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202 reviews for:
For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'All Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education
Christopher Emdin
4.11 AVERAGE
202 reviews for:
For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'All Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education
Christopher Emdin
4.11 AVERAGE
As someone who has only taught college students in the farthest suburbs of Chicago, I was interested in hearing what sorts of strategies Emdin would bring to the table. I don't teach anymore; now, among other administrative duties, I advise a wide variety of students at a community college. Emdin has experience teaching middle school, high school,and college but mostly sticks to discussing the former two age groups. Not as relevant to me but still knowledge I want to absorb. I don't have the teaching experience to disagree with him, and the basic principles of his argument for reality pedagogy aligns with the research reading I've done on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on college campuses. Overall, I would say the principles Emdin lays out are achievable by the target audience but only with wholehearted effort to change their mindset and belief in their students. I think the tone Emdin takes in the simulated discussions with students seems exaggerated in its simplicity, but it could be the difference in student population ages, middle school versus college. I would be interested to hear from someone outside of this book who has made these changes in their classroom.
Handshakes? "Take 'em to church?" This book really and truly is for white folks that teach in the hood.
Here's the trick to effective teaching: see your students as individuals and recognize that they may have a different background or experiences than you. Work hard to reach them anyway and check your biases -- we all have them; don't disregard them, but be aware and acknowledge them.
I'm hesitant to give a harsh review of this book because for someone it may be beneficial. For me, I was waiting for the "aha" moment, the enlightening part, the new information and it never came. But maybe I wasn't the target audience.
Talk to your kids, listen to them, make adjustments accordingly. Don't be so stuck in your preconceptions; ask and assimilate.
Here's the trick to effective teaching: see your students as individuals and recognize that they may have a different background or experiences than you. Work hard to reach them anyway and check your biases -- we all have them; don't disregard them, but be aware and acknowledge them.
I'm hesitant to give a harsh review of this book because for someone it may be beneficial. For me, I was waiting for the "aha" moment, the enlightening part, the new information and it never came. But maybe I wasn't the target audience.
Talk to your kids, listen to them, make adjustments accordingly. Don't be so stuck in your preconceptions; ask and assimilate.
Great insights and applicable examples.
Very helpful read, providing excellent responses to both students and teachers.
Very helpful read, providing excellent responses to both students and teachers.
This book is awesome! I checked it out of the library and can't renew it because there's a waiting list. Therefore, it made the jump from my to-read list to the top of my to-buy list. I did finish it, but wasn't able to give it the attention that it deserves.
While I hope to teach preschool, and For White Folks... is geared toward middle school and higher (I think it can be fairly easily adapted to fourth grade +), I have grander thoughts about what a total Preschool-twelve program would look like and this fits right in.
I don't think you have to be a high school teacher to appreciate this book. Heck, I don't even think you have to be a teacher (or aspiring teacher) at all. It taught me a lot about African American culture.
While I hope to teach preschool, and For White Folks... is geared toward middle school and higher (I think it can be fairly easily adapted to fourth grade +), I have grander thoughts about what a total Preschool-twelve program would look like and this fits right in.
I don't think you have to be a high school teacher to appreciate this book. Heck, I don't even think you have to be a teacher (or aspiring teacher) at all. It taught me a lot about African American culture.
Honestly, this book said the same thing in different ways until it was drilled in the readers head. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Get to know your students. Relate to them. Connect with them. Get on their level. Set the purpose and help them see why it matters. All important and he gives great ideas for how that can be done. I say 5/5.
Get to know your students. Relate to them. Connect with them. Get on their level. Set the purpose and help them see why it matters. All important and he gives great ideas for how that can be done. I say 5/5.
Emdin has some good ideas in the book that I’d like to implement. I don’t quite agree with all of his assessments of what should be done in a classroom and why. I can see the points he’s trying to make in getting white educators to connect with their students. The motivation for those points are important. There are some approaches he encourages that i just don’t think are the best way. Not necessarily one of my top reads, but it was good.
A lot of great practices for me to implemeng in my classroom!
Wow! Great perspective for me and several practical methods to use when engaging with students. Recommended for any educator who teaches folks different from their own cultural background. #realitypedagogy
Emdin's initial observations about the creation of camaraderie among students and the dramatic differences between the behavioral "norm" in public education and the scene in some various communities seem (in the opinion of this white librarian reader) to be accurate, significant, and useful.
