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December 03, 2005
Chapter 3 "No Kinda Sense" Response
Comments
I was stunned by Delpit’s reaction to her Maya’s requests for plastic surgery to make her lips smaller and her beliefs that Maya was, “…sinking into some sort of emotional abyss,” (54). I was truly surprised that she took her daughter’s requests as seriously as she did. I feel that this is normal behavior for a pre-teenager, to suffer at the hands of other, more “powerful” students. Although some of this could certainly be attributed to the fact that Maya was one of only a few black students in the school, I do not feel it is abnormal for a pre-teen to feel like an outcast, to feel as if they are different than everyone else. This is the harsh reality of many schools, but most students, I believe, grow out of this phase quickly and grow into their own selves.
I found Delpit’s description of the New York Times advertisement featuring Martin Luther King extremely interesting. The advertisement was so powerful, to combine Martin Luther King, a powerful, influential leader, with Ebonics, a language that is often considered unprofessional. But, the juxtaposition of both shows society that Ebonics is just as efficient and acceptable as any other form of language.
This article can be easily connected to the Pygmalion Effect we discussed in relation to “My Fair Lady”. Delpit said, “What happens when we do so, when we convince them that they come from brilliance, when we encourage them to understand their amazing potential? When they recognize that we believe in them, then they come to trust us, to identify with us, and to emulate us,” (46). Essentially, Delpit is saying that if we trust and support our students, they will grow. This is a perfect example of the Pygmalion Effect because those who are expected to grow academically, socially, and emotionally will grow.
Delpit said, “Teachers seldom know much about the children’s lives and communities outside of the classroom and either don’t know how or aren’t willing to connect instruction to issues that matter to students, their families or their community. Nowhere is the student’s very personhood acknowledged or celebrated,” (41). I completely disagree with this statement. Every single teacher I have ever had cared about me as a person even more than they cared about me as a student. They were all interested in my personal life, my family, my friends, my interests. I even had a few very memorable teachers who went the extra mile, becoming friends with my parents, friends my friends, friends with my siblings. I find it extremely disheartening that Delpit does not put more confidence in teachers. Surely, many teachers have more students than they are capable of teaching effectively, yet I am very doubtful that a teacher would not make an effort to get to know a student better.
I was really interested in Deplit’s attempts to create a lesson based on student’s interests. I think that this is an amazing way to get students involved in learning and, more importantly, make them realize the real-world implications of their learning. In general, I think this is the biggest flaw with education in general. Students are learning so much, but they do not how or where to use this knowledge. Connecting learning to the real-world makes it even more powerful.
Questions
Why does Delpit feel it is necessary to move her daughter to a new school, mid-year, when, it is my belief, her emotions were those of a typical pre-teen experience? (See Comment #1.)
Why does Delpit have so little faith in teachers in terms of their interest in students?
It is difficult for me to establish Delpit’s views on Ebonics, as she seems to go back and forth. What exactly is her opinion?
Delpit comments that African American, “…children come to believe that there is nothing in their heritage to connect to schooling and academic success,” (46). Is this true? Personally, I think there are a lot of African American role models that students can look up to. Am I wrong?
Delpit seems to be a famous, well-know, accepted linguist. Yet, she still has trouble compromising her heritage and her profession. Why is this?
Posted by lciscotis at December 3, 2005 12:51 PM
Comments
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