I've only read the first two chapters so far, but I wanted to comment on something. Does anyone else think the author's judgments about his students have colored his interpretations of their writing? It really bothered me that he writes that "little hope is reflected" (p. 15) in Billy's piece "Life in Arlington Heights" and says Billy is a bigot, while he has no issue with "hopeful" Dae Dae's piece that includes statements such as, "She says the trash belongs with the other trash....As though no one in Lockland has any morals and just runs wild....I guess my family are the only humans in the bunch" (p. 15). Gaughan writes that he hopes she'll try to protect her child as her mother did her........hmm........while Billy is simply a bigot.
I also wonder about telling students that now they know they have racist peers (p. 29). I'm not suggesting tough topics shouldn't be discussed, but for a teacher to label students that way to another student seems problematic. Maybe I'll feel differently after I read the rest.
23 November 2007
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3 comments:
He does come out and say, sometimes a teacher must take on the role of the counselor, to help students negotiate the assumptions and prejudices. I see what you're saying though, it is very tender ground that you walk on when you take this path. You need teachers/counselors who already have a very clear vision of their own assumptions. I can't say that I was ready at 21 (when I started teaching) to do so, isn't that sad? What might be sadder is that I was probably one of many who had a great program, but was never asked to look at things critically.
Your critique of the section about Billy and Dae Dae puts into words some of what I was feeling as I read that. He does seem to gloss over Dae Dae's indictment of the other people in her neighborhood, while reading (perhaps) too much into Billy's despair.
But for all that I do think he pushes the notion of what it means to teach in this space where ideas, assumptions, stereotypes, and identities rub up against one another.
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