Thinking about A White Teacher Talks About Race by Julie Landsman

Political or Personal Discourse: A White Teacher Talks About Race

Is it asking too much to include them all? Is it too much to ask our schools to encompass the mixture of all these kids’ lives, in what they read, in whom they see? And my frustration, even my anger, is to realize, every day, in different contexts, that we are not even close to including them. (Landsman, 2005)

            Writing has a purpose. The author has a reason to write, whether it is to inform, entertain, or persuade his or her audience. Julie Landsman has the background and experience within the education field and working with at-risk students. She has seen first-hand the struggles and triumphs these kids, their families, and their communities cope with. This has given her inspiration and a strong purpose for writing her book, A White Teacher Talks about Race.

Author’s Purpose

            A lot of debates encompass education, and these discourses are extremely complex since educational concerns are personal and political. In the U.S., we claim that we are country of equals and that all deserve an education. If all humans have a natural right to education, then education should include the perspectives of the individuals within our society. Julie Landsman uses the following questions to instill her thesis in the minds of her readers: “Is it asking too much to include them all? Is it too much to ask our schools to encompass the mixture of all these kids’ lives, in what they read, in whom they see?” (Landsman, 2005). Landsman has taken a positional stance that educators, administrators, politicians, and the general public need to support an inclusive atmosphere for white, black, brown, or yellow, dark or light.

Support

            Landsman supports her argument that classrooms need to be inclusive for all racial backgrounds, rather than claiming to be “color-blind.” This is not the answer the education system needs. As an individual, Landsman “cannot deny their perception of the world. Rather, I have to start with an understanding of this perception, go on from it and plan with them how they will study, make it in college, stay on the job” (Landsman, 2005). Students come into classrooms with their personal experiences, and these experiences have been affected by their racial backgrounds. So how can a teacher hope to engage students by ignoring a trait that helps define their lives? With a lot of difficulty, but many teachers claim it is difficult to reach out to their cultural backgrounds. The path is difficult no matter which fork you take, so now the decision rests with which path leads to results.

            If students cannot connect to a teacher or the curriculum, they can make the conscious decision to “not learn.” These students find ways to discredit their teacher or the material being taught. In his book, H. Kohl explains that “Not-learning tends to take place when someone has to deal with unavoidable challenges to her or his personal and family loyalties, integrity, and identity” (1994). When the students cannot relate their lives to what is being taught to them, they will continue to focus on the larger, higher order problems of their lives, such as homelessness, divorcing parents, or their parents’ financial situation. What does this have to do with race? Statistics show that blacks and other minority groups are more likely to experience rates of poverty and have lower health (Levin, 2005). A teacher cannot ignore that the relationship between hardships and race exist, so to ignore a student’s racial background is to ignore his or her challenges. When a teacher does not acknowledge the struggles individual students face, they cannot teach to their needs, providing an inadequate education.

            The road to providing an adequate and relevant education is extremely difficult. A white teacher claiming to have the same experiences as a black or Asian teenager is not legitimate. Landsman explains her way of dealing with the situation: “I can make explicit what I know about jobs and how to keep them, about finding homes, getting into college. I also feel a responsibility to make sure I do this without asking them to give up anything of their own culture, their own language” (Landsman, 2005). Do not deny a student their experiences, especially when related to their racial or cultural background. Those experiences are very real and play a role in their lives. They are not the definition of their race, but their race is a small part of who they are.

Evaluation of Arguments, Opinions, & Issues

            Landsman’s claim against “color-blindness” is valid: “Whites are considered the norm, so are asked to speak only for themselves as individuals. We assume we do wrong as individuals. Meanwhile, blacks are often expected to speak for and represent all blacks” (Landsman, 2005). Not only is blame placed differently according to racial lines, but it moves into academic areas. The “white man’s” history becomes the correct history, because that is the view of the dominant culture. This emphasizes a racial ideology that takes away from individuals and whole communities. To fully understand history and other cultures, we need to embrace their histories and incorporate them into our classrooms, otherwise we demean our students.

            Once students see themselves belittled in the eyes of their teachers, they give up on learning. Kohl explains, “Other causes of failure I searched for were mismatches between the students’ language and the language of the schools or between the students’ experiences and the kind of experience presupposed by their teachers or the reading of texts” (Kohl, 1994). Teachers need to communicate on a mutual level with students. This is done by earning a student’s respect and engaging him or her within the curriculum. Lessons should relate with the challenges within a student’s life or personal interests. This engages students and earns their respect by knowing the teacher has taken a genuine interest in their lives.

Personal Response

            As I read Julie Landsman’s book, my expectations of the importance and roles of teaching were reaffirmed. One reason I went into English education is because I know I can engage students with literature and writing due to my enthusiasm, hard-work, love of challenges, and want of knowing each student’s passion. I have always believed that anyone can love reading as long as they find a book of relevance and interest. My plan has always been to get to know each student’s background and interests. Landsman’s work has reinforced the idea that greater levels of learning can take place when teachers try to see each student as an individual.

Sheila is Sheila. She does not represent ‘teenage mothers’ or ‘African-American’ teenagers. Just as Sarah is herself: a model, a novel reader, a homeless young woman; so Sheila is herself: a whiz at computers, a good writer, a mother of one daughter. This is how I struggle to see them, to see every part of them. It takes patience with ourselves to get rid of the impulses we were brought up to feel. I believe it can be done. (Landsman, 2005)

The inspiration I have taken from A White Teacher Talks about Race, I Won’t Learn from You, and The Social Costs of Inadequate Education will continue with me each time I walk into a classroom of individuals: Sheila’s, Tyrone’s, Sarah’s, and Alan’s.

Works Cited

Kohl, H. (1994). I won't learn from you and other thoughts on creative maladjustment. New York, NY: The New Press.

Landsman, J. (2005). A white teacher talks about race. Lanham, MD: First Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Levin, H. M. (2005, October). H.M. Levin (Chair). The social costs of inadequate education. Paper presented at Teachers college symposium on educational equity.