The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit

    After reading "The Silenced Dialogue" by Lisa Delpit, I can see how her ideas relate directly to the ideas we’ve been talking about in class and our future as teachers. An example of how important it is to "bridge the gap" is when a student speaks another language at home and ends up feeling isolated when they’re at school because their culture isn’t represented. Delpit's book encourages teachers to acknowledge and appreciate diversity in their classrooms, but also to help their students explore other cultures without losing their own identity. 

    One of the quotes I liked is actually one of Delpit's five aspects of power, which is "The culture of power is a reflection of the rules of the culture that has the power," (p.24) because it explains how educators have to recognize these unspoken rules that they might already be used to and explicitly teach them to students who aren't part of the dominant culture without minimizing their cultural identities

    When I was researching Delpit, I found another quote that I think is important from further ahead in the book, "If we are to successfully educate all of our children, we must work to remove the blinders built of stereotypes, monocultural instructional methodologies, ignorance, social distance, and bias" (p.182). This is a real call to action for educators to start using more inclusive teaching practices that respect and welcome the diverse experiences of their students. 

    I think the most important part of all of this is that all students have a place where they feel they are able to learn and be themselves. One step teachers can take is to incorporate materials and examples during lessons that reflect other cultures, which will help their students feel represented and valued in the classroom. They should also actively listen to the students and their families to build trust and help them better understand their students' needs and goals.

~Angel