Beyond the Text, She is More Than A Teacher

Voices of Our Foremothers: Celebrating the Legacy of African-American Women Educators A Personal Dedication


by Sunny-Marie Birney

"To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin."

During this entire course we have discussed literacy and its impact on us as black women. We have often discussed how our community takes education from granted from the student stand point. But what about the people on the other side of the educational divide---the teachers. How many of us have had teachers who were truly passionate about their jobs? How did it affect you, knowing that you had someone outside of your family that truly wanted you to succeed? If you had a teacher who constantly told you that you would fail, how did that affect you?

Birney opens the chapter with a reflection of her past. She was raised by adoptive parents of Euro-descent and therefore never had an understanding of black literacy in the home. Although she had black teachers in grade school, it wasn’t until college that she encountered African American teachers who impacted her in a very positive manner. College served as an avenue for her to learn about her history and culture. At this time, Birney also learned from her professors that not only do they relay knowledge to their students, but they also provide a nurturing role, a sort of maternal literacy if you will. I have learned, not only from this chapter, but also from an educational psychology class, that students do well in a classroom if their teachers’ are supportive of them. For Birney her teachers were like her mothers who transferred school literacy and maternal literacy to her. It is safe to say that a teacher cultivates more than knowledge; they cultivate hope and respect to give to their students. These teachers had such a positive impact on her that Birney decided to become a teacher, so that she too could inspire people to do well and cultivate caring, nurturing relationships with her students. I think teachers do display passion for their profession when they go beyond the call of duty. As African Americans we already have a strike against us and another strike for being women. So I feel the importance of having a strong African American female at the front of the class room gives hope and encouragement for our young women to succeed. From personal experience, I have excelled in classes with nurturing teachers. No, I did not seek a mother in a classroom. However, when a teacher cares about your emotional well-being and not just that grade in the book, it extends a positive aura in the class room. I do well in positive and uplifting environments. So I see how having nurturing teachers in college moved Birney so deeply.

-Britney-Myshante Howard