Have any of you read the book “The Other Wes Moore”? It was the reading in common book for Gustavus freshmen this year, so both of my roommates (greeters) had to read it. They both loved it and suggested that I read it, so I did. I just finished it yesterday (it was a quick read!) and it brought up so many issues for me about the education system and the system of privilege in America.
Read this: http://theotherwesmoore.com/
for a little summary on the book/story, and then read these highlighted passages from my reading of the book below:
- On the military school that he was sent to after getting into the wrong crowd: “They [the teachers] made it clear that they cared if I succeeded, and eventually so did I” (115).
- Wes Moore, the author, talking to the other Wes Moore about nature versus nurture and how it impacts who we become and the decisions we make: “‘Do you think we’re all just products of our environments?’…’I think so, or maybe products of our expectations’…’Others’ expectations for us or our expectations for ourselves?’…’I mean other others’ expectations that you take for your own’….I realized then how difficult it is to separate the two. The expectations others’ place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves” (126).
–>I think this brings up the issue of students rising to expectations. In this regard, I believe that a teacher should never give up on a student. Students are aware of this, and students will rise to the occasion if given the support, the tools and the expectation.
- On one of his friends who missed a lot of school because of a family situation and tried to return, but found that nobody seemed to care: “Where was God when a young boy came home from a school that was as uninterested in him as he was in it?” (140).
–>This relates to some of the stories from our “Social for Social Justice” text.
I think these tiny excerpts from the book outline one major concern for students and the success of underprivileged students in schools: do the teachers expect them to succeed? How would you approach a student who clearly does not want to be in school because of family situations, gang involvement, etc? How would you, as the teacher, make clear your high expectations for all students, and how would you support all students in their diverse needs for meeting these expectations and doing their best?
Mostly, I really encourage you all to read this book if you haven’t. It’s an incredible story that highlights many areas in which “the system” created disadvantage and advantage for these two young boys based on the means from which their families came and the support they were given from their respective schools.