For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education (Race, Education, and Democracy)

by Christopher Emdin

He asked, “Are you saying that a master’s degree in education is useless? Aren’t you sayin’ that the job is so easy that even a kid can do it?” My response was “That is exactly not what I am saying. I am saying that the job is so layered and complex that those who live it every day are probably better equipped for it than those who don’t. An advanced degree in education is absolutely necessary for anyone who is going to teach. However, for white folks who teach in the hood, it must be supplemented with much more.” Coteaching in reality pedagogy requires that teachers acknowledge that they may be an expert in their content, or at teaching that content in another location/setting, but not at teaching it to the neoindigenous. The process also requires that teachers let their students know that they are not only students but teaching experts whose knowledge about how to teach has tremendous value.