PRINCIPALS, I AM NOT YOUR MAGICAL NEGRO
For many schools, having a Black man in their buildings often means having a disciplinarian in their school to supervise Black students, particularly Black male students. Sometimes, schools specifically hire Black men to dole out discipline and other times schools make Black men the de-facto disciplinarian. I’ve seen this happen to Black men in schools. It happened to me.
Once folks caught wind that students listened to me and that I was a competent classroom manager, I became a go to person for discipline matters. I was asked to speak to students on the spot when they defied a teacher, I was asked to step inside a classroom and address students if a teacher saw me walking by, I was “asked” to house misbehaving students in my classroom, assigned students who other teachers “couldn’t handle,” and I was often left alone for lunch duty. My supervisors didn’t ask me to help build the staff’s competence by coaching struggling teachers or leading professional development. They ignored that my classroom management was grounded in love and building an effective and mutual learning community.
Non-Black teachers and administrators alike referred students to me for what they described as needing “guidance” and they were usually Black male students – many of whom I didn’t even teach. I love(d) working and building CONTINUE READING: Principals, I Am Not Your Magical Negro - Philly's 7th Ward