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

Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

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.

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