Transformation brewing
By Siobhan Boylan
Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 9:02 pm in Siobhan Boylan.
This weekend I had, quite dramatically, a transformational experience. Two, actually.
On Friday I went to hear Jonathan Kozol speak in Berkeley. He gave his usual talk about Pineapple (a student from the Bronx) and the evil of standardized tests, but he manages to broach such dire subjects like tests and inequality and scripted curricula with a silver lining that instead of being discouraging is inspiring and uplifting. He was pushing his new book, Letters to a Young Teacher, about a young woman in her first year of teaching in Boston. Her tales of subversive rebellion is exactly what I needed to hear. When I got the chance to speak with him and get my fresh new book signed, I got quite choked up as I tried to tell him about the shackles I wear called Open Court, Language for Learning, disfunctional and overwhelmed district staff and seemingly insurmountable fear of failing test scores. I asked him to come to our school. He asked me to write down my contact information. I am hopeful that in the least I will create a powerful ally.
The following day I attended a conference called “Teachers for Social Justice.” This is an organization of teachers who use their work in the classroom as a tool to achieve educational equity — and social justice. The opening address was given by an Oakland teacher and SFSU professor, Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade. His thesis rested on the notion that our educational system is currently balanced: On one side of the scale are the “gangstas,” who try to sabotage the efforts of the teachers for social justice, while on the other side are the “ridas,” who put everything at stake for the success and sustainability of students and their families. In the middle sit the “wankstas,” people who want to be ridas, but are pulled by curriculum, paperwork, inexperience, isolation, and, most notably fear, closer to the side of the gangstas. He made it clear that you don’t get to be a rida simply by doing your job. You must be prepared, have a clear purpose and vision, reflect, and be willing to take risks. His ending quote was, “Anything worth doing requires risks.”
After leaving this conference I felt ready to buck the trends in my classroom (which are going southward) and push aside my complacent compliance in order to liven up my classroom and make it a space for true critical thought and analysis. My purpose has been made quite clear thanks to Duncan-Andrade and Kozol: Ms. Boylan is going to be a rida.
I’ll keep you all posted as to how it turns out…
Siobhan Boylan is a 3rd grade teacher at East Oakland PRIDE
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October 22nd, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Siobhan:
I really have enjoyed your blog about your first year teaching. I’ve been in the ed biz for about two decades, and it helps rekindle my own passions for the fine and delicate and occasionally thoroughly absurd art of teaching (at least in Oakland).
I do feel, though, somewhat called upon to respond to the Duncan-Andrade “trichotomy” of “gangstas, wankstas and ridas.” It’s not nearly as simple as Duncan-Andrade makes it sound. Probably over the course of your career, you may find yourself in each of these categories depending upon the circumstances, but like most of us, you will defy easy categorization.
Choosing a course of action will, with each new decision or choice to be made, will be dependent very much upon layers of past experiences as well as present goals and objectives. You will, inevitably, feel that you must “pass” on some battles, and inexplicably (to others) stand firm on others. Sometimes you will NOT be able to go it alone; sometimes you will give into fatigue or stress or lack of time or persnickety parents or arrogant administrators.
You will see that these categories describe only a few of the possible stances teachers may assume at any given moment. I did look at some of Duncan-Andrade’s writings and while there is some validity to what he says, I have found equal validity in opposing viewpoints, to say nothing of personal experience.
My teaching philosophy continues to evolve over the years. It is like a painting with many layers that build up to the rich tone and texture. There is no one “guru” with whom I entirely agree, nor anyone whom I would simply follow without question. Education, like fashion, has fads. After a while, you get tired of the fad and start to develop your own philosophy.
I have, in fact, great confidence, that you will do just that.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Thank you, Oakland teacher, for that wise response. Frankly, as a newish teacher, it would probably be much more helpful to me to read YOUR blog.
And I guess I must be a Wanksta, since I am offended that anybody would call a teacher such a nasty nickname! Hopefully it seemd funnier in context…
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
To the Oakland Teacher,
I am glad you posted your response to my diatribe. I certainly do not think that there are only 3 categories of teachers, nor do I think I will always be on the side of the righteous. In fact, most of the time I feel like a failure. I don’t have the money or energy or experience to re-create my curriculum to how I think I ought to teach, nor have I even begun to understand the unique needs and challenges of the kids in my class. I constantly doubt myself, my curriculum, my administration, my training, my motives, my philosophy. So you are right - no one can ever be the perfect teacher and good teachers ought to know that they will change and adapt to each circumstance as it arises. We newbies need those reminders often! Thank you!
