Rethinking Schools:  

My First Year As a Teacher of Color

Teaching Against the Grain 

By Juan Cordova

Volume 33, No. 2 — Winter 2018-19: Link to article

I chose this article because after perusing the website for a while, I just kept going back to this title, and knew I had to read it. Maybe it is because I tend to lean toward the more personal story lines. Already upon reading the first few paragraphs did I see so many connections to the articles and discussions we've explored in class...from Delpit to Johnson to even the distinguishable concept of individual success versus the success of the collective whole. He states in paragraph two, "I learned English as an ESL student in middle school, repeating 5th grade and assimilating into a culture that valued me as an independent learner more than an interdependent community member" and already began to wonder how challenging of an adjustment this must have been for Juan. I immediately reflected on the EL students in my own kindergarten classroom, who have such limited language and vocabulary at such a young age (5 years old!), and are likely enduring this very same challenge! The "culture of power" is seen right away in Juan's story, and how by 5th grade he was able to point it out for what it is. Talk about reading that as a wake up call for myself, not even realizing my privileged blindness and "luxury of obliviousness" I had until I was an adult!

When Juan discusses how he felt like he personally struggled to connect with his high school teachers since they didn't represent him at all, it led my thoughts right back to the documentary we watched in class about the experience of Joanna Vega, the student with Puerto Rican background attending the Groton boarding school. There was such little diversity, and the culture of the school community was very entitled and affluent, thus perpetuating this narrow-mindedness through graduation to life after college. Many students were extremely out of touch with the current realities of social injustices and racism. Some of those filmed truly had no concept of their own White privilege and how ignorant their comments were toward Jo and the conversations with the teachers. Much in the same way Jo did, Juan had to discover like-minded students of color to encourage and support his abilities in order to graduate from college and later on, pursue grad school where, in his own words, he says "I reconnected with my roots as a student of Color learning to be a responsive teacher of Color." Even his support system was filled with "a powerful group of instructors, families, and community mentors who taught me the importance of teaching as a community teacher. This meant establishing relationships with students, their families, and our communities; and elevating their voices and presence in school; ensuring that they had access to school."

The fact that this is a scenario that I would never have had to go through was gut-wrenching to realize....and admit. But that doesn't mean it is too late for me to begin to take action right now...my classroom and outside in my own community. This man's journey has fueled my passionate fire even further, to join in the movement of change. Even reading about the how initially, the principal who interviewed Juan was deeply interested in "knowing other people's stories" and "establishing strong relationships with communities of color" shows how such seemingly small moments in time, like a job interview, can prove to be largely significant in its impact of expressing appreciation for the diversity and culture of others. Of course, it was disheartening to find out later that she pretty much exploited him for his Spanish-speaking and diverse "assets" without reciprocating support. What was interesting was that as a POC, even Juan was struggling to connect with his families, (such as the Popsicles in the Park debacle!) even though they may share many cultural experiences/similarities. This just proves how much intentional effort is truly required to connect and collaborate in authentic, dedicated and flexible ways, and Juan certainly never did give up trying! He even visited 10 homes of the 26 students alone, to truly learn about the family's roots and traditions. And then Juan would find ways to connect them to the students' work, such as in writing. This was so inspiring to read. 

Seeing how the other "fragile white colleagues" in the school where Juan worked felt this was extra and "unnecessary" work was so upsetting. This should be a priority for ALL teachers, to establish strong partnerships, but state standards and testing push this right out of the way. Juan states it perfectly: "But this work is not optional, it’s foundational. Community-based teaching is the only way I see teaching. But based on their responses, my white colleagues seemed to view my engagement with students and families in culturally responsive ways, particularly “outside” the classroom, as add-ons and unnecessary." And as a first-year POC teacher, Juan had to work harder to prove his abilities to the administration and faculty, and earn credit. His constant enduring of their dismissiveness to his contributions caused him to no longer feel as comfortable to speak up....connecting back to that "silenced dialogue." The fact that he had to "code-switch to be palatable" is unacceptable. Thank goodness for his community teaching partners where he says it provided "a space to validate our experiences, make sense of the chaos, and sharpen our teaching skills. Here we didn’t have to code-switch or think twice about what we said. We were raw and the only ones we had to comfort was each other. We would say, “If we don’t celebrate us, who will?”

But there should be many more spaces for support systems in the schools, especially for those teachers who come from marginalized backgrounds, not just from mostly families. The teaching gig alone is not easy, and comes with an exponentially high number of demands. This adversely affects the motivation for diversity of staff, especially POC to enter the teaching field, since as Juan says "this narrative of empty support persists in the retention and development of teachers of Color...Teachers of Color, like me, have a specific experience and ideas to help improve the status quo, but it doesn’t look like anyone is actually listening."

The author's final words of how we effectively fight for change connects to nearly everything we have been privy to in class so far, and is extremely powerful:

"What I demand now is authentic action and conscious reflective practices from all of my colleagues. Instead of using what we are, show up for us in substantive ways with action and less empty talk of “being an ally.” Elevate our voices on decision making; don’t volunteer our bodies to lead the learning of white colleagues. Step up and demand racial bias training. Think critically and authentically about your privilege and the intersectionality of your identities. Undermine your privilege and provide us with a shoulder to step on so we can collaborate equitably. It’s time to end the reign of empty rhetoric and hollow support for teachers of Color."

This is the goal and the bottom line. THIS is what we are charged with. And he is as clear and direct as it gets. So what is still our excuse?  

Here is a link for social justice projects to explore and potentially try in your own teaching settings:

I'm the link!