When more than 80 percent of America’s teachers are White and approximately 50 percent of the students they serve are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), that disparity affects the professional and personal responsibility to equitably service and grow all students, cultivate a climate of professional growth, and attract and retain BIPOC educators. Navigating this educational “white space” requires shifting our perspective on this damaging dynamic, and finding value-building staying power through the denials, difficulties, and discrimination that frame it.
In this experiential devotional, author Maessie Allen Jameson shares strategies born from struggles, familial adages that transcend educational theory, and empowering scriptural lessons that have nurtured her love for teaching and view of what achieving perfection looks like in the American public education system as a Black educator. Her three-pronged approach involves establishing Christian credence, engaging in critical conversations, and developing cultural competency. She provides thematically aligned classroom strategies, scripture readings, and planning pages for reflective application. Teachers of all levels will find approachable tools to help them respond to racism, isolation, burnout, prejudicial practices, and damaging pedagogy.