Delpit Reader

The Skin That We Speak - Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom

Summary

This book is organized into three parts: Language and Identity; Language in the Classroom; and Teacher Knowledge. The editors, Delpit and Kilgour Dowdy, selected artifacts such as essays, analyses and case studies, to provide perspectives on how language affects children especially in the classroom.

Part One has two essays that give a background into the problems arising from language. These personal stories show the process of alienation that learners go through when their home language is different from classroom language.

Part Two has essays and studies on the social aspects affecting language, learners and the classroom. Attitudes in the classroom are articulated and analyzed. Solutions that are constructively-oriented and not deficit-bound are shared and supported.

Part Three presents arguments about national language policies and the legitimacy of non-mainstream languages being protected and maintained. It does this by sharing stories from teachers’ perspectives. Attitudes and suggestions are shared.

Evaluation

This book provides a rich assortment of perspectives through a variety of written artifacts. The stories included offer a wider perspective to listen to and look at language, classrooms, and learners. The case studies and analyses were well written, easy to follow and engaging. All work chosen for this book was supported by references to widely accepted experts as well as an excellent addition of personal essays and non-academic sources.

Reflection

Talk about agency and power of children in classrooms is incredibly important. The editors’ selections help to show and legitimize that discourse around how children are ‘formed’ – not just their language, but their identity – are critical aspects for educators and the educational system to address more holistically.

While this book focused on children in classrooms, the information discussed, because it focused and contrasted home and classroom culture, is transferable to discussions of other environments. It provides perspectives to view and query, not just classrooms, but any learning environment. The discussion of identity is also applicable to adults – especially when learning other cultures or learning outside traditional job training.

Other Books

In "Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom," Lisa Delpit delves into the complexities of education and the cultural conflicts that often arise within the classroom. Delpit argues that educators must recognize and respect the cultural backgrounds of their students to create effective and equitable learning environments. She explores the challenges faced by students of diverse backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of understanding the cultural nuances that shape their learning experiences. Delpit contends that a one-size-fits-all approach to education can perpetuate inequality and hinder the academic success of marginalized students. Through insightful analysis and practical recommendations, Delpit encourages educators to adopt culturally responsive teaching strategies that bridge the gap between the cultural diversity of students and the educational system. "Other People's Children" serves as a thought-provoking guide for educators and policymakers seeking to promote inclusive and effective educational practices.

"Multiplication is for White People: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children" is a thought-provoking book by Lisa Delpit that addresses the challenges and disparities in the American education system, particularly for students of color. Delpit explores the impact of low expectations on marginalized students, arguing that the educational system often fails to recognize and nurture the intellectual potential of these children. The provocative title reflects the author's critique of the assumptions and biases that hinder the academic progress of minority students. Delpit advocates for culturally responsive teaching practices and underscores the importance of setting high expectations for all students, irrespective of their racial or socioeconomic backgrounds. Through a blend of personal narratives, research, and practical insights, Delpit urges educators, parents, and policymakers to reevaluate their approaches to education, emphasizing the need for equity and inclusive practices to ensure that all children have access to a quality education.

"Quality Education as a Constitutional Right: Creating a Grassroots Movement to Transform Public Schools" documents a pivotal meeting convened by civil rights leader Robert Moses in 2005, where African American and Latino intellectuals and activists gathered to discuss a transformative campaign for a constitutional guarantee of quality education. The book explores the passionate response to this call and the subsequent movement it ignited. Featuring contributions from various perspectives, including Moses's historical plea, Ernesto Cortés's insights from organizing Latino communities, Charles Payne's interviews with students demanding change, legal analysis by Imani Perry, and perspectives from educators like Lisa Delpit, Joan T. Wynne, Alicia Carroll, and Kim Parker, the book advocates for a renewed scale of organizing, legal initiatives, and public definitions to reshape the discourse around quality education.

"Teaching When the World Is on Fire," edited by Lisa Delpit, offers timely advice and strategies from educators across the U.S., addressing pressing issues such as discussing politics in the classroom, processing news on topics like sexual assault and Black Lives Matter, and navigating controversies around climate change and immigration. The collection features insights from respected educators, principals, and classroom teachers, providing guidance on creating a just and caring classroom environment. Described as an urgent and earnest collection, the book emphasizes the importance of teaching young people to engage across perspectives for the purpose of fostering a just and caring world.

Delpit's influence on me:

Why Hold on to the Deficit View?

