"The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children" -Lisa Delpit
Though I can't remember when I first read "The Silenced Dialogue," I do remember feeling defensive at Delpit's criticism of the process teaching movement...and it's parallel to the alienation and miscommunication experienced by students/teachers of different cultures. I hadn't imagined how my goal to minimize the appearance of my power and create what I thought was a more equal space in my classroom might have a negative affect on some of the students in my classroom. The problem is that I do have power that must be acknowledged, not just softened away.
The argument that really brought this to light for me was her example of the way a teacher might "veil" her commands in the form of questions: "Would you like to sit down now?" (p. 36). I was very guilty of this type of interaction as a practicum and student teacher and still guilty of this now. Of course, I am not actually offering an option to the student in a case like this. I do expect that the student will respond to a question like this by immediately sitting down. And as Delpit proposes, "my indirectness and soft-spokenness...[were] an attempt to reduce the implication of overt power in order to establish a more egalitarian and non authoritarian classroom atmosphere" (p. 36). But I am realizing how ineffective this type of command is - not just for students of color, but students of all types, including those with Asperger's who have difficulty understanding social cues.
My defensive reaction and focus on the instructional methods on my first reading a few years ago is much more complex now after completing my degree and a full year of teaching. Also, the recent explosion of "no excuses" charter schools is another launch point of discussion. I think some could read Delpit and attempt to use her work to argue for these regimented systems that value highly structured routine and rigid behavior expectations. They might say that they are providing the student with the "rules" (p. 25) of the culture of power by making the expectations so clear. Or they would tout their "belief that all students can learn" that they set a "standard of achievement [usually college for all] and push the students to reach that standard" (p. 35-36).
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any sources that shared Delpit's own words about these schools, but I and others, including some teacher researchers at the University of Colorado can imagine that her emphasis on listening to the voices of the marginalized would not actually fit with the stiff philosophy of these schools. As she says, the teacher is not the only expert in the room. Blind adoption of direct instruction is not the way to go. Rather, we must actually hear with eyes and ears, hearts and minds if we want to make education better for all.
*For some reason, my links are working within my text, so here is a blog that tracks much of the history of the "no excuses" movement: http://edcommentary.blogspot.com/p/no-excuses-charter-movement.html.
Also, here is a link to a study by teacher researchers at the University of Colorado who discuss the tensions of teaching in schools serving predominantly poor children of color with a history of low educational achievement: http://www.colorado.edu/education/sites/default/files/attached-files/Whitcomb%20et%20al_Living%20in%20the%20tension.pdf.
Brittany, I enjoyed your link to the "no excuse" movement in charter schools. I had not heard this category/name for these types of schools, even when I just worked in one for the last two years. As I read the article all the conditions that made the school a No Excuse School, fit my schools description. Personally, I have seen that this method of schooling has worked for most of our students, but not all. It takes a strong kid and strong family to commit to a school of this kind. I also keyed into Delpit's discussion of the type of language that we, teachers, use in the classroom. I did get some strong kick-back from my students when I gave them direct "commands." My students let me know that they felt like I was treating them like a dog, and they actually rebelled against any strong "commands." We had many open discussions about tone of voice as well. I don't know if its the generation or the teenage years setting in, but I feel that students do not feel they should be commanded to do anything.
ReplyDeleteTeaching in Central Falls, I have experienced the type of student who is constantly looking for the teacher to prove their ability, and have seen colleagues who struggle with that lose a classroom. I learned, when I was 16, teaching swim lessons to preschoolers, that there is a huge difference between asking them to jump in the deep end vs. telling them it is their turn to jump. I have often wondered if my skill-set would transfer to middle-class and wealthy communities, because I have always tried to remove the "indirect commands" from my instructions. A friend of mine who I taught with in CF for 5 years recently transferred to a wealthy community school in Mass. and told me of parents who complained that he was "too stern" on their kids. He was telling them to take out their workbooks, or to sit down rather than asking them. I think the balance is to give instruction that is meaningful, and obviously in their best interests. I try to create an atmosphere where the students feel as if we are on the same team, that I am invested in their success, and that my "instructions" are the hidden rules that will help them achieve it. While every person is of equal value, our abilities are different, my sharing of "expertise" is the way as a "gatekeeper" that I allow them into a place in society where they can be successful.
ReplyDeleteBrittany, I think it is interesting that you noted the "indirect command" method in which you have sometimes addressed students in your classroom. Your comment made me think about my own way of communicating with students and how what I am attempting to get across to them may not actually be working. I don't think I use indirect commands... but I'm definitely going to be more aware of it now! I think Delpit (and you) make an extremely important point about the fundamentality of communication. If a student does not "get" what you are asking him or her to do...that student can never do it! It is not a question of intention (although sometimes it might be...). It is a question of understanding and communication. However, it is difficult for us as teachers because we are not necessarily aware of these communication breakdowns. I teach in a middle/upper middle class environment and I'm pretty sure the way I communicate with my students here would not "work" in a different setting. I guess the realization that students do not all respond to teachers the same way is key to being a more effective communicator and in turn a more effective educator.
ReplyDeleteBrit, I struggle with this balance a lot of times as well. I think sometimes even within the same school, different class dynamics can have an effect on how we address our students. My rowdiest class last year had to be given direct commands in order to maintain some order and peace in the room, while my cooperative class was able to follow those "indirect commands." I think it has a lot to do with not only where our students come from, but also where they are in our classes. I definitely agree with Melissa's comment that students to not all respond to different teachers the same way, and I think there are so many reasons for that that Delpit did not touch upon.
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