Christina McVay creates a comfortable classroom setting for her pupils by allowing them to speak freely and in their own vernacular. She believes that her students know when to use proper English, which she prefers to call consensus English. Because of this welcoming environment that she creates, her students learn and desire to know more. Furthermore, Christina McVay says, “I think probably more lights have gone off for me than for my students. I suppose I’m really doing this teaching for myself”(95). She really is emphasizing the equal exchange that comes with being an educator and how learning is a life long and never-ending process.
It is intriguing to see how interested McVay is in black culture. It is rare to find a teacher who is not black with such desire to know about black culture. She understands that language is relative to culture and that different cultures embrace different traditions and understandings. She sees the world from a multidimensional point of view, and for this reason, we thought fondly of her beliefs and perspective of our culture.
We believe that it would be beneficial to have more educators that are ensuring the success of their students. Educators who want to learn about the struggles of their students will help to make students more responsive and passionate about their studies. We did feel that McVay painted black people with a broad brush, in suspecting that many black people do speak slang. However, overall we appreciate her support of black females and the differences she is attempting to make in women like us.
I too loved the interview with Christina McVay. It was very interesting to know her point of view, as a white woman, on Black language. She was a bit stereotypical when refering to Black women, but I still respect her honesty.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying 100%! How McVay says that it was a more eye opening experience for her than her students, the honesty in that shows us that the perspective of African American children is subject to change. Instead of now judging the book by its cover, she can speak out against sterotype and advocate for African American children and education.
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This article explains in brief the role in which McVay plays in life. It explains how the in some people's minds, its not all about the race but about being human. One quote that stood out to me in the article is,"Educators who want to learn about the struggles of their students will help to make students more responsive and passionate about their studies." This quote makes a valid point of the importance of being an educator. In order for students to learn and prosper they need a teacher who is passionate about thier students and their work.
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