Hajer Yahya

TED 2250
Reflection 1: What do I think schools should be for?

Being introduced to some effective community youth workers and the

qualities that make them successful in the Learning to Liberate book helped

me realized what it means to be an urban educator, what I believe urban

schools should be for, and what the role of teachers should be within those

schools. What I read about Dereca and Rudys successful accomplishments in

teaching and reaching those kids taught me that to be an urban educator is

to be part of the students lives. As Rudy said, Were dealing with the most

interesting generation that we need to deal with and work with right now

with everything we know and we got. We just got to know how to utilize it

right (Watson, 70). Most of the kids come from broken homes, violent

neighborhoods, poverty, physical abuse, having access to weapons and

guns, being a gang member, and lack of success such as school. No one

takes care of those kids and they come to school to be safe and escape the

reality they come from. To be an urban educator is to be able to stand in that

field and face the challenges not only to help those kids succeed, but to

teach, reach and lead them to where they belong and where they feel

successful. It is our responsibility and our duties to guide them to the right

direction and be there for them as their family.

School remains one of the safest places for youth, especially for

teenager of color living in poverty (Watson, 78). Urban schools should be

the place where those kids feel they are welcome and where they can
discover who they are. Urban schools should be learning organizations for

young people who have repeatedly been left behind and are struggling

alone. Because urban children are more diverse in their ethnicity, race,

wealth, life experiences, and other learning needs, the role of teachers within

those schools should be as those highly successful community-based

educators Vajra talked about in her book. Dereca, Rudy, Victor, and Jack each

exemplified success and faced the challenges to help those kids succeed

against the odds, opened their hearts, led them to the right direction and

provided them with high expectations that made them see a brighter future

coming their way. These educators were very effective in working with those

needy young people to support them overcome their struggles and make

amazing changes in their lives. Thus, teachers within those schools need to

have a clear understanding of their students realities coupled with high

expectations as Dereca thought were a critical point (Watson, 72). As

teachers, it is important to become familiar with the urban reality and have

an idea of what is going on in their students neighborhoods to be able to

assess the students and educate them openly. In order to do that, learning

should be deeply connected to personal and community transformative.

Teachers need to learn to communicate with their students and understand

them as Rudy did, learn to love their students as Dereca did trying to be a

mother to all, and create connections with their students as Victor did.

Finally, teachers need to learn to believe in their students and are

encouraged to listen to them, most of the kids out there are just looking for
somebody to help them out or to give them some love. Theres a lot of these

kids out there that front like they violent or they act like they will get on you,

but a lot of them just want to be heard, Rudy explains (Watson, 64).

Students need opportunities to see teachers other than just teachers, but as

human beings, as friends to rely on.