November 15th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
There’s a big difference between the teacher who gets up every day dedicated to helping students learn (rida), the teacher who gives up on students (wangsta), and the teachers who have insidious ideas of what urban youths deserve (gangsta). The teacher that gets up every day and puts her heart into teaching and helping students learn is definitely a “rida” – even if the teacher is unsure of her success. Indeed, insecurities are often what makes us push work harder, be better. Those who are convinced that they’re doing great are probably the same people who can’t hear critical feedback; these are stagnant people. In the end, it is our commitment to social justice, to students (especially students in low-income communities), and to the profession of teaching that makes us “ridas”. Siobhan Boylan, I hope that despite the bad days, you ultimately continue to “ride”.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:32 am
i’ve heard the exact same “gangsta, wanksta, rida” speech/presentation before. i taught at the same school with Jeff for an entire school year. the presentation is definitely compelling and can stir one to action, no doubt. but i think, like the previous posting stated, it’s not as simple as it’s portrayed.
the degree to which one dedicates themselves to this profession depends on personal circumstances, drive, work environment, resources (school & community), etc. i found, in my experience, that you can definitely hit a wall of stress, fatigue, and frustration if you don’t have the things necessary to succeed in place. i’d be the last person to discourage anyone from making an honest, sincere attempt to put themselves out there and do what they can to improve a tragically screwed up situation. but it is also prudent to be reasonable and measured in being sure to not turn themselves into a martyr when it’s not called for or desired.
i think we can say in all candor that poor folks (people of color, specifically) are going to continue getting the scraps when it comes to resources (people & material)alotted for education. anyone who has taken a serious look at the history of public education in this country knows that creating capable, critical thinkers is the LAST thing this institution is concerned with doing. unfortunately, the people overlooking/administering urban education prey upon the good intentions of those who decide to venture into it by unpaying, underfunding, and understaffing the places they oversee - and they aren’t compelled to do any differently. it’s a hustle/racket like anything else, criminal or “legitimate”. if you decide to stay in the profession, just realize that and find a way to make it work for you without driving yourself into the ground. that doesn’t do anyone any good.
those areas over taken by crime and despair are not going to change by having people from the outside come in and save it. the government (local, state, or federal) for damn sure isn’t going to do what’s needed…mainly because nobody cares: the will isn’t there. if it was, what you see now would have changed and very long time ago.
if people want to step up and work for change, that’s all well and good…but poor folks here need to stop waiting for somebody to save them. at some point, when our prople (my people) have had enough and despair and self-destruction or no longer viable or palatable, when the pain is too much…it’ll change. When a body is in enough pain, it’ll do what is necessary to remove, or distance itself, from what’s hurting it.
in the mean time, to coin a time honored local phrase…”get in where you fit in”.
do your thing.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:50 am
another thing: don’t be guilt tripped into staying in if you feel it’s time to pull out. knowing when to say when is a wonderful thing. it’ll prevent you from having a nervous breakdown.
you didn’t create the conditions within which you work. there are much larger forces operating here…very powerful historical, social, political, ideological…spiritual forces. it’s bigger than you or i. the things that were done to create this mess aren’t going to be fixed merely by making a “great school” with “dedicated teachers” and a trick curriculum. if it was that easy, then the crimes commited against the people you see everyday (and the ones that came before them, and the ones that came before them) wouldn’t be as serious and deeply destructive as they in fact are.
you don’t fix the mental, social, cultural, spiritual, and familial crippling of a people (peoples) that easily.
December 23rd, 2007 at 3:10 pm
How’s the ridin’ been thus far? It’s hard, even for a third year like myself, but believe you me, it feels so good to be hood. I just got put onto your blogs by others in the blogosphere, so this is good to see. Peace …
May 19th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
u were already a rida! but coastin’ from this point on. Good luck on test scores next year. we need to get together June 13 or 14. Let me know.