Other People’s Children, Lisa Delpit
Quotes
In this section of “Other People's Children” Lisa Delpit discusses her positions on equity in education. Here, she states that for proper equity to exist in the classroom important concepts such as power structures must be recognized. She also emphasizes the impact of listening to marginalized communities, and therefore respecting students' cultural identities. While reading, a few quotes stood out to me.
“They only want to go on research they've read that other white people have written” (Delpit, 22).
Delpit begins this section by giving accounts from educators of color she heard from through her research. Among each experience, the educators share the common theme of feeling unheard by their white counterparts when discussing appropriate education and best practices in the classroom for children of color. One educator specifically describes that during these discussions, white educators often like to mention statistics or research they’ve read. Here, Delpit is hinting at white educators and researchers often validating knowledge only when it comes from other white scholars. When educators and parents of colors share their lived experiences, they are dismissed and minimized.
“If you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier” (Delpit, 24)
Delpit talks about the role the culture of power plays in education and how students of color are impacted. Here she criticizes progressive teaching approaches that are not transparent enough. Delpit argues that direct instruction and teaching the skills of the dominant culture is a must in ensuring that students of color/lower income succeed academically. By not teaching these skills directly to this population of students is an injustice to them and contributes to white students having the upperhand.
“We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs” (Delpit, 46)
Another central point of this reading is that having good intentions is not adequate enough. Delpit explains that well-meaning white educators oftentimes do think they are helping students of color, but far short because they do not listen to families and communities of color. In this quote she is making the point that we are all shaped by our beliefs, perceptions, and culture. Regardless or not if we are aware of it, what we believe to be true about things like behavior, race, class, etc. heavily impacts how we behave and see others. In the classroom, this is especially concerning because it can cloud the way teachers perceive certain students. For example, if a teacher believes that a student is a trouble maker due to the way they communicate in class, they may dismiss the student as problematic and incapable; when in reality this student’s behavior could be a direct result of their own culture and have no correlation to their academic potential.
This excerpt caused me to reflect on my experiences in school and some of the behaviors I saw exhibited by certain teachers. One specific scenario came to the forefront of my mind. During a high school physics class we had a transfer student of color join later in the semester. The teacher was a middle-aged white woman who clearly had no understanding of differing cultural norms. This particular student often referred to the teacher as “Miss” and talked in a way that strayed from the traditional, white privileged student. Perhaps that is how he addresses superiors in his culture. Instead of attempting to understand this student’s background or experiences, the teacher treated him so poorly. She interpreted his behavior based solely on her own beliefs of what is appropriate in a classroom. When he walked into the class she would only address him by saying “Yo.” Seeing this treatment made my stomach hurt, she was talking to him like he was less than everyone else, and the rest of the class picked up on this degradation. She largely contributed to inequity in the classroom, not to mention the blatant racism.
Well-meaning white teachers: it’s time to disrupt your language around Black History Month
Hey Georgie!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. Your personal experience is one I think many of us encountered during our schooling years. I had my experience in middle school just like yours. I sometimes wish I could go back and speak up because we have a very different view now then when we were younger. Just thinking back what was the norm then is very eye opening.
Hi Georgie! Awesome post and good insights! It seems like this is a foundational text for a reason because Delpit challenges the "well-intentioned" status quo in education. The story you shared about the physics teacher calling a student "Yo" while he addressed her as "Miss" is a visceral example of what happens when a teacher refuses to see past their own cultural lens. It reminded me of two things: 1) when my seventh grade English teacher refused to pronounce my last name correctly no matter how many times I corrected her. (Mind you, my last name is purely Italian.) And 2) when that same English teacher kept calling my fellow classmate "Charles" when he wanted to be called "Chaz."
ReplyDeleteHi Georgie! The quotes you chose in your post really highlighted important aspects from this reading. I also think the experience from your high school that you highlight really shows how culture truly affects the way teachers are able to group students (most times for the worst). It's so eye-opening to look back on these experiences today because we have gone through and seen so much more since then. I know that part of the reason that we didn't speak up in instances like these when we were younger was because we were young and still learning. It's hard when you look to your teacher as a mentor and they act in a way that doesn't seem fair to you.
ReplyDeleteHi Georgie- I enjoyed reading your blog- thanks for sharing your experience from high school. The final quote you included—“We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs”—feels like it ties everything together. This idea pushes us to reflect inward. If educators interpret student behavior, language, or ability through biased assumptions, those beliefs shape what we “see.” When that student in your class called the student Miss she interpreted that negatively and then that shaped how she saw that student. When I first started at my current school I was confused ( though accepting!) that all the students just called me Miss but now it feels completely normal. I am glad that I took that difference in stride and was able to interpret it neutrally.
ReplyDeleteHi Georgie! I loved reading your blog! The quotes you chose to analyze were so powerful and really highlighted the importance of the article. Specifically, the last quote you analyzed was extremely important, especially for future educators. It is so crucial for teachers to not reflect their personal beliefs onto their students. Your personal experience really connected to this quote. It is so disappointing that your teacher treated your classmate this way.
ReplyDeleteHi Georgie!
ReplyDeleteI really like the quotes you pulled from the text. They each have crucial relevance to the text and mostly pull out the main idea. I especially like the one about what we see through our beliefs. As educators, it is important to be able to see through different lenses and that was one of my biggest take aways from this article.
Hello Georgie! That is a particularly powerful and pertinent reflection on Delpit’s work. You have brilliantly established a link between her ideas on the "culture of power"—and the importance of listening to marginalized voices—and a concrete, lived experience in the classroom. I especially appreciate the way you highlighted the disconnect between intention and impact: how teachers, despite being driven by good intentions, can nevertheless reinforce inequalities when they fail to recognize their own biases. Our classmate Gavin, in fact, used a rather evocative term—"unawareness"—to underscore this reality. Your example, drawn from your physics class, truly gives substance to Delpit’s message, demonstrating just how easily students can be misunderstood or marginalized when educators do not take the time to educate themselves on cultural differences. Thank you for sharing such a personal and enlightening reflection; it serves as a necessary reminder of the critical importance of a pedagogy that is truly culturally responsive.
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