Throughout high school I took mostly honors or AP classes, which were classes with more white students than any other race. I always felt that as much as my teachers tried to get everyone involved and to actively participate, I always felt that the teachers connected more with students of their own race, and that those students got more out of the class than I did.
It’s not necessarily the teachers fault that we never really connected, but it’s of a systematical error. Like McVay said, not everyone feels comfortable with everyone and it’s very hard to teach what you do not know. Even though McVay is fascinated with Black literature and Language, she still does not know everything about the Black culture and she learns something new everyday from her students. That is a very important factor in teaching. Teachers must learn from their students so that they can structure their lessons to their students and that will help the classroom have a better bond and more comfortable learning environment.
What I like about McVay is that she makes her students comfortable by telling them that their so called “bad language” and I believe it is important for our community to know there is a time and a place for our language and to realize that it is OUR unique language, not a ghetto or uneducated language. It is teachers like her that make learning fun and beneficial because both parties are getting something out of it.
I like how you grasped the concept of the excerpt and how you alluded to your life while still keeping the concept of the excerpt. I was only confused with the last sentence," What I like ab out McVay is that she makes her students comfortable by telling them that their so called "bad language"... I believe you did not finish the thought and I would like to know what yoou felt about how McVay made what is seen as bad langauge comfortable to her students.
ReplyDelete-Jacquelyn D. Patterson
I Believe that you got your point over in your blog, but I feel that not everyone has experienced the same thing. As far as the AP and honor classes go, In my classes I always felt as though I had the upper hand just because I was not white. Also, I was wondering what the blogger meant in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph, she did not complete her thought.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Warren
It seems as if you have grasped the concept of the interview. It was a great interview at that. Personally, I liked how McVay taught the children that their "black" or "improper" English is beautiful and should be celebrated. Blacks always get criticized about different negative aspects of our culture, but our language is fun, beautiful, and creative, and should be recognized as such by our people. I also like the way she incorporated the feel of community amongst blacks in the end. It was really refreshing to hear such positive commentary from a teacher who seems to have the best interest for her students.
ReplyDelete-Tiara Denson
I think that you did a very nice job with applying the reading to the classeoom. At my old school there were only about 30 black students total in the school. During an English course we read " Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," and I just so happen to be the only woman of color in that classroom. The professor was white and it seems like he did not clearly cover the topic as I would have liked for him to. He seemed to have sort of brushed over the topic and moved to the next reading. I was very into the reading and didnt get the opportunity to really dwell on the subject like I had wish, but I did notice how he thought that I had the answer to many of the questions, seeing that I was the only Black student in the class. So, yes it bothers me to know that many teachers only connect or dwell on subject matters that may include them or relate to them in some sort of way.
ReplyDelete~ Chermonica Johnson