EP239 Five things I’ve learned as a white teacher working in a Black community (with Sara Singer)

If your cultural, racial, or socio-economic background is different from that of your students, there can be a learning curve as you build rapport.

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Sara Singer, a high school special education teacher on Chicago’s South Side. Sara loves to co-teach and support students with disabilities in the general education classroom. She is also passionate about equity and creating rigorous, student-centered curricula.

Sara is a writer for the Truth for Teachers collective, and her first article is tackling a pretty tricky subject: what happens when you are of a different race, ethnicity, or cultural background than your students. Sara is white — specifically, Jewish in her heritage —and her student population is almost 100% Black.

She shares 5 core understandings she’s developed in building her cultural competency over the years. I think you’ll find that this conversation is empowering and helpful to anyone working in a diverse community or with families whose identities and lived experiences are different from your own.

Click here to read the transcript and participate in the discussion or, join our podcast Facebook group here to connect with other teachers and discuss the Truth for Teachers' podcast episodes.

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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/id954139712?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.podcasts Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew