Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete

Below are my annotations from the article Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete-by Jeffrey M.R. Duncan-Andrade. (can be read here)

Questions:

If my actions towards my students is done in a sense that I perceive as caring, is it not just because one of my students does not believe it is done in a caring nature?

Yes, the election of President Obama does not completely remove racism from America, however why do we want to continue to see race as our divider as a nation?

I do not understand the requirement to be beloved in order to have a successful classroom?

Reactions:

I deeply feel that the use of the term “honky hope” continues to perpetuate the split in our nation based on the color of one’s skin. Especially given the statistics for ethnic distribution in urban students from the National Center for Education Statistics shows 48.5-42.7% of students were white from 1980-1990, with Black students making up 33-31.9%.

A part that surprised and troubled me, and I hope troubles all who read this, was when the author states “…teachers I have studied, the move from liked to loved … happened because of the level of self-sacrifice, love and support that accompanied those raised expectations.” Now this part is still related to what I question about this article. What troubled me most is what followed this statement by the author “… support took many forms: afterschool and weekend tutoring; countless meals and rides home; phone/text/email/ instant messaging sessions…” A positive but demanding classroom can produce successful students without a monetary sacrifice from the teacher. Also we would be violating school and district policy if we drove students home or sent them text messages.

Connections:

Thinking back to when I was in high school, as well as college, I worked forty hours a week and went to school every day so that I could reach that long term goal. Therefore, from my past experience and my perseverance to reach my goal I disagree with the authors claim that giving students goals and not handing the path and outcome to them is denied hope. As I see it teachers are not to be giving answers but to help our students find that path that fits them best, because it is very individualistic, and the understanding that they can reach the end.

Restatements:

Under the section of Socratic Hope the author gives the example of “humanizing” the students, I find this identical to building a community in the classroom which does have many benefits. The experience told by the student in Mr. Lapu’s class shows that his fellow students see him as a person not a gang member and he sees similarities in other students, this will also improve class participation because as a community they will be more respectful to those that are talking and help those who need help.

Applications:

I do disagree with a large portion of the article, from the concept that it is not on each student to become successful to the idea that teachers must be more vested than the student (and the unmentioned parents/family) in the student’s success. However, parts that I do agree with in the article come from the discussion under Socratic Hope. Mainly that we need to develop a community in each of our classrooms as well as be demanding when it comes to course work.