True Story 4.11
A second look at the capabilities of inner-city pupils
The setting for this story
Although Gary had been raised in an attractive suburb, after receiving a teaching degree he felt a call to go wherever teachers were most needed. So he sought a position at an elementary school in an inner-city Black neighborhood. He was readily accepted but his acclimation proved difficult. In this story, Gary recalls the main challenge he faced.
A story of misaligned minds15
Everyone told me this would be challenging. They were right! And in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The good news is that I’ve developed good relations with most of my sixth graders. What’s been surprisingly difficult is moving them through the material I’m supposed to be teaching.
With a few notable exceptions, many are forever playing catch-up. Some never catch up. Are they really able to handle this stuff? They might be – if I had their full attention and commitment. But many arrive late; others are absent on the odd day. Some look tired; I’ve actually roused two from sleeping at their desks! Another problem is their finishing homework on time – if at all.
Gary’s question
Is there anything I can do to motivate these students to give their full attention in class and get their homework done?
Critique of story 4.11
Gary found the answer to his question by giving his students a homework assignment that, he hoped, would enable him to gain a better sense of their overall lives. He asked them to write about their lives outside of school.
Their responses trickled in as usual, many after the due date, but together they delivered a stunning revelation for Gary. For example, here’s the response from one of his students, Frank:
Since I was about 7 years old, I began to work around the house, such as washing dishes, sweeping the flore, and going to the store. Sometimes my mother was not home to teach me so I had to learn myself. As I grew older, I learned what you had to careful with such as matches, ironing, and gas. A few years later I knew how to fold things like shirts very well. Now some things are added, baby-sitting.
Yesterday I awoke at 7:30 A.M., woke my sister so she could go to school. My Mother left to work a littel earlyer than my father who left at 7:30. I left for school at 8:30 but first I took my brother over to the lady that mindes him. At 3:00 P.M. played around with some girls and Larry. At 3:30 took clothing to the cleaner … went back home and made a snack … fried some chicken for my mother as I was told. I went to get my brother and sister. For a half hour I was helping my mother. I sent my sister to bed, and gave my brother a bath, then I ate. I washed the dishes, went to get the night paper, came back and … went to bed about 10:30.
After reading Frank’s paper and many similar others, Gary understood very well why many of his students often flagged in their apparent commitment to, and capability of completing, academic tasks. But he no longer doubted their commitment to, and capability of, learning.
For thought
Communitarian ways often are passed down from generation to generation. But sometimes they are adopted or reinforced by a family facing new existential threats. We don’t know which explanation applies to Frank’s family. What we do know is that Frank and his classmates were being raised within families with communitarian value systems in which the giving and receiving of support is a routine feature of life for every able-bodied member, regardless of age, and is viewed as each member’s most important responsibility – more important even than completing homework assignments on time.
Related stories
Story 4.16 discusses communitarian patterns of behavior among college undergraduates from a wide variety of nations. An almost identical story, regarding a seven-year-old child named Howard, is found in Lisa Delpit’s book Other People’s Children on pages 172–73.
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Endnotes:
15 Rosenfeld, 21, 86–88; the quote (of Frank) appears here as found in the source, although shortened.
Full citations are available at misalignedminds.info/References.