When teaching adults you must assume that they have lived. They have language, even if it is only oral language. They have a myriad of experience – positive, negative, neutral. They have families, networks, jobs, knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, self-awareness, self-sabotage, habits and hobbies. The learner is in the classroom to learn, practice, and master something. The adult is not broken; the adult wants to add something new to their palette of power knowledge. (Conlan et al)

 

Why do we not approach children this way? What makes us think that they have not had experiences – positive, negative, neutral? What makes us think they don’t have families, networks, jobs, knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, self-awareness, self-sabotage, habits and hobbies? This background is not invited into the class in an explicit or acknowledged manner. With children we follow a Cartesian ‘empty slate’ where we must instill middle class White American values into all children even if they are not middle class, White, or American. What makes us think that children are broken and need to be fixed? (Wuerth)

 

We are currently embedded in an educational philosophy that champions a ‘deficit view’ of learning. With the No Child Left Behind act we use language that focuses our view to the past, not to the future. By labeling learners deficient, resources are moved around to reward those who are already enfranchised within the current system. Those that are good at teaching status quo values have a head start and will not be left behind as the federal system through the NCLB act promotes those values. NCLB sees multiculturalism as a disadvantage – something that needs to be fixed. Through an NCLB lens, a deficit view of education is best to rectify this knowledge gap. (Cochran-Smith & Lytle)

 

Why hold on to the deficit view? Educators, decisions makers, and the media are trapped in the research box. The funded research further defines the deficit view box. There is a lot of knowledge about this box, but if it is never contextualized into another background – healthy, knowledgeable, successful people; economic and political realities; public safety – then it gets left behind as it cannot be transferred to contexts besides school and bureaucratic organizations. Research asks how to fix broken kids and schools, when what is askew is our viewpoint. The current philosophy and research want to reclaim a past that doesn’t serve its citizens. (Nieto)

 

We have outgrown the box of schools. We have outgrown the box of looking at learners as broken. Instead of a philosophy that looks back to a past, why do we not look to thinking and imaging a future?

 

One thing that hinders a more hopeful view is power constructs. To better educate children if should also better educate parents, teachers, the public, and decision- makers. Adults anchor their view of education on their past. This past is anchors to industrialized education. We live in a world that is post-industrial, information-based, and technologically ensconced. Why do White middle class values still seem the pinnacle of educational standards when so much of America is neither White nor middle class? Why is it still so difficult for immigrants to be treated fairly when America has been built on the backs of immigrants and the lands of a marginalized indigenous people? Emulating the culture and language of middle class White Americans is power. Why don’t we question the existence of this box? Why do we want to fix something that doesn’t work for most people living in America? (Delpit)

 

Letting go of the deficit view is not as hard as it seems. There is research that will help weather the changes to a better system instead of current status quo box. The Two Way approach teaches at least two languages. When learners pick up more than one language it improves their cognitive abilities significantly. They transfer this patterning to learning other content beside language acquisition. (Berriz) Couple this approach with a professional development practice of inquiry as stance, then teachers as well as students can document their learning process, share pitfalls and successes with others, and do a continuous improvement of the education system at the same time. (Campano)

 

What needs to be re-established as primary in all schools is the focus on student agency and story immersion. With today’s technology now allowing learners to make written, spoken and visual stories, it is even more important to move this immersion in story telling and story sharing to a critical analysis of the stories. Looking at stories, questioning them, pulls in an implicit critical reasoning and thinking practice which can transfer to every student experience – positive, negative, neutral. Every student’s family, network, job, knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, self-awareness, self-sabotage, habits and hobbies. It lets them control their voice. It lets them assess the context. It lets them decide where the new content will rest upon their palette of power knowledge. (Jones)

 

References

Berriz, B. (2009). From Chapter 16 Raising Children’s Cultural Voices in Rethinking Multicultural Education: Teaching for Racial and Cultural Justice by Wayne Au. Rethinking Schools Ltd.

Campano, G. (2007). Immigrant Students and Literacy: Reading, Writing and Remembering. Teachers College Press.

Cochran-Smith & Lytle. (2009) Inquiry as Stance: Practitioner Research for the Next Generation. Teachers College Press.

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., Smith, K. (2012, February 28) [Wiki]Adult Learning. FromEmerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retreived fromhttp://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning.

Delpit, L. (2006). The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children in Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. The New Press.

Jones, S. (2004, July). Living Poverty and Literacy Learning: How teachers respond to stories of poverty can either silence or validate children’s experiences. Language Arts(81.6). 

Nieto, D. (2009, Spring). From A Brief History of Bilingual Education in the United States in Perspectives on Urban Education. University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Wuerth, S. (2009). From Chapter 23 Edwina Left Behind in Rethinking Multicultural Education: Teaching for Racial and Cultural Justice by Wayne Au. Rethinking Schools Ltd.