Post #4
As a young person from South Providence, I knew the impact of my schools looking uninviting and unsafe, my teachers not understanding or making assumptions about us because of where we lived and what we looked like, and not having the proper resources for our classes. Sugata Mitra demonstrated that young people who lack resources are not inherently less smart, they need access, opportunity, and support. The dialogue around students from neighborhoods like mine tend to be deficit-based conversations, especially when the adults are not from our communities. Psychologists and researchers have studied the impact of stereotype threat on students of color, primarily Black students for years.
"Researcher Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann describes stereotype threat as “the fear of being judged on the basis of negative stereotypes, and the fear of doing something that would confirm those stereotypes,” which can lead to reduced academic achievement and can affect students’ social-emotional well being."
So many of my peers were creative and talented in ways that weren't developed in the classroom, and it makes me think: Who would we be if we had access to art, music, technology, and culturally relevant curriculum? What would we have accomplished if our teachers saw us as individuals with real potential? Where would we be now if the adults in our schools saw us as dynamic and whole human beings?
As a youth worker, I prioritize authenticity and liberation in everything that I do. Much like Mitra described, I like to take the Granny Approach. I prefer to provide clear expectations, any necessary tools, and ongoing coaching or support so that young people can gain confidence in themselves and our working relationship. In more recent years, I've learned how to surrender control so that young people can take the lead on their own developmental journey. Due to this surrender, I've had the privilege of witnessing young people do things that I never could have imagined for them and for me this solidified the idea that no one knows someone better than themselves. When we have open, trusting, and mutually beneficial relationships with young people they tend to tell us exactly what they need in their own way.
Jenneya, your post is very thought provoking, especially your questions. Having grown up in Pawtucket myself, everything you said really hit home for me. Like you, there are people I have (had) in my life that I still wonder about. Who could they have been? Where would they be now? Certainly, I think my decision to teach has a lot to do with my journey as a student. I was lucky enough to have some pretty stellar educators in my life who helped me get access into spaces I didn't think I was allowed to be a part of; they gave me the confidence to put myself out there and to go deeper with my learning. My hope is to return the favor to my own students. Your admission of surrendering control to students interests me--it feels deeply poetic and radical; I don't often hear teaching/supporting students described in this way, so thank you for that.
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