The Challanges Faced by White Teachers Teaching Black Students

An American by birth, I embrace the American cultural ideals of inventiveness and self-improvement. At the same time, I recognize that there is no one, single “American” culture and that we, as a group, are made up of many different cultures, be they racial, ethnic/national, religious, etc. For myself, I have a strong affinity for, and identify myself by, my Scottish heritage.

A good example of this is how Viola and other Sudanese girls bring African braiding to America, where the tradition spreads, as the American girl then wants African braids. “She is ecstatic, this girl. / I sit on the edge of a chair, / and she sits between my knees. / My fingers touch the fine, pale hair / [. . .] Together, our fingers fly over the lady’s hair / and we make a pattern, beginning at her crown” (Farish 199). Immigrants from Europe have similarly brought traditions from their own ethnicities to America, where they've become part of American culture. For example, most “American” foods are based off of foods that came from other countries (hot dogs are based upon German sausages, pizza is originally from Italy, etc.), and even in our school systems, European origins still exist today (the entire concept of Kindergarten originated in Germany). America is a country that is based upon it’s mixture of different cultural traditions, mostly from Europe; both American history and The Good Braider can demonstrate that a big part of American culture comes from immigrants bringing their traditions with them to America, and those traditions being integrated into

Peter Marin’s article “Toward something American: The Immigrant Soul” explains the subtle but noticeable difference between American life and American culture. American culture is defined as primarily western, but is influenced by Native American, African, Asian, Polynesian and Latin American cultures. (Wiki) Marvin explains that American culture is not much more than a mixture of past cultures. American life is slightly different. Marvin writes American although influenced by past cultures struggles to find home. Marvin states “home” is for us, as it is for all immigrants, sometimes to be regained, created, discovered, or mourned”. There are qualities and aspects that make up culture which can be defined as American or Western. In this essay we will explore the distinction between life and culture and if culture can be easily be distinguished between American or Western.

African American students account for the larger majority of minorities in public schools in the United States. Most areas in the northern part of the United states and coastal areas are ethnically diverse. However, down south this is not the case. Students of color will experience a harder time in the education system. African American students meet the obstacle of educators who will not want them to succeed based on a preconceived thought. In fact, Caucasian teachers make up for 85% of all

The maintenance of one’s ethnic ties in a way that can assist with assimilation in larger society is known as

In some schools there has been an issue of white teachers and students treating black students differently. This issue has been going unnoticed or ignored and needs to be addressed.

Teaching in racially diverse classrooms often leaves educators feeling uncertain about how to proceed and how to respond to historically marginalized students. There is pressure to acknowledge and accept students of color with different perspectives, to diversify the syllabi, be more aware of classroom dynamics, and pay attention to how students of color experience the learning process.

America was widely known as a “melting pot” of sorts for many generations. The country earned its title by accepting immigrants of various cultures and molding, or melting, them into the American lifestyle. However, the “melting pot” idea of America is starting to dissipate. According to a Newsweek Poll on the public, “only 20 percent still think America is a melting pot” (Morganthau and Wolfberg, par.4). As more Americans push away immigrants and create stereotypes against said immigrants, America continues to lose its title as a “melting pot.” There is ethnic friction in America and people have begun to have a hard time assimilating (Morganthau and Wolfberg, par.18). .America is beginning to place a negative outlook on its

States, and thus, a few individuals having a place with these gatherings don 't recognize as

Since teachers’ expertise and teaching qualities are integral to the educational process, the impact teachers have on students is tremendous. However, how can teachers be impactful if they do not have the materials to do so? In general teachers need more supplies and training in order to address the needs of African American students. It is important for teachers to understand the students they teach in order for students to develop academic enthusiasm. Teachers have not been trained in ways to reach minority groups in order to better encourage those from a different backgrounds to learn and perform the needed tasks. Most schools, according to an article from the Atlantic, take the silver bullet route by just throwing money at this problem. (Summarizing this source is a way to shorten effective evidence) Others, however, don't even do

Unfortunately, the concept of identifying with a heritage group one is not born of can be looked upon with disdain by others. Two more points the author makes is that Americans appreciate their individuality, yet our unique backgrounds help to continually form our blended culture (Rodriguez 730).

Howard explains white European Americans role in society and their effects on other cultures. He explains, “the cultural genocide perpetrated against American Indians, the enslavement of African peoples, the exploitation and discrimination against Mexicans and Asians as sources of cheap labor-on such acts of inhumanity rests much of the success of the European enterprise in America,” (Howard, 1994, p. 3). He relates the discrimination of these cultures to the white privilege that most European Americans aren’t aware that they

The diversity of America is known as a melting pot formed by people across the world that immigrated for their own new beginning. Through this merge, cultures exchanged and an influx of diversity developed, but Ernest Caraventes, the author of From Melting Pot to Witch’s Cauldron, asks, “Whose culture is it

Although, it was interesting to see the similarities between French history and American history. Both histories seem to initially revolve around ideas of ethnocentricity and xenophobia. Despite the fact that the United States of America is often considered a melting pot of different cultures, there do seem to be similar themes throughout history where the idea of the "ideal" American citizen seemed to prevail and other culture groups had been expected to fall in line with those

Over time the Irish and Germans were finally accepted and considered part of the “American society”. By the time the next big wave of immigration occurred, the Irish and Germans were considered the old guard as opposed to the newcomers. The changing ethnic composition was critical and the Irish as well as the