Burkins writes about her growing up years
as a middle-class White person and later
in life marries a Black man. Of
conflicting race and ethnicity, she and
husband have biracial children. Burkins defines this arrangement as an
overlapping space between two races, which affords some interesting and
difficult insights. She proclaims “Overt
forms of racism were not demonstrated or endorsed by my family, but from the
larger environment in which I existed” (Burkins, 2007, p. 164). She writes about the following myths of White
or middle-class people often make about
people of differing race and or ethnicity.
Accordingly the myths indicate that poverty is related to poor choices,
laziness, or even sin. Affection is in
the form of material success and the ability to buy a person’s affection.
Therefore, people of low economic status display little love for their children. More profoundly, there exist a superior race,
“White”, and that racism doesn’t really exist anymore. Burkins (2007) professes, “However, I have
come to understand that admitting prejudice and acknowledging racism does not
make me an evil person; it makes me an honest person” (p. 174).
Burkins composes, most literacy coaches as being White and for the most
part, white literacy coaches are teaching white teachers how to teach students
of color. She questions how this
interrelates to the achievement gap by not sharing the same ethnic background.
Anderson, a southern, African- American woman, who happens to be a Literacy
Coach Specialist discusses the internal tensions she faces. Based on her experience and those shared by
other African-America coaches, there seems to exist on-going struggle with the
term “two-ness”; A constant juggling act;
working in the education world—its practices
and customs steeped in mostly White middle-class values—while holding
onto our African-American roots. One
community asks us to adopt its norms and values, and the other says, “Don’t forget where you come from” (Anderson,
2008, p. 1). Anderson devices another term
“Crash Episodes”, were her inner self-collide
with the messages of others’ inner selves.
“In my position as a Literacy Coach Specialist, there are times in which
I am enraged by the subtle and sometimes overt statements or actions by
colleagues that call into question my competence as a literacy leader”
(Anderson, 2008, p. 1). Being a Lakota,
(American Indian) educator, I relate to Anderson’s “two-ness” and “Crash
Episodes” were one of the initial instincts is to weigh these interactions
determining if they are racist and if
they are derived from the innuendos Toll points out as prevalent myths of the
White society. As one steps back from
the overlapping space of race or differing insights, Burkins and Anderson, as
well as Toll, points out that coaching is building trusting relationships.
In the building of trusting relationships, Anderson writes, “this means not only being honest
but being real. It means being willing to have difficult, but necessary
conversations” (2008, p. 2). In association Burkins inscribes about raising
consciousness about racism and how to
point the way toward constructive action and begin to address institutional or
systemic racism within and beyond the school (Burkins, 2007, p. 175-177). She
provides actions involving seeking the support of others who are or have been
working through their own racial identity and or to develop relationships with people who are different from you. To
conclude she prescribes to reading and study to assist in speaking up against
the system of oppression and to challenge
them.
As the
authors of this course point out, being honest and real in the raising
consciousness about literacy and how to coach toward constructive action
through the building of trusting relationships is vital to my learning in this course. Paramount, as noted by Burkins, “My advice is to remember this: No matter how much you may
disagree with other educators about teaching practices, class management,
assessment, or anything else, what you have in common with them is that you all
care about students” (Burkins, 2005, p.135). Zeilinger (1986) in the Book, Lakota Life,
writes about the Lakota Virtues of respect (p. 23-25). He makes note that in
order for people to live together in peace, they have to respect one another
(p. 23-25). Toll (2005) when teachers are
resistant, it doesn't automatically mean that they don't want to change or are
lazy. By examining why a person resists, one can learn more about that person.
In this case, resistance might be a
source of information and growth (p. 120). The evolution of respect is bound up
in listening and learning. By listening to teachers, we
may find there is shared a commonality,
although they have chosen a different means to come to the same
conclusion. When there is a common outcome, there is more room for
discussion. Important to listening and
communicating teachers need to feel they are being heard, and their reasons are honored (Toll, 2005, p. 113).
Reference
Anderson, C. (2008). One
Conversation: Exploring the Role of Culture in Coaching. Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse. Retrieved
November 29, 2015.
Burkins, J. (2007). Coaching for
balance: How to meet the challenges of literacy coaching. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association.
Toll, C. (2005). How Do I Coach Individuals. In The literacy coach's survival guide: Essential
questions
and practical answers.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
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