Maikutlo Aka - My Views
Race in Class - When I Grow Up, I Want to Be...
Posted Monday, July 16, 2007
Today in class, we wrote about professions -- elementary school "when I grow up" only in Zulu. The football player in our class started off with "I want to be a teacher." The class giggled a little, assuming he chose it so he wouldn't have to look up new words as our instructor had just given us an example about being a teacher. He said doctor, and everyone but me laughed out loud. "Ok, how about a lawyer?" he said, and even the instructor shook with laughter.
True, he was saying this partly just to get a rise out of his peers. But even so, their response only reinforced how ridiculous the idea was, that he shouldn't contemplate a future outside of football player, coach, or something he didn't need a degree for.
It wasn't just his race that influenced the response, and I know that. One of the gals wrote about being a lawyer, and no one laughed. But I sat there and wondered if and/or how law school would change this young woman. Would she start going to class every day? Staying awake? Doing her homework? Or, like in the current class, would she be allowed to pass with minimal effort? Would I want her trying my own case?
You can't judge too much off of students' performance in a class they don't really value. And because my teacher gives easy grades, I think there's even less motivation. But if not now, when will these lessons be learned?
So I'm stuck on both counts. It's great to dream about a highly respected job, and no one should be laughed at for that dream. But at the same time, if the work ethic doesn't match the requirements of the job, sooner or later either the dream or the habits need to change. And in this classroom full of students, I'm not sure if the dream or the habits will go first.
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