He uses the term "neo-indigenous" to correlate the status, treatment, and power of students who are people of color with that of the Native Americans and indigenous people in other countries that were colonized by Europeans. "White folks" is used to identify members of the "group that is associated with power and the use of power to disempower others," but he clarifies that not all white people, and not all white teachers are the same, AND some people of color act just like white teachers.
The cultural norms he cites and the basis for his techniques are described as (1) the Pentecostal pedagogy in which the passionate, spontaneous, loud participation of the audience is welcomed and incorporated; (2) the well-respected barbers who use humor, question-&-answer, validation, and personal stories to make connections upon which content can be delivered; and (3) the rappers' cypher form of collaboration used to collaborate in a group.
At that point, the author begins describing each step of the technique he derived from his observations:
Establish "cogens" in order to incorporate students as co-teachers in order to accomplish the multilayered goals of teachers to get aligned with the students' culture, to know & exploit the students' own interests & skills, to build familiarity & camaraderie quickly, and to involve the students in their own education by making them responsible for both learning & teaching.
This sounds fantastic, and I believe it could be - but Emdin's book becomes prescriptive & limiting as if he doesn't actually trust anyone to use his insight & observations to come up with their own unique applications. Interestingly, most of his effective, successful examples start with describing a particular failure of his and the chance occurrences that resulted in his insight - a remarkable rhetorical device which somehow managed to undermine his authority while at the same time making him look smug and self-serving.
I didn't care for his emphasis on competitions - and the pedagogical point wasn't well-made, and his chapter on "curating & computing" might already be practically irrelevant in most schools, but his idea to overtly discuss and teach code-switching seemed like an excellent point.
The conclusion was a collection of "thoughts" that are a mix of wise comments and platitudes.
What I find here is material for a number of insightful articles for teachers combined with a complete description of a very personal pedagogical gimmick that apparently worked quite well for him.
He uses the term "neo-indigenous" to correlate the status, treatment, and power of students who are people of color with that of the Native Americans and indigenous people in other countries that were colonized by Europeans. "White folks" is used to identify members of the "group that is associated with power and the use of power to disempower others," but he clarifies that not all white people, and not all white teachers are the same, AND some people of color act just like white teachers.
The cultural norms he cites and the basis for his techniques are described as (1) the Pentecostal pedagogy in which the passionate, spontaneous, loud participation of the audience is welcomed and incorporated; (2) the well-respected barbers who use humor, question-&-answer, validation, and personal stories to make connections upon which content can be delivered; and (3) the rappers' cypher form of collaboration used to collaborate in a group.
At that point, the author begins describing each step of the technique he derived from his observations:
Establish "cogens" in order to incorporate students as co-teachers in order to accomplish the multilayered goals of teachers to get aligned with the students' culture, to know & exploit the students' own interests & skills, to build familiarity & camaraderie quickly, and to involve the students in their own education by making them responsible for both learning & teaching.
This sounds fantastic, and I believe it could be - but Emdin's book becomes prescriptive & limiting as if he doesn't actually trust anyone to use his insight & observations to come up with their own unique applications. Interestingly, most of his effective, successful examples start with describing a particular failure of his and the chance occurrences that resulted in his insight - a remarkable rhetorical device which somehow managed to undermine his authority while at the same time making him look smug and self-serving.
I didn't care for his emphasis on competitions - and the pedagogical point wasn't well-made, and his chapter on "curating & computing" might already be practically irrelevant in most schools, but his idea to overtly discuss and teach code-switching seemed like an excellent point.
The conclusion was a collection of "thoughts" that are a mix of wise comments and platitudes.
What I find here is material for a number of insightful articles for teachers combined with a complete description of a very personal pedagogical gimmick that apparently worked quite well for him.
Everything about this book made me reflect on my teaching practices and go, "Well, damn, I do that." I've worked at schools that are located in the "hood." I grew up with a predominantly black community, so I thought I knew and empathized with my students. However, after reading this, it made me realize that I can do more. I've silenced my students because of standardized tests and teacher evaluations. I do strengthen my relationships with students at the end of the school year and have allowed my students to create and share. I've always appreciated my students' culture and with this book, it reminded me that I can always do more.
So good with legit research and examples to think about.
So good with legit research and examples to think about.