Michael

Citation: Cross, B. E. (2003). Learning or Unlearning Racism: Transferring Teacher Education Curriculum to Classroom Practices. Theory Into Practice, 42(3), 203-209.

My Article entitled “Learning or Unlearning Racism: Transferring Teacher Education Curriculum to Classroom Practices” is a very interesting article that is actually very close to home for us. The main idea of the article is that most of the teachers these days are white and are being educated by whites. This article further asserts that because of this lack of diversity throughout the education process that educators are having a tough time “reaching” low-income children of color. The second half of the article is the reporting of a scholarly research study that “explored what teachers who are graduates in the education program and who taught in Milwaukee Public School learned about race through the curriculum. Through this study, the author of this article believes they made some “key discoveries about race” and suggested some curriculum considerations.

The connections to our course are quite evident. First of all, we live in the Milwaukee area and we will all be getting plenty exposure to diversity from MPS. I think the observation of the authors that there is a lack of diversity within the education process is a very relevant one and is something that needs to be considered. Lastly, the curriculum considerations towards the end of this article can benefit all of us.

Of all the bits of information and observations within this article, I think the one that I could use in my classroom is that it isn’t enough to just present diversity through diverse literature, artwork, etc… It needs to go deeper than that. It needs to be an interactive learning process, not just posters and books. Being a white teacher, diversity encouragement and celebration within the classroom are so central to creating a comfortable learning environment.


 * Michael Federman**
 * Edu 205**
 * Text Talk**

I read “There Are No Shortcuts,” by Rafe Esquith (pictured above). “There Are No Shortcuts” is the memoir of Mr. Esquith and his vast experiences within the teaching profession. Throughout this book we see time and again Mr. Esquith’s frustration, dismay, perseverance, idealistic thoughts, and sometimes obstinacy as they pertain to the public school system. Things such as standardized testing, co-workers, administration, parents, and an overall feeling of people not caring as much as he would like all contribute to Mr. Esquith’s ups and down as a teacher. The title “There Are No Shortcuts” is Mr. Esquith’s adopted mantra of preparation, teaching techniques, and ultimately going the extra mile for his students and asking them to go the extra mile with him. A very distinguished teacher, Mr. Esquith has had to walk a difficult road to make positive change by rejecting standard curriculum, testing, and conformity while his fellow teachers seem to embrace those things. What Mr. Esquith teaches (English) isn’t that central to what this book tries to accomplish. His goal, I believe, was to illustrate that nothing will come easy in the teaching profession and sometimes if you want to impact your students on a meaningful level besides very hard work, you will often have to endure pushback from teachers, administrators, and even parents.

The diverse group that is depicted within this book is the inner city, underprivileged, children of Los Angeles. But I believe this book was intended not so much to illustrate the struggles that those kids must endure, even though they are central through it. I believe this book was written specifically for young inexperienced faculty. It was written to try to inspire, encourage, and serve as a cautionary tale of not getting caught up in being “just another teacher.” So in the light of that, I will approach the remaining talking points as it relates to young and potential teachers such as us.

In reading “There Are No Shortcuts” some perceptions I already had of teachers, administrators, and inner-workings of how teachers teach were confirmed. We all have perceptions of certain teachers as being lazy, disinterested, and lacking in passion; these seem to be confirmed by Mr. Esquith. I did find it uplifting, however, that Mr. Esquith, even though his creativity and passion were consistently stifled by others, has still found a way to push the limits and achieve wonderful things including being the recipient of the American Teacher Award.

My awareness of the challenges I and we will be up against certainly grew as a result of this book. If I wasn’t fully aware before, I am very aware now that if I should try to being fresh ideas and stray from the norm, I will be met with resistance and a lot of the time I will not get my way. I will need to cultivate a sense of patience and to walk the line between pushing the envelope and not overstepping my bounds. This book has posed the question how will I react in times of great frustration and adversity which are sure to happen time and again.

The insights gained, and I have sort of touched on them already, is you need uncommon passion, determination, and conviction to truly be a great teacher. Of course these values were already instilled into me; I know I will have to work very hard to be a great teacher. But that was the underlying theme of this book and I will continue to take it to heart.

This book was of course extremely relevant to my and our teaching practices and classroom communities. I think it is a book that all teachers and really anyone who has questions about whether teaching is for them should read. I will put in this disclaimer however. It is very preachy, a bit self-absorbed, and arrogant at times. He definitely tends to pat himself on the back quite a bit for doing his job the way it should be done. Also, in his various stories of experiences he has had in the profession, he paints a very one-sided picture always portraying himself as just and those who stand in opposition as the villain. Overall, however, I would certainly recommend my fellow classmates to read this book and try to take out of it the positives and to try to overlook the self-indulgences of Mr. Esquith. In addressing the last question, no I don’t think this book would have any benefit for my future students. If anything I would take a copy of this book and set it in the teachers’ lounge! That is something, I feel, Mr. Esquith would do. I guess his ideology has rubbed off on me already.