The Teacher That Every Child Deserves

Introduction:

More often than not, Black children do not experience strong teacher-student relationships; do not feel culturally relevant; are expected to perform below proficient, and are assumed to have disinterested or uneducated parents or caregivers. Unfortunately, these stereotypes can be harbored by teachers and administrators. This can provoke low student motivation, discomfort or invulnerability, and poor class participation. As a result, there is an underrepresentation in enriched classes, an overrepresentation in remedial programs or courses, and an influx of children, beginning in preschool, who are suspended for misconduct or dysregulated behaviors. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-upending-stereotypes-about-black-students/2013/10Background:

? Background:

One study showed that in 1987-88, Black teachers were the second largest teaching population in public education, reaching about 191,000 nationwide; however, that number has declined in the last 3 decades. Contrarily, there are still more Black educators in low-income schools than in affluent schools. In relevance to this, the number of White teachers decreased approximately 8 percentage points since the 1987-88 academic year, but have remained steady at 87% in all social and racial academic populations?National Center for Education Statistics?(NCES).

?????????? Positive Impacts:

In the late 80s, I attended one of the most upscaled public high schools in Kansas City, Missouri. And although it was in an affluent neighborhood, bussing changed the complexion of the student-body. As an African American student, it was easy to tell off the bat which teachers were invested and which were not. Some literally passed us along so we can go along. Then, there were some who graded you beyond your intellect, and they knew it. They seemed to have joy ridiculing you with red marks for the eyes of the whole class to see. But then there were some that genuinely cared- you not only knew it, you felt it.

Personal Experience:

For me, there was one teacher in particular that moved me as I quietly admired her teaching style. She was patient and allowed students to express their learning through writing. Back then, teachers did not directly speak on culture, but this teacher’s vibe let her students know that they were cleared to express. She never gave savior energy, all natural. She was chill. Don’t get me wrong, she was particular about sentence structure, grammar, and content, but at your pace. She delicately matched my learning style. Purpose was exemplified. She did not just teach the “what”-she gave the “why.” ?{Essays are essential in higher education. Spelling is necessary for job applications. Who wants to read a bunch of misspelled words? And having a dual dictionary with a thesaurus attached enhances vocabulary. She frowned on redundancy. Expanding your writing is a perquisite to expanding your thinking. Did you know this sets the tone for an excellent conversation piece and gives courage for public speaking?}

Ms. Shirley Fessel:

Trusting was challenging for me. I was an over-achiever, but I never felt I had that grip to exceed beyond expectations. I always wanted to be better than good. I wanted to be great. But high school blues, dating, and maintaining peer pressure crowded my capacity. Home life, blah blah blah. I needed to know my academic point. I always had a knack for literature and writing, but never knew how to align it properly with my emotions and experiences. Ms. Fessel offered me that. Through every part of her passion, I learned that seeking perfection is not necessary when you have yourself. It’s within you. Her smile and style gave me my point-loving to write is really a thing and I owe it to her.

Interview Questions:

1) What or who inspired you to teach? My teachers        

2) How long did you teach? 29 years        

3) What grade levels have you taught? 5th-college        

4) How many years did you teach high school? 15 years        

5) How many years did you teach at Southwest? 5 and became a counselor last year it was open        

6) What is your fondest teaching moment? Southwest class gave me flowers        

7) What sparked your interest to teach English Language Arts? My love for reading, writing, literature. Words are very important. Published articles, self-help workbook, short stories, and poetry.        

8) If you were in a time capsule, what would be one part of today's instruction you wish you had when you stared teaching? Technology, research on teaching writing process        

9) What is one thing you believe is missing in schools that was present 20-30 years ago? Respect for teachers. Media criticism of public education makes our job harder.        

About the author: Dr. Traci Smalls Marshall is the youngest of 5. She graduated from Southwest High School & is still orange and black proud. She consistently enjoys writing and frames it as a therapeutic component. It truly has been the driving force to her clarity, discernment, and cognitive freedom. Thank you Ms. Fessel!