To Teach

This week I read William Ayers' book, To Teach, the journey, in comics. One central argument of the text that stood out to me was in chapter 2, "Seeing the Student." Ayers reminds us that students are often labeled, which is currently an epidemic in our country. He explains that these labels can have serious unattended consequence for children. Children begin to fixate on their limitations, rather than their potential. This idea reminded me of the truths behind self-fulfilling prophecies. This reminded me of my own experiences as a student when I moved from Pawtucket to Foster in third grade. I went from being the top in my class to being labeled as "behind" in Foster. I remember feeling devastated and I begged my mother to take me back to Pawtucket so I could be smart again. Labels can certainly make someone question their own intelligence and push him/ her down the path of low self-esteem.


Ayer also gives an example of his own son Chesa, whom he anticipated as being a challenging student. Ayer was taken back when Mr. Sweeney mentioned Chesa's talents and capabilities before noting that at times he was a challenging student. I found myself agreeing with Ayers' thoughts on this topic. Reflecting on my own teaching, I think there have been times in my career when I have been too fixated on a student's downfalls or problematic behavior rather than his/ her potential. This year, I have tried using more positive reinforcement and community building within my classroom to build stronger connections with my students. I am hopeful that this will help me work better with students who demonstrate problematic behavior through restorative justice practices.

Lastly, in chapter 4, "Building Bridges," I enjoyed reading about the teacher, Avi, who witnessed an uneasy exchange in class about a racial situation that escalated. When the white student made an ignorant comment about people of color, Avi allowed another student in class to challenge her remarks in a confrontational manner. Avi then questioned whether or not he made the right choice within the class. This reminded me of my own experiences when teaching privilege and institutional racism within the classroom. These topics can be uncomfortable for me and probably many students, but the conversations matter. Tapping agains the glass is the only way to push back on injustice, and I agree with Ayers when he explains that these conversations won't solve racism, but they are still important.