Why Race Has Everything To Do With Who and How I Teach Every
community is different and has its unique types of strengths and
weaknesses. For teachers that are unfamiliar with my particular
population of students, race, sadly, has everything to do with
who and how I teach. The Rising S.T.A.R.S. Male Academy is a
gender-based program housed within the walls of North Clayton
Middle School in metropolitan Atlanta. At North Clayton, the
student body is comprised mostly of African American students—
about 90 percent. The rest is of Asian and Hispanic ethnicity.
Because I am responsible for teaching solely minority male
students, my approach and methods have to differ from the
“typical” middle school classroom. I have to teach the way boys
learn, in addition to breaking down the cultural barriers that
hinder learning. One of the biggest misconceptions about my
students is that they don’t desire an education. Sadly, when
middle school black boys are all thrown into the same pot,
people, both within and outside the c