Chelsey Dunning
Why teach in an urban setting??
There are many reasons that I can think of as to why I want to teach in an urban
setting. The main reason I feel this way is because I get the impression from society that
we don’t care as much about our urban students as all of our other students. To me this
doesn’t make sense. Isn’t a student always a student no matter where they live, or what
school they go to? They are all learners. I want to teach in this setting because I hope to
be the person to help make these children feel like they deserve an education just like all
the other children their age. The area they live in and their socioeconomic status should
not affect their chance to have teachers that are qualified, excited about teaching, and are
dedicated to their students. These qualities, I feel, are all things that I myself posses.
I hope to make I difference in the lives of children that people usually don’t spend
very much time with. As a suburban student I was sheltered from many realities in the
world. Things like identity, race, and privilege were never talked about or understood. I
hope that as a teacher I am able to learn about myself from them, and all of their
accumulated life knowledge that I may have missed out on. Yes, I am smart, and well off
but that only takes you as far as book smarts. What about knowing who you are and who
others are? These students have the other half of the puzzle that I long for, the street
smarts or knowledge of the reality of life. I hope as an urban teacher I am able to teach
them the type of knowledge I know, the stuff your “supposed” to learn in school, in
return for the knowledge they have of people, relationships, and life. In addition I want to
motivate and support these students, show them people like them who have succeeded,
and give them the knowledge and power to also succeed. I want to teach them about the
system and the injustices that take place under it so they are able to rise above. I hope to
make a safe area where students can forgot about their problems, feel safe and just learn.
I know it’s going to be the hardest thing I may ever do, but I am ready for a challenge.