What My Black Student Taught Me, His White Teacher, About Black Lives
I can’t tell you how many times Darnell was in detention.
After a while, it didn’t feel right if he wasn’t staying at least an hour after school.
Darnell was late to class.
Darnell swore at another student.
Darnell copied someone’s paper.
Darnell did just about everything and anything that came to his mind. And it earned him time after school with me, his newly-minted 8th grade language arts teacher.
In a class full of mostly brown and black students, many living in an impoverished high crime Pittsburgh suburb, Darnell was the standout. Or at least his misbehavior was.
At first, he complained, but I had his mom on speed dial, and she fully supported my holding him accountable.
He wanted to do his homework during this time, but I made him do busy work instead. The way I looked at it as a young teacher just starting out, if I gave him time What My Black Student Taught Me, His White Teacher, About Black Lives | gadflyonthewallblog:
