By thinking about my educational journey, I recently thought of my class experiences, from kindergarten to fourth year. In summer before entering the fourth year, my mother informed me that I was going to frequent a new school in my same community with a warning: it was a class in the talented and talented education program (Gate).
Before this moment, I mixed with my peers and naviguis on the typical challenges of primary school. Once I went to my new learning environment, the classroom I entered was very different from the one I left. The students of my old school were mainly black, and they looked like me, my friends and my family. Even my teachers were mainly colored teachers. I felt alone in a new place with new faces. I was no longer isolated in my own little bubble, and the world grew before my eyes.
The reality to move to a gifted class and the isolation of peers who have otherwise would have been my friends one day obvious during a basketball match in recess. An otherwise regular basketball game has become a study of us against them. The vitriol of other students who looked like me was palpable; While my team won the match, a fight would take place between the two classrooms shortly after. It did not have the impression that it was because of the game itself, but rather sick feelings about our class investment. It was a revealing moment that I had never known before.
On the one hand, I had access to an education that challenged me in class. The program was difficult and the pace was faster than what I was used to. I found myself surrounded by peers who shared my enthusiasm for learning, and for the first time, I felt really committed and inspired. Our teachers encouraged us to think critically, to ask questions and to explore materials beyond the standard program. This environment has favored a feeling of intellectual curiosity that would remain with me throughout my educational journey, and it is also an experience that tested my identity, my self-esteem and my well-being.
Despite being an environment that has triggered my intellectual capacities, sham syndrome would frequently slip into my thoughts. This highlights what I think I am true for most colored students who enter talented and talented programs in the United States, especially black boys that are composed only A small part of the Gate programs. Knowing this disparity, I was part of my mission as an educator to support the gifted black boys like me and encourage my peers and my school heads to do the same.
See a difference in me and others
When I arrived in college, I was taken to a school outside my neighborhood because they had a door program. It took a one -hour bus trip to and from school every day. I remember leaving the bus and the students who call us the “Montghetto bus”. At the start, I didn't think it was a welcoming place; The environment was not familiar and the middle school students can be vicious. My lessons were even less welcoming because I had some black classmates. It was however a space where I could prosper academically and develop a deeper understanding of various subjects. I was exposed to advanced concepts and encouraged to continue my interests with passion and dedication.
Some teachers have fed my gifts and talents, but there were also teachers who tried to isolate me from my peers. During my seventh year, I spent more time in the school suspension than in class. The high -quality learning environment clashed with the inherent hostilities between students and teachers. It was then that I started to build an understanding of the inequalities that existed in school. It is in this school that I saw follow up First -hand, and the students knew who was in gifted programs and was in lower level lessons. Like any other student from the college, I was on a difficult journey of self -discovery. However, I pushed, determined to prove that I belonged academically.
In high school, I settled in whom I was as a student and I learned who I was as a black and Puerto Rican man from Montbello. I was self-motivated, regardless of Deficit mindsdsets that the students and the teachers had what I was capable of and who I was supposed to be. I was on the way to college and I knew exactly how I would get there.
My experience in Gate pushed me in a way that I did not expect; However, the difficulties along the way do not always work positively for children like me. Throughout my educational journey, I couldn't help but notice the lack of diversity in the Gate programs. It was discouraging to see that the black boys who went without support in these programs. This awareness has become even more pronounced as I progressed in high school and that I started to understand the broader implications of this disparity. It has become clear to me that the lack of support and Sub-representation of black boys in good programs was not due to a lack of capacity or potential, but rather systemic barriers that were to be treated.
Notice the gaps
Each year, I am given the list of students Advanced learning plans (Alps). I worked in schools where the student body is mainly black and colored students, but I also worked with a small population of white students in each school. In each school, I found it interesting that we always seemed to be able to identify customs in our white students because there is always at least one on an ALP. According to my experience, the report of white students gifted with their total populations compared to other demographic data is amazing, as it was also the case in Denver public schools Very recently.
After having long recognized the lack of black male representation in the Gate programs of my experience as a teacher and a student, I have given myself the mission of identifying and recommending students who have good and talented qualities in various ways, students who have displayed an extremely high IQ to those who have an exceptional athletic capacity in all the sports they have played. I have seen students with attendance problems that could go to a highest test and mark, despite significant missing teaching days. I also saw students who presented their sporadically shine but who often felt alienated by the school system, leading them to disengage regularly from their education.
When I recommended these students for the Gate programs, they often did not succeed in standardized tests. It was only recently that I learned from a colleague on the multitude of ways that students can be identified as good. Recognizing various customs of customs, my colleague was able to triple the number of gifted and talented students in our school. This experience has strengthened my conviction that Gate programs must use various methods to identify the last in all student populations, ensuring that the potential of each child is recognized and nourished.
The