Lisa Delpit's main ideas are that:
• there is a "culture of power" in which people with power, that in most cases they are not aware of, act, dress, talk, and behave, a certain way, different than those without power
• everyone has to be taught the rules and codes of power if they are to have an equal chance and not perpetuate the power cycle
• those outside the culture of power are most aware of its existence
• those without power need to be part of the discussion on how to end the inequity, and those with power have to be willing to participate, and even give up their inequitable power
• intention and implication are separate, and so we must not only teach with the right intentions, but constantly check that the implications still match or benefit our intentions instead of contradicting them
• the point is not to teach students to give up their ways, but allow them to know the culture of power so that they may have it in their arsenal for disposal when needed
Quote: Delpit pg 29 "(Parents of children outside the culture of power) want to ensure that the school provides their children with discourse patterns, interactional styles, and spoken and written language codes that will allow them success in the larger society."
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The codes of power that Delpit talks about are taught in the classroom that I've been working in. The teacher talks to the students very directly and tells them exactly what she wants them to do. They are not given as many privileges when they have done something to break her trust.
ReplyDeleteWhen I talk to the students I'm usually speaking nicely and without much authority. Sometimes, if I start to lose their attention, I've noticed that they respond well to being told sternly what to do. For example, one time I was helping a student plan out his fiction story and he started to talk to his friend. He wouldn't respond to me when I asked him nicely to stop, but when I told him more sternly to stop and focus on his paper he did.
Another thing that I noticed in the classroom was the way that students know when to use their first or their second language. When talking to each other, I've heard them speak Spanish, but when they're talking near me or the teacher, they'll speak in English. I wondered if they do that because they want to, or because they've been taught that speaking English in front of people who only speak English is more appropriate because then they can understand as well.
Mr. Mitrelis is the teacher that I work with for Service Learning. He isn’t the best example of “how to be a good, effective and engaging” teacher, but sometimes he catches me off guard. He has, more then once this year, had a teachable moment, when a student asked him a question, and he stopped to explain his answer to the class. At one point, when trying to help a student write an essay, he informed the student to “write like you’re talking to a friend,” which I thought was pure genius. Then he stopped and got the class’ attention and he told them, “write the essay like you’re talking to a friend, but correct them like you will show them to the principle.” This is a total Delpit moment, I thought to myself.
ReplyDeleteHe is informing them that they should be writing to the quality of showing the highest supervisor they know, pushing them to write at their ability, but then do their best work every time, and instead of just saying “and do your best work”, he gives them something to strive for, a perspective, an EXPLICIT goal in mind. Delpit is all about the explicit instruction and goals to help you succeed in the culture of power, and this nails the idea on the head. I found myself thinking “I wish someone had told me THAT in middle school.”
The Met stresses the importance of Codes of Power, teaching them to all the students through their job shadows, interviews, and internships. The school stresses how to act in their internships, how to dress in an interview, and the importance of respect in the work world. The early introduction of these codes to students hep them to succeed for future endeavors, whether they are pursuing college or continuing in the specific job fields after high school.
ReplyDeleteBecause the school is so diverse it helps students who are not a part of the privilaged white class these codes, which is important to help minorities to succeed in a country that sometimes doesn't fully cater to them or their needs.
Really great discussion of Delpit's major ideas and the examples support it well!
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