What It’s Like to Be a White Teacher in a Black School

Professional development fails to address issues of race in the classroom, be yourself and let your students fill the gap

‘Sir does it bother you that you are like white, and we are like…. all black?’

Teachers get bombarded with questions every day. How long until the end of the lesson? When do we get to go on a field trip? Sir, can I slap John he’s annoying me?

Most of the time questions are derived from frustration.

Frustration at not getting the required attention in a class of thirty children. Frustration at being stuck inside a classroom with the same people all day. Frustration that none of the lessons seem relevant to the here and now.

The best students show understanding by posing challenging and provocative questions.

Some questions are tougher to answer.

‘Sir does it bother you that you are like white, and we are like…. all black?’

Why I didn’t shut down this particular question with a simple ‘no’, I’m not sure. The answer I gave, with a noticeable stumble, was more honest.

‘Um….not really, although of course, I am aware of this….. and the er…..lack of black teachers in our school’

Sir, why do we need a Black History Month? Shouldn’t ‘Black History’ just be like I dunno, actual History?

Obvious statement upcoming — as a white middle-class male, my race has never been a problem for me personally. Growing up in multicultural London, I was fortunate to live in one of the UK’s more tolerant communities.

Everyone is so different, there is no us and them. There is me and him and her and them, that lot and the others. Undoubtedly I was still fortunate to be white, and all the privileges that gave me.

As a white teacher in a predominantly black school, I thought I could teach as I had before. Yet the barrier between us was more complex than I expected. Trust between myself and my students would take longer to build.

How could I possibly begin to understand the struggles of black children subject to years of institutionalised discrimination? Many holding the inherited pain of their ancestors. Trauma which recent studies have indicated passes through generations.

There is no professional development on race during your teacher training year. Certainly not in the UK, I can’t remember it being mentioned once.

What was apparent from day one was race would be an issue in the classroom. My students would make it so. The anger and bitterness towards the system, and sometimes towards me as a proxy, was obvious.

Official events, such as ‘black history month’, would often only fan the flames. Anger at actually needing such an event in the first place. ‘Sir, why do we need a Black History Month? Shouldn’t ‘Black History’ just be like I dunno, actual History?’

The police came to give a talk at my school — two well-spoken white policewomen. Possibly not the best choice to field accusations of police racism. My students were not afraid of asking difficult questions, often using their own personal experiences as evidence.

If a lesson involved food, inevitably the discussion would move onto whose parents made the best homemade African dishes. Sir had no say. Sir hadn’t even tasted jollof rice.

In one lesson I instigated a full out riot by saying that African’s have a less varied diet because they are not as affected by globalisation. The fact this was up on my slides for all to see to only made matters worse.

‘Sir that's racist! African food is the best, just you wait until I tell my parents what these white idiots are teaching us. F*** it. I'm calling my mum now. Here speak to her!’

Calmly explaining that the curriculum was not teaching that African food is inferior in any way, merely that you are less likely to find foods of the world in Africa, due to differences in development, had no impact. The disrespect was already made.

I look back at my answer to the original question with the sense that I did the right thing. My students had shown me that. Difficult issues should be confronted head-on with honesty.

My students want to discuss race and want to confront complex and challenging issues. That could be around stereotypes, discrimination, class or climate change. It could also be about anything.

More time should be afforded for these conversations. Good form tutors have an invaluable role in finding this time, often missing in the general curriculum.

Now I think I should have answered ‘yes’.

Yes, it does bother me that I am white and you are black. It bothers me because looking at my fellow teachers is like looking in the mirror. We have all followed a similar path. How can children relate or trust an education system where most teachers are from the same background?

The challenges facing the education sector are vast — lack of funding and a recruitment and retention crisis. We also need more teachers that better reflect the ethnic make-up of each school. We need more integrated schools. We need less segregation by race, religion and by class in society in general.

What I do know for certain is that if you feel uncomfortable about a topic in the classroom, you are dealing with an issue which needs confronting openly. Moving towards fear is the only way to progress.

Being honest and vulnerable around race with your students is key. Don't be afraid of being yourself.