Response to Alaina's Prompt #2 - Delpit

For some reason I couldn't respond to your post on your page so here it is! :)

Hi Alaina!

After reading this prompt and your connection to Lisa Delpit, I couldn't help but be reminding of my situation with my service learning experience. The biggest shock that I found in my school is there are no bilingual educational services available for the students. This, I noticed is the same as your school. I find it interesting that there are no ELL classrooms or programs to help students of a different language and culture with their English. However, it's good to hear that your classroom is set up so that all backgrounds and cultures are honored in a sense that none are excluded.

Another issue that I found interesting because I have noticed the same thing occur in my experience is the language barrier between parents and teachers. Most kids in my classroom come from a Hispanic background therefore Spanish is the primary language. When communicating with their kid's teachers, this barrier can cause many problems. I also feel that to solve this problem, the child should NOT be obligated to translate for numerous reasons. You have also clearly stated these reasons.

Lisa Delpit would definitely agree here when you mentioned her article, The Silenced Dialogue because you showed how individuals need that explicit instruction in order to feel a certain power. Not to say that this power should overrule another individual but to make them feel equal to his/her peers (especially in a classroom setting).

Great Job!

Liana