NEWSLETTER
Looking back on my educational trip, I recently reflected on my class experiences from the kindergarten to the fourth grade. Summer before entering the fourth grade, my mother informed me that I would attend a new school in my same community with a warning: it was a class in the talented and talented education program.
Before that moment, I was mixing with my classmates and sailing through the typical challenges of primary school. Once I made the transition to my new learning environment, the classroom in which I entered was very different from the one I left. The students of my old school were predominantly black, and they looked like me, my friends and my family. Even my teachers were mainly color teachers. I felt alone in a new place with new faces. I was no longer isolated in my own little bubble, and the world was growing before my eyes.
The reality of moving to a talented class and the isolation of classmates who would otherwise have been my friends became evident one day during a basketball game in the break. A regular basketball game became a study of us against them. The vitriol of other students who looked like me was palpable; While my team won the game, there would be a fight between both classrooms shortly after. It did not seem to be for the game itself, but sick feelings about our class placement. It was a revealing moment that I had never experienced before.
On the one hand, I had access to an education that challenged me in the classroom. The curriculum was challenging, and the rhythm was faster than it was used to. I found myself surrounded by colleagues who shared my enthusiasm to learn, and for the first time, I felt really committed and inspired. Our teachers encouraged us to think critically, ask questions and explore issues beyond the standard curriculum. This environment promoted a sense of intellectual curiosity that would remain with me during my educational trip, and it was also an experience that tested my identity, self -esteem and well -being.
Despite being an environment that ignited my intellectual abilities, impostor syndrome would drag my thoughts frequently. This highlights what I think is true for most color students entering talented and talented programs in the United States, particularly the black children that make up only A small portion of door programs. Knowing this disparity, I have become part of my mission as an educator to support talled black children like me, and encourage my classmates and school leaders to do the same.
Seeing a difference in me and others
When I arrived at high school, they took me to a school outside my neighborhood because they had a door program. He took a one -hour bus trip to and from school every day. I remember getting out of the bus and students who refer to us as the “Montghetto Bus”. Initially, I did not think it was a cozy place; The environment was not familiar, and high school children can be vicious. My classes were even less attractive because I had few classmates who were black. However, it was a space where I could prosper academically and develop a deeper understanding of several issues. I was exposed to advanced concepts and encouraged me to pursue my interests with passion and dedication.
Some teachers nurtured my gifts and talents, but there were also teachers who tried to isolate me from my classmates. In my seventh year, I spent more time in school suspension than in class. The high quality learning environment faced the inherent hostilities between students and teachers. It was then that I began to build an understanding of the inequalities that existed in school. It was in this school that I saw follow-up First hand, and the students knew who was in gifted programs and who was in lower level classes. Like any other high school student, he was on a hard self -discovery trip. Even so, I went ahead, determined to show that it belonged academically.
In high school, I decided who I was as a student and learned who he was as a black and Puerto Rican man in Montbello. He was motivated, regardless of the deficit mentality that the students and teachers had about what he was capable of and who was supposed to be. He was on his way to university and knew exactly how he would get there.
My experience in Gate pushed me in a way that I would never have expected; However, difficulties on the road do not always work positively for children like me. Throughout my educational trip, I could not avoid noticing the lack of diversity in door programs. It was discouraging to see that the black children who were without support in these programs. This realization became even more pronounced as it advanced in high school and began to understand the broader implications of this disparity. It became clear that the lack of support and Subreation of black children in talent programs It was not due to the lack of capacity or potential, but systemic barriers that should be approached.
Noting the holes
Every year, they give me the list of students in Advanced learning plans (ALPS). I have worked in schools where students are predominantly black and color students, but I have also worked with a small population of white students in each school. In each school, I found it interesting that we can always identify talent in our white students because there is always at least one in an ALP. In my experience, the proportion of white students gifted to their total populations compared to other demographic data is amazing, as was also the case in Denver Public Schools just recently.
Having long recognized the lack of black male representation in the programs of the door of my experience as a teacher and student, I have made my mission to identify and recommend that students exhibit qualities endowed and talented in several ways, from students who exhibited an extremely high intellectual coefficient to those with an exceptional athletic capacity in each sport they played. I have seen students with assistance problems who could enter a test and obtain the highest score, despite losing significant days of instruction. I have also witnessed students who showed their brilliance sporadically, but they often felt alienated by the school system, which led them to constantly disconnect from their education.
When I recommended these students for door programs, they often did not approve the standardized tests. It was not until recently that I learned from a colleague about the multitude of ways in which students can be identified as endowed. Recognizing various forms of talent, my co -worker could triple the number of talented and talented students in our school. This experience solidified my belief that door programs must use varied methods to identify talent in all student populations, ensuring that each child's potential is recognized and nourished.
THE UNIT FOR CHANGE
All students, regardless of their background, deserve the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential and excel in their educational activities, especially our gifted black children who remain in the shadows due to a system that refuses to recognize them. When black children are allowed to prosper in challenging academic environments, they develop a feeling of self -efficacy and confidence that extends beyond the classroom. They become models to follow for their classmates, demonstrating that excellence is attainable for all, regardless of their background. This positive domain effect strengthens families and communities, promoting a culture of achievement and aspiration.
To achieve this vision, it is crucial that families, teachers, school leaders and policy formulators meet and take measures. Identifying and promoting black children requires a collaboration effort and commitment to equity and inclusion, regardless of today's narrative.
The early identification of talent is essential to ensure that black male students receive the necessary support and resources from an early age. Schools must implement detection processes that take into account the various ways in which talent can manifest. This includes recognizing talent in areas such as creativity, leadership and problem solving, as well as traditional academic measures.
Teachers play a fundamental role in the identification and raising of black male students. It is essential to provide professional development opportunities that focus on culturally receptive teaching practices and the unique needs of black children. Educators must be equipped with tools and knowledge to recognize and support the potential of all students, regardless of their background.
Creating inclusive learning environments that celebrate diversity and promote a sense of belonging is also crucial. The curriculum must reflect the experiences and contributions of different cultures, and teaching strategies must be designed to involve and challenge all students. This includes providing opportunities for black male students to explore their interests and follow advanced courses in a support and enrichment environment.
Involving families and communities in the educational process is vital for the identification and success of the students endowed with black men. Schools must work to build solid associations with families, providing them with the resources and information they need to support their children's education. Community organizations can also play a role in the offer of enrichment and opportunities programs for students to develop their talents outside the classroom.
Last but not least, defense is necessary at the local, state and national level to ensure that policies and practices exists to support the identification and inclusion of black children. This includes advocating funds, resources and programs that address the needs of various students. Legislators and policy formulators must eliminate systemic barriers that prevent black children from accessing door programs.
My trip of class programs to door programs has shaped my perspective on education and fed my passion for promotion. I have experienced the benefits of being in an environment that challenged and nurtured my academic potential, and I am committed to ensuring that more black children have access to these opportunities. When working together, we can create an educational system that identifies and fosters all gifted students. It is time to make a concerted effort to identify and support each child endowed, because it will ultimately benefit us all.
