in naming that we should question whose perspectives are being listened to and whose voices are ignored, there is an obvious solution presented: to invite and include the perspectives of the populations we serve. 

Connection: As I was reading this, I was thinking a lot about the classes that I had in undergrad, especially the classes that I took on race and it reminded me of a paper I once read (I sadly don’t remember what it’s called anymore) that explained that the remnants and culture of slavery are present in almost every institution and way of being. The article explained that even in the way that parents talk about their children– with white parents openly bragging about their child and the culture of Black parents bragging about their children (which typically lessens their accomplishment or the compliment as a then protective measure that protected children from being taken by enslavers). Almost every part of the United States dominant culture is impacted from this and the education system is not different.