The book I chose to read is “The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African-American Children,” by Gloria Ladson-Billings. I was particularly interested in this title because I am preparing for an alternative education licensure program in Florida. I will be working in inner-city classrooms in the Orlando area, which has a 28.6% African-American population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Since a majority of my students will be African-American, I want to learn all that I can to best support their educational goals and personal challenges.
Reading this book has definitely broadened my personal perspective on education. Not only has it enlightened me to the unique struggles that African-American children face in classrooms today, but it also alarmed me that according to chapter seven, there is research out there stating that many teachers do not believe that their African-American students can succeed in the classroom (Ladson-Billings, 2007). As teachers, we are supposed to be firm believers in the success of all students – not just some students, and certainly not based on race. I also learned some strategies for incorporating Black history and cultural education into the classroom in chapter five, such as using hip-hop and rap music to connect to student interests, and looking at history through the lens of African-American achievements – such as when the teacher encourages her students to complete research on the contributions of Black Egyptians to the building of the pyramids (Ladson-Billings, 2007).
B. Categories or Trends
This book falls into the category of “diversity in education.” The author focuses on the struggles and triumphs of African-American students in the classroom today, as well as the teachers who lead them. For example, in chapter three, the author states: “My own experiences with white teachers, both preservice and veteran, indicate that many are uncomfortable acknowledging any student differences and particularly racial differences. Thus some teachers make such statements as T don’t really see color, I just see children’ or ‘I don’t care if they’re red, green, or polka dot, I just treat them all like children.’ However, these attempts at color-blindness mask a ‘dysconscious racism,’ an ‘uncritical habit of mind that justifies inequity and exploitation by accepting the existing order of things as given.’ This is not to suggest that these teachers are racist in the conventional sense. They do not consciously deprive or punish African American children on the basis of their race, but at the same time they are not unconscious of the ways in which some children are privileged and others are disadvantaged in the classroom” (Ladson-Billings, 2007). The author also includes many vignettes that illustrate practical applications of cultural education techniques in the African-American classroom.
C. Current Educational Practices and Theory/Perspective
In chapter five, I was intrigued to read about how one teacher considered the way her African-American students did not speak proper standard English to be “bilingual.” She uses a rap song that all of the students know and enjoy to break down what is considered “improper English,” and re-write the lyrics in standard English. The theory here is that the teacher reinforces her belief in and high expectations of her students by showing them that they are knowledgeable and capable of academic achievement (Ladson-Billings, 2007). Typically, we consider “bilingual” to be when someone speaks two separate languages. However, many African-Americans do often have their own unique way of speaking English, much like people from all races in different regions of the United States. For example, while we might say “Are you all getting ready to go to the store?” in proper English, many citizens who live in Southern regions of the United States might say, “Are y’all fixing to go to the store?” While these two phrases mean the same thing, and are both spoken in English, only one of them is considered to be “proper English.”
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The author’s overall message and theme of the book is that a teacher’s perspective of her students can weigh heavily on whether or not the students in her class will be successful.
As mentioned previously, studies have shown that many teachers do not believe their minority students have as much of a chance at success as their Caucasian students do (Ladson-Billings, 2007). Teachers who do not believe that their students can achieve success academically will be less likely to challenge their students to complete rigorous material, and as a result, these students will not progress. As a result, having teachers in the classroom who do not challenge or encourage their African-American students to excel academically can directly affect African-American educadon as a whole. It’s now a common practice for educators to use music and cultural elements in their lesson plans, as many teachers in this book have done to udlize perspective in a positive way. By doing this, students of all races are able to make text-to-self connecdons, or connecdons to the curriculum in general.
D. Application of Theory or Perspecdve to the Future of Education
The author’s theory that success in African-American education starts with teacher perspectives is a sound one. Teachers need not only believe in and support their students for them to be successful, but as chapter four points out, teachers need to be involved citizens in the social aspects of their students’ lives, including their students’ social interactions in the classroom. While a traditional classroom included teachers using direct instruction as students sat quietly and did not interact (except for lunch and recess), the modern classroom is more focused on a student-centered approach with many opportunities for collaborative learning. A new approach that is highlighted on page 75 is students sitting in groups at tables, rather than desks. The teacher creates a positive learning climate through aesthetics and a more spacious room, and maintains a positive attitude about her students, saying she has “never met an unsuccessful student” (Ladson-Billings, 2007).
References
- Ladson-Billings, G. (2007). The dreamkeepers : successful teachers of african american children. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2015, April 18). Race and Ethnicity in Orlando, Florida. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://statisticalatlas.com/place/Florida/Orlando/Race-and-Ethnicity
