Looking

Forward

To the future

A new time and place

To move on with my life

Because it’s finally time to grow up

How Delpit's article will be useful as an editor

4. If you are not planning to teach, how do issues of language and power apply in the field you plan to enter? Does Delpit offer relevant insight?

I plan to go into editing, which is relevant to Delpit's article. In editing, it is common to simply mark incorrect grammatical structures and errors throughout a piece without giving a thought to where the writer might be coming from. This has taught me again, like the diversity video we watched, a new way to think about the editing process. As opposed to saying "This is wrong, fix it," I believe editors should also explain their corrections to the author (no matter what race they happen to be), because then they will actually understand the "language of power" as opposed to just learning that something is wrong and not knowing why. If the latter is the case, they will likely make the same mistakes over and over again.

Question 1 - How I think the aritcle will be useful to me as a teacher

I thought the article was very useful, since I am going to be teaching next year in a classroom that will likely be at least 80% African American students. I really identified with a lot of what she said white teachers do. I definitely phrase commands in the form of a question to try to lessen the appearance of power at work, but she makes a good point that as a teacher you are the authority and it is your job to teach the students how to survive in a world run by the culture of power. I think it will be interesting to talk to the parents of my students and see if they feel like they want their kids taught Standard English or if they would prefer that I practice a more all-encompassing style of teaching.

Crying

Endlessly

Over you

Tiny rain drops

Running down my cheeks

Because you left me alone

Delpit Article - Question 2:

I asked myself this same question while reading this sentence:

“I further believe that to act as if power does not exist is to ensure that the power status quo remains the same.”

I have in my mind the opposing idea that naming the power status quo also concretizes it and makes it seem like a fact. I believe that delineating the status quo has a double effect – it brings power to the status quo as a thing of “status” and offers it up for analysis, critique, and change. In this way, I think it is good to question what effects Delpit’s proposals can have in practice.

Acceptance is problematic for Delpit because the status of poor and minority children is unacceptable – it is not always positive to accept things as they are. Delpit wants to improve the status of those currently outside the culture of power, and she doesn’t want teachers to accept the status of marginalized students. Acceptance of cultural diversity and difference is a worthy goal, but acceptance of societal status – particularly low societal status – is unacceptable, and this, I think, is what Delpit is addressing.

Power Struggles

Question #1: 

The most important thing that I took from the Delpit article that could be applied to my future classroom was the mistake that many teachers make.  Many teachers try to resist exhibiting power in their classrooms because they feel it somehow takes away power from the students.  This creates a problem, however, because, especially in a High School, a teacher must be viewed as an authority figure or else there will be no respect or structure in the classroom.  The example said that students felt like the teacher was not approachable and that they were on their own.  I am glad to be aware of this common mistake so that I will have a smaller chance of making the same one when I start teaching.  Since I will be teaching High School, it will be especially important to make the distinction between these two power extremes.  In my classroom, I will make sure that students know I am available to help them but also give them freedom to learn on their own.