Delpit

Power in the Classrom - Thoughts on Delpit's Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom -The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children

When discussing the culture of power, I found the first point to be eye opening. The culture of power within the classroom, shaped by teacher practices, published texts, published academic research, and curriculum development, significantly impacts children from marginalized communities. Teachers, often from privileged backgrounds, may perpetuate power imbalances by using instructional methods and disciplinary strategies they've been taught, which align with the dominant culture. Published academic research, reflecting the perspectives of researchers from dominant cultures, may overlook the needs or strengths of marginalized communities. As someone who considers myself to rely on data, and make evidence based decisions whenever possible, this is difficult to consider. Similarly, curriculum materials that primarily reflect the experiences of the dominant culture can disconnect marginalized students from the content. As a result, marginalized students may experience lower academic achievement, social and emotional challenges, and long-term disparities in educational outcomes. 

I find it interesting that in Delpit’s writing, she talks at length about the culture of power, and how to help children from marginalized communities succeed in the culture of power, but she neglects to talk much about how to shift the culture of power. It is almost as if she just accepts it and says, okay how can we work with it? I understand the importance and value of this especially in the present moment, though it seems a bit like a bandaid. It seems like her suggestion here is to amplify the voices of black parents and teachers, and for educators with privileged backgrounds to listen and hear. 

Johnson's "the luxury of obliviousness" and Delpit's observation that those with power are often least aware of it share and highlight the idea that privilege and power dynamics are often invisible to those with power. Teachers, especially those from dominant cultural backgrounds, as many in Rhode Island are, may not always recognize their power and privilege in the classroom. This can lead to unintended biases and disparities in educational experiences for students, particularly those from marginalized communities when when educators are well-intentioned.

Delpit's comments about communication breakdowns due to differences in language and cultural norms highlights the challenges that arise when teachers and students come from different cultural backgrounds, as is so often the case. This can lead to confusion or misunderstanding and frustration in the classroom. It directly connects to her recommendation to explicitly teach the rules of the power dynamic in the classroom. “My kid knows how to be black…  you teach him how to survive in a white man’s world.” Code switching comes to mind. Delpit argues that teachers, especially those from dominant cultural backgrounds, have a responsibility to teach the unwritten rules and codes of power to all students, regardless of their background to help level the playing field and for students who may not have learned these rules at home. This explicit instruction might help bridge the gap for students who may not live within the culture of power at home. 

On one hand, Delpit advocates for direct and explicit instruction of the rules of the power dynamic for all children, especially those in marginalized communities (assimilatory?). On the other hand, she underscores the importance of valuing and preserving students' home cultures. This is a lot! Heavy stuff. It is a lot to put on educators, who are already doing so much, especially if it contradicts their own education and how they were taught to teach. She wants educators to recognize and honor the cultural diversity within their classrooms while simultaneously providing students with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate broader societal structures.

I found this book review of Delpit's book, that was easy to understand and connect with. Enjoy!