The Power of Education
In “A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin, a quote that stood out to me the most was, “The paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious, one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.” Baldwin asserted that education should help students understand the world and that once they know, they have the power to change society. Students who learn about systemic racism, oppression, and inequality, have the power to be the generation that can make the world a better place.
In the article “James Baldwin’s Lesson for Teachers in a Time of Turmoil,” by Clint Smith, the author discusses James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” essay and uses the same quote I just mentioned. Smith interpreted this quote as, “A teacher, Baldwin believed, should push students to understand that the world was molded by people who came before and that it can be remolded into something new.” I agree with this interpretation because we have a very important role as teachers in this society. In high school, adolescents constantly change, grow, learn about the world, and form their own opinions. As teachers, we also need to be aware of discrimination against black people and other minorities in the classroom and put an end to it. We have the power to do so when we are in our own classroom. The more we speak up, the more the students learn that racism and hate have no place in school or anywhere else. We hope to inspire the students to stand up as well and be the generation that will make changes in this world.
When I was reading Clint Smith’s essay, I was very moved by how he wrote about James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” essay. I researched and stumbled upon his TED talk on “The Danger of Silence.” Feel free to watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiKtZgImdlY.
This TED talk by Clint Smith gives a powerful message to speak up instead of hiding in silence. Watching this TED talk reminded me of a time when I could not speak. When I was twelve years old, something traumatic happened to me, and it took away my voice. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible for me to say anything. When I tried to speak, I stuttered severely, and people would laugh at me before I could even say what I wanted to say. I could only regain my voice when a teacher took the time to help me. She gave me a whisper reading phone where you can hear your own voice as you read quietly. Slowly, I was able to speak again. After watching this TED talk, I felt empowered because I had overcome my silence and learned not to be afraid to speak up. I believe everyone should watch this TED talk because there is so much hate and negativity in this world, and we need to act against it. As educators, it is our job to make the voices of our students heard and encourage them to be their own selves and tell their truth.
I will then leave you with a question: How do you plan on making your students’ voices heard and inspiring them to have the courage to speak up?
In the article “James Baldwin’s Lesson for Teachers in a Time of Turmoil,” by Clint Smith, the author discusses James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” essay and uses the same quote I just mentioned. Smith interpreted this quote as, “A teacher, Baldwin believed, should push students to understand that the world was molded by people who came before and that it can be remolded into something new.” I agree with this interpretation because we have a very important role as teachers in this society. In high school, adolescents constantly change, grow, learn about the world, and form their own opinions. As teachers, we also need to be aware of discrimination against black people and other minorities in the classroom and put an end to it. We have the power to do so when we are in our own classroom. The more we speak up, the more the students learn that racism and hate have no place in school or anywhere else. We hope to inspire the students to stand up as well and be the generation that will make changes in this world.
When I was reading Clint Smith’s essay, I was very moved by how he wrote about James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” essay. I researched and stumbled upon his TED talk on “The Danger of Silence.” Feel free to watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiKtZgImdlY.
This TED talk by Clint Smith gives a powerful message to speak up instead of hiding in silence. Watching this TED talk reminded me of a time when I could not speak. When I was twelve years old, something traumatic happened to me, and it took away my voice. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible for me to say anything. When I tried to speak, I stuttered severely, and people would laugh at me before I could even say what I wanted to say. I could only regain my voice when a teacher took the time to help me. She gave me a whisper reading phone where you can hear your own voice as you read quietly. Slowly, I was able to speak again. After watching this TED talk, I felt empowered because I had overcome my silence and learned not to be afraid to speak up. I believe everyone should watch this TED talk because there is so much hate and negativity in this world, and we need to act against it. As educators, it is our job to make the voices of our students heard and encourage them to be their own selves and tell their truth.
I will then leave you with a question: How do you plan on making your students’ voices heard and inspiring them to have the courage to speak up?
Every topic these days, feels so politicized and it's easy for all of us to draw premature conclusions about people based off of their personal beliefs. But when things start to become political, it's so easy to forget that there's a person behind the spoken word and that everyone, even those who don't share your opinions, deserve to be heard.
ReplyDeleteThere might not be enough time for us to sit as a class and discuss current events, but I feel like it shouldn't be a crime to stop what we're doing in class and to have discussions about what's going in the world. Teachers have office hours for a reason, and making yourself available to students for matters outside of the academics is also crucial. You want your students to know that they can come with questions and that you'll do your best to have an answer. But he key is listening, and letting the dialogue guide curiosity can sometimes be the catalyst for students to seek out the answers and learning their own histories, just as Baldwin challenged readers to do in his piece.
Thank you for sharing your story and the TED talk! After watching it there was a quote that resonated with me: “There is no time to pick your battles when your battles have already picked you.” This quote encompasses how as humans we don’t decide what has or will happen. The choice that is in our control is how we approach it.
ReplyDeleteI will also agree that students are sponges that absorb words and actions. We are key for them to learn multiple perspectives and get a grasp of what the world was and is until they experience it. However, this becomes harder when there are external factors in play. For instance, most recently, a presidential nominee has claimed to defund schools that don’t teach what he wants. In doing so, school curricula become limited and push out one narrative far from the truth. This is very concerning for our students, for the history of people, and for schools itself. With more reason, it becomes necessary for teachers to speak about current issues and events. Perhaps we can not make full-on lessons but we most certainly can have safe conversations in the classroom.
With the rise of technology and social media, students are becoming more knowledgeable and "educated" about our society and communities that lead to nuanced stances whether it be due to personal circumstances or the effects of popular influencers.
ReplyDeleteAs educators we are not able to fully control the information flow but what we can do is create safe places for students to discuss and learn together that can be built upon by healthy ways of communicating and listening.
The TED Talk you shared was poingnant and really fit in with the readings (and the audio) we were assigned this week. Our voice is one of the most powerful tools we have to manifest our ideals and ambitions. So it's important that we also teach our students how to harness that power as well. Your teacher that helped you regain your voice is an examplar of such.
ReplyDeleteIn order to build that voice, we have to also give students the tools to understand the world around them and uplift all of our students voices. Marginalization has always been a problem and will require us to have difficult conversations with both students and parents in order to help these students find their voice.
Thank you for sharing Clint Smith's essay, a brief clip from his TED talk, and your own personal experience with silence. It was really moving to hear him talk about the impact of silence, and one quote that really stuck out to me was "Silence is the residue of fear." To answer your question, I believe my plan on making my students' voices heard is to address whatever fear they might be experiencing in and outside the classroom. I can do this by giving time and space in the form of office hours like every educator already does, but I don't think that's enough. Some students are afraid to approach their teachers during said office hours, and I think the only way I can inspire students to have the courage to speak up is by emulating the effort that your teacher put in to getting you to speak up. Taking initiative when students fail to do so seems like the best way to get students to open up, and I am speaking from personal experience here, as well. I remember when life was overwhelming for me back in high school, a lot of my teachers noted the dip in my grades, but they didn't do much to get me to participate again in the classroom. It wasn't until a random history teacher pulled me aside to ask me how I was doing that I finally had the courage to loop my teachers into what was going on, communicate with them about what I needed from them to succeed, and move forward with my life in a healthier manner.
ReplyDelete