Assumptions

Urban Assumptions

The assumption is that urban communities are nothing but drugs, gangs, violence, the poor and the homeless. The assumption of anyone coming from an urban background is that they are trouble. Also, the assumptions of people living in these communities are poor, uneducated, and uncivilized. There is a stigma attach to people who live and thrive in urban community, which I encounter. Whenever I announce that I am from Paterson I always get a “look,” this look of shock or discomfort. Therefore, this assumption of urban stigma is projected onto me, which is almost always associated with negativity.

Through my eyes, the urban communities are a place full of hope and dreams. The urban community is where I truly see diversity. Many people immigrated to the United States with the hope and dreams of a better life. When they entered the States, they usually settled in urban communities. Not everyone who lives in these communities is an immigrant. Some of these residents had lived in the urban communities for many years and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. The urban communities are full of life, culture, and history. Although there is beauty in the urban communities, there is also a lot of hardship. The hardships and the ugliness is what most people see and focus on when they refer to the urban communities, especially in the urban education.


Belief of Urban Community:

What is my belief on urban centers, schools, teacher, and students? Well, I believe that urban centers is a place where people go to when they need help, to have fun, and a place where people can go to in search of answers. These centers could be a local church, food bank, shelter, schools, health centers, community recreational centers, etc. These centers help the people in the community with their needs which are food, shelter, clothing, therapy, health care, a safe place, etc. These places are normally seen as happy and friendly places but, when you walk in you can’t help but feel worried, helpless, and maybe sad. I would like to say that the centers are like sanctuary but, all I could see is worry souls and emptiness in people’s eyes.

Urban schools are often overcrowded with students and under fund. These schools are usually in poor conditions and offer minimum after school programs. The curriculum is tuned down to accommodate States requirements and students learning levels. Some schools are unorganized and do not work as a collaborative school. Most class go with the rhythm in various teaching styles and it seem like no one is communicating with each other. This could be the result of the over crowdedness and the lack of funding. The urban schools also lack communication with parents and an overall involvement with parents and guardians.


The teachers in urban schools could be catalog into three groups. These teachers are normal but burned out, not passionate, or evil. The teacher who are there for the children become stressed out, over worked, and bombarded with negative feedback from there environment. The other teachers who are not passionate are the one who ends up in working urban schools because they could not find a job anywhere else. Thus, they are empty teachers who seem to go through the motions of teaching but, has nothing invested. Then, there are the “evil” teachers, who are teaching in the urban school systems, and their goal is to kill dreams of the learners. They like to pray on children’s innocence, hopes, and dreams. These are the teachers who does not understand children and expect these children to fail the very first day they stepped into the classroom.


The urban students are very diverse in knowledge level, culture, ethnicity, and social class. Many of these students fell through the cracks of the urban public school system. For the largest part, these students come into the classroom with a lot of mixed emotional, psychological, and physical baggage. Most urban students are poorly treated under-minded, and neglected. Students in urban school lack motivation and is portrayed that the students are unwilling to learn. The majority of the students are also under educated and pushed aside; there are very few that is an exception of these factors.


Belief in the classroom:

These beliefs come from my own experience growing up and attending the urban public schools. Throughout my all my life, I am growing, attending, and volunteering in the urban community and schools. I have come to believe that the reason why I have such a negative feeling about the urban community is because I have seen sides, the good and the bad in the schools. The best of the best only happens once in a while and the worst of the worst is everyday. Although my beliefs are formed from my experiences they are not carved in stone.


I feel that my beliefs will help me with working with different teachers and students. Through my beliefs and my experiences, I feel that I am able to understand and work with them. Depending on the type of teacher that I will be working with, I would learn what to do and what not to do. Since I am a guest in their classroom, one must know their boundary. On the other hand I feel that my interaction will be active regardless of my belief about the teacher. At time you are going to work with people you don’t agree with and vice versa but, is what you do with that time that is what counts.

Still, I do not think my belief of the schools, teachers, and the students will affect my work. This is something silly to say because your belief is part of your identity. And even though I felt like I slipped through the cracks of the urban school system and let down by teachers, I still have hope. My belief about urban schools does not shape my belief in education. I believe that all children deserve a good education. In the Annenberg Promise one of the focuses on is equality and I feel that this equality is the key.

Through all of my belief and assumptions about urban education, I feel that I will become a good teacher. A good teacher meaning that I will put effort into my studies, students, and toward the school. I would challenge the students and treat them with the same respect they give me. I have seen good and bad teachers and I will learn from their mistake or triumph from their wonderful teaching techniques and I become a fine teacher.