A Tale of Two Teachers | Melissa Crum | TEDxColumbusWomen

Summary

The speaker recounts personal experiences with biased teacher interactions and the subsequent decision to homeschool, leading to the creation of a cooperative. They explore teacher biases' impact on education, noting disparities in discipline and academic standards. The speaker advocates for critical self-reflection in teacher training, using art and dialogue to confront and change deep-seated biases, ultimately improving educational outcomes and societal engagement.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker fondly remembers her second-grade teacher, who once corrected her behavior but also showed kindness and understanding.
• 👧 The speaker experienced a moment of racial bias in the classroom during 8th grade, which she reported to the principal, leading to an apology but also a realization of the teacher's unawareness of the impact of her comment.
• 📚 The speaker noticed a disparity in reading levels between herself and a white classmate, which made her reflect on the teacher's comment about her intelligence.
• 👶 The speaker's anxiety about her son's education led her to create a homeschool cooperative to limit exposure to potential biases in traditional schools.
• 🏫 The homeschool cooperative began with two families and grew, with many families citing negative teacher interactions as their motivation for homeschooling.
• 👩‍🏫 Research indicates that teachers' backgrounds significantly influence classroom dynamics, including curriculum choices and interactions with students.
• 📊 The speaker highlights the disproportionate disciplinary actions, special education placements, and medication rates among African-American students, as well as the existence of race-based academic standards in some states.
• 🔍 A comparison of teacher and student demographics shows a significant gap, with the teacher workforce being predominantly white, middle-class, and monolingual English speakers, despite the diversity of students.
• 🌐 Diversity training programs for teachers are categorized into conservative, liberal, and critical approaches, with the critical approach being the least utilized but most effective in addressing power dynamics in the classroom.
• 🎨 The speaker advocates for incorporating art, storytelling, and peer dialogue into teacher professional development to foster critical self-reflection and stronger relationships with students.
• 🤝 The 'multicultural critical reflective practice' process encourages teachers to confront their biases and preconceived notions, leading to more engaging and equitable classroom interactions.

Q & A

What incident during picture day in second grade had a significant impact on the speaker?

The speaker's second-grade teacher grabbed her wrist and scolded her for not being her best, which initially made her angry. However, the teacher later apologized, gave her a cupcake, and encouraged her to rejoin the class when ready, showing a moment of growth and understanding.

How did the speaker react to the comment made by her 8th-grade math teacher about being 'pretty smart for a black girl'?

The speaker felt confused and unsure about how to respond to the comment, recognizing it as problematic but not knowing exactly how to address it at the time.

What action did the speaker take after her principal's response to the math teacher's comment?

The speaker did not receive immediate satisfaction, but a few days later, the teacher apologized for potentially offending her, showing a lack of awareness about the impact of her statement.

How did the speaker's experience in 8th grade with reading levels influence her perspective on racial bias in education?

The speaker noticed that a white classmate reading at a 12th-grade level did not receive the same comment as her, which made her reflect on the potential racial bias in how achievements are acknowledged.

What motivated the speaker to create a homeschool cooperative?

The speaker's anxiety about her son's upcoming kindergarten experience and the desire to limit exposure to racial biases in traditional schools led her to create a homeschool cooperative with other parents.

What did the speaker discover about the reasons other families joined the homeschool cooperative?

The speaker found that most families who joined the homeschool cooperative had experienced negative interactions with teachers, either personally or through their children.

What are the three categories of diversity training programs mentioned in the script?

The three categories are conservative, liberal, and critical. Conservative focuses on assimilation, liberal on tolerance, and critical on investigating power dynamics and inequity in the classroom.

How do race-based academic standards affect students' opportunities in education?

Race-based academic standards can create disparities in educational opportunities, as they may require different passing percentages for students of different races, potentially limiting access to higher education and future success.

What demographic disparities exist between students and teachers in the K-12 system according to the script?

While students of color have doubled in the last 30 years and there is a significant number of students living in poverty or learning English, the teacher workforce remains predominantly female, white, middle class, and monolingual English speakers.

What is the 'multicultural critical reflective practice' process created by the speaker and her colleague?

The 'multicultural critical reflective practice' is an ongoing process that encourages teachers to identify, analyze, and challenge their cultural beliefs, values, and assumptions that influence their interactions with students.

How does the speaker suggest incorporating art and storytelling into teacher professional development?

The speaker suggests that incorporating art, critical self-reflection, storytelling, and peer dialogue into professional development can help teachers become better leaders by reflecting on their biases and fostering stronger relationships with students.