CCCC 2005: ReviewReview: C.31 An Autoethnographic Examination of the Effects of Race in a ‘Raceless’ Classroom Chris Drew presented “An Autoethnographic Examination of the Effects of Race in a ‘Raceless’ Classroom,” which was a reflection on his role as participant-observer during his thesis research. He was initially inspired to conduct this research project after his experiences as a tutor where many African American students claimed their teachers were racist. When Drew began teaching FYC, he taught sections specifically reserved for students who were admitted to the university through a special program that conditionally allowed students to enroll even though their ACT scores did not meet regular admission standards. In his first year, all of Drew’s students were African Americans, and he focused much of the coursework on dialect, attempting to show students that they could choose their own language. Even though Drew is white, his experience as an athlete enabled him to learn Ebonics*, and he employed this dialect during class. Drew specifically focused his discussion on his underpreparedness as a beginning teacher of FYC, and he identified three adaptive responses that emerged: 1) not learning, 2) resistance, and 3) crossing. While Drew encouraged students to use their own language in their writing, many of his students were resistant to this because they saw future consequences for not learning to employ Standard English. They tried to make this clear to Drew in class discussions and journal entries, but Drew states that he was resistant to their concerns and he did not learn from their statements because he was so focused on creating an environment of acceptance. His fluency with Ebonics allowed him to cross racial boundaries, and because of this, he saw himself as being raceless. However, in reflecting on his experiences with crossing, he now questions whether his focusing so much time on students’ rights to language actually impeded the acquisition of crossing abilities that these students might otherwise have made. Drew’s candid reflections on his experience bring to light the importance of reflective teaching practices. While I think it is nearly impossible to adequately prepare new teachers to convey an effective presence in the classroom, particularly because this presence is so influenced by the personality of both the teacher and the students and the mission of the teacher, I do think an ongoing emphasis on reflection can help new teachers negotiate who they are in the classroom, what they intend to take place, and how their students perceive what is happening. * Drew used the term “Ebonics” during his presentation. During discussion afterwards, an audience member and other presenters identified several other terms including Black American English, Black English Vernacular, and African American Vernacular English. |
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