Larry Irvin: A program to empower Black teachers in the US | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Peichi Jao 審譯者: Helen Chang

I had a chance to teach a summer program

好幾年前，我曾教授一個暑期課程，

a few years back in my hometown of New Orleans.

地點是在我的家鄉 – 紐奧良。

I had a group of 32 young men,

我當時的學生有32個，

age ranging from nine to 14, all Black boys.

年齡差不多是九歲至十四歲， 都是黑人男孩。

I wanted to set a tone the first day of class.

我當時想要在上課第一天 就先為整個課堂定調，

I want to compare and contrast the mindsets

我想要互相比較跟檢視一下

of the contemporary young folk

現在的孩子們的心態

in contrast to my constituents and how we grew up and how we aspired.

跟我們那一代的心態有什麼不同， 以及我們抱持何種態度長大成人。

So I asked them the old cliché question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

所以我問他們一些老套的問題，像是： 「你們長大以後想做什麼？」

Here were the responses.

以下是他們的回應：

Twenty nine said Kevin Durant.

有29個孩子表示，他們想成為 凱文·杜蘭特（Kevin Durant）。

Three said LeBron James.

3個孩子說，他們想成為 詹皇（LeBron James）。

Now, I had two thoughts.

此時，我浮現了兩種想法：

First was I was flabbergasted because, obviously,

第一，我真的被他們的回應嚇到了， 原因很簡單：

these young boys don't know basketball.

這些孩子根本不懂籃球。

Because LeBron is the man, if you ask me.

而詹皇是個超有名氣、超強的男人。

But my second thought was, the narrative still hasn't changed.

而我的另一個想法是， 這樣的說法一直以來沒變。

The scope of possibility is still very limited.

我們對未來想像的可能性 還是非常限縮。

Sports, streets, entertainment.

成為運動明星、在街頭遊蕩， 或是進入演藝圈之類的。

We don't see ourselves really outside of those arenas.

我們似乎從來沒有 將自己排除於這幾個領域。

Something has to change.

這代表著：我們需要改變。

But my mom was an educator.

我的母親是一個教育工作者，

She laid a very positive foundation for myself and my sister, Charlene,

她為我和我的姐姐Charlene

in regards to education.

在教育上奠定了良好的基礎。

But what she did, most importantly, was she made me a dreamer.

而她對我影響最大的， 是讓我成為一個敢於夢想的人。

She opened up that scope of possibilities,

她幫助我拓展了各種未來的可能性。

and now I’m the CEO of an organization that recruits Black male teachers.

而現在，我已經是一名機構的執行長， 招募黑人男老師加入我們的團隊。

Being a teacher is one of the most impactful ways

成為一名老師 是最能夠帶來影響力的方式。

you can see your impact as a professional.

你可以運用你的專業去發揮影響力。

Being a Black male teacher is a game changer.

成為一名黑人男老師， 這樣的身份真的能夠帶來重大改變。

Being a Black male teacher is becoming a superhero.

成為一名黑人男老師， 就是成為超級英雄的過程。

So let's talk about him.

因此，就讓我們就來好好談談吧。

Let's take a look at the landscape currently in the United States.

我們可以檢視美國目前的情況，

Less than three percent of all teachers are Black men.

不到百分之三的老師是黑人男性。

For my liberal arts majors that's three out of 100.

以我文科生的角度來解讀 就是「一百個人裡的三個人」

(Laughs)

（笑聲）

Now, Black men are in classrooms

目前來看，黑人男性在教室裡的角色

as disciplinarians,

可能是嚴格的領導者，

as janitors,

可能是清潔工人，

as intervention specialists

可能是負責調解衝突的專家，

and definitely as athletic coaches.

也當然有可能是體育教練。

In front of the classroom, leading from an intellectual capacity,

至於那些在教室前 帶領進行學術活動的人

not so much.

其實沒有很多。

But I want to take the first step and juxtapose it to that of another.

不過我想邁出第一步 並提高其在未來發展的可能性。

Just one Black male teacher in third, fourth or fifth grade

只要有一位三到五年級的黑人男老師

for a low-income Black boy

幫助低收入家庭的黑人孩子，

substantially reduces his chances of dropping out of high school

就可以大幅地降低 他們在高中被退學的機率，

by almost 40 percent.

降低了將近 40% 被退學的機率。

Let that sink in.

思考一下，

Just imagine if you had two.

想像幫助了兩個學生。

And that's what I do. Kids are what they see.

而這就是我目前在做的事。 孩子們會依照他們所看到的學習，

They need that affirmation.

他們最需要的就是獲得肯定。

So I provide the mirror.

因此，我開始提供他們效仿的典範。

We provide the mirror.

在Brothers Empowered to Teach的機構裡

At Brothers Empowered to Teach, we recruit Black male teachers.

我們會為孩子提供典範， 我們會招募黑人男老師。

So how do we do what we do?

但具體來說我們是怎麼做的？

Attachment.

就是「建立依附關係」。

We offer a three-year undergraduate fellowship to college-aged Black men.

我們會提供三年的獎學金計畫 給大學年齡的黑人男性。

Our criteria are simple.

我們的規則很簡單，

You got to have a 2.5,

你的平均成績必須達到 2.5，

be enrolled at least half-time in college

且要有至少一半以上的在學時期。

and obviously be a Black male.

而重點是，你必須是一位黑人男性。

The first year, the program is just an observation year,

第一年只是觀察期，

我們希望採用循序漸進的方式。

we like to take a gradual, slow approach to teaching.

We have an old saying in New Orleans: “You can’t microwave gumbo.”

在紐奧良有一個俗諺： 「你不能直接用微波爐加熱秋葵湯」

You've got to slow-cook it.

必須要慢慢地烹煮。

And that's the approach we take with teachers.

而這也是我們對老師們採取的原則。

Year one is a simple observation,

第一年只是簡單的觀察時期，

you may lead homework activities,

你可以負責引導他們完成功課，

recreational activities for 10 or 12 hours a week.

或是帶領一些休閒活動 一週總共 10 至 12 個小時。

Year two and three are your lab development years

第二至第三年期間， 是實際展開研究的階段。

where you learn the pedagogy, classroom management,

你需要學習教學法， 以及班級管理方式、

shadowing teachers, lesson planning,

向其他老師學習，制定學習計畫，

things of that nature.

學習各種與教學相關的事，

It all culminates in placement into the classroom.

直到進入課堂正式教學為止。

But the really special sauce of our program

不過，我們這個計畫最重要的特點

is our internal, personal and professional development,

是著重於內在、個人的專業發展

the Cipher series.

就像懸疑小說系列 Cipher 一樣，

The Cipher series is where young men get a chance to break down and dissect,

Cipher 系列小說的內容 主要就是一群男孩重新剖析自我

sort of recalibrate their compasses, if you will,

並且重新為自己的人生校正的故事， 可以這麼理解。

in regards to being a Black man in this world today,

至於在現今這個世界， 作為一個黑人男性，

but also being a Black man in education.

身為一個教育界裡的黑人男性。

Our topics of discourse range from masculinity, résumés,

我們會談論到的主題 包含了男子氣概的剛毅、撰寫履歷、

networking, relationships, you name it.

經營人際網絡、人際關係...等等。

See what we’re trying to do is really push this envelope in regards to attachment.

我們想做的事，是期望能夠 建立最緊密的依附關係。

We take a holistic approach to education.

我們希望採取全方位的教育方式，

We develop good people.

培育出良善的好人，

And then in turn they manifest into great educators,

進而讓他們成為優秀的教育者，

people over pedigrees,

不論他們的出身或家世，

dispositions over degrees.

無關他們的身份地位。

I think about our first fellow, Alex Halstead.

我想起我們的第一位夥伴 艾力克斯·哈斯蒂德 (Alex Halstead)

Dillard University attendee, arbitrary major.

當時到迪拉德大學聽課， 沒有明確的主修科系，

Like a lot of our young Black men, walking around Dillard’s campus,

就像許多黑人青少年一樣， 就在迪拉德大學校園內遊蕩，

not much direction.

沒抱持著什麼特別的目標。

Creative writing major, didn't have a plan,

主要修創意寫作相關的課程， 實際上卻沒有什麼規劃，

was told to go to school like a lot of us was told to go to school

他和我們一樣， 都曾被要求在學校裡好好念書，

因為這是我們父母認為最正確的選擇。

because it's the right thing to say from your parents.

Alex had no true direction.

不過艾力克斯沒有特別的人生規劃。

Alex came to our program, we put Alex in front of the kids.

他在因緣際會下開始參與我們的計畫， 我們讓艾力克斯進入教育現場，

He became a mirror,

他成為孩子們的典範，

but also they became a mirror for him as well.

而他也將孩子們視為學習的對象。

See, it’s a double reflection when Black kids see a Black male

你們看，這就是一個雙向的投射。 當黑人孩子們看見一位黑人男性，

and then a Black male sees a Black kid.

而這位黑人男性 也注意到這些黑人孩子們，

They reflect for themselves, and that's what we do.

他們是彼此相互投射的對象， 而這就是我們想達成的效果。

We create the connection to the classroom

我們在課堂中建立人際間的連結，

for a demographic and a group that hasn't been represented

包含不同人口變項的族群， 或是尚未具有代表性的群體。

as far as education

以教育為目標，建立群體間的關係

as long as I can remember.

據我所知，

They were removed from the conversation from an intellectual standpoint

他們總是被排除於知識份子間的對話，

as students, but also as teachers.

不只是在他們的學生時期， 甚至身為老師也會受到這樣的排斥。

As I think about it, man,

每當我想起這樣的事，唉，

I think three, five, 10 years from now,

我會思考在將來的 三年、五年、十年後，

if we circle back to the conversation about what do you want to be,

如果我們再一次提起這個問題： 「你長大之後想做什麼？」

and I pose that question again to my young boys,

再一次詢問我那些年輕的學生們，

maybe we can add a couple of names to those lists.

也許我們可以想到更多的代表人物。

Maybe we can say Kevin Durant, LeBron James

可能是凱文·杜蘭特（Kevin Durant）、 詹皇（LeBron James），

and also Mr. Halstead,

也可能是哈斯蒂德先生 (Mr. Halstead)，

and maybe even Mr. Irving.

甚至可能是厄文先生（Mr. Irving）。

Yeah. Mr. Irving.

沒錯，就是厄文先生。

I like the ring of that.

聽起來挺耳熟的，還不錯。

Thank you.

謝謝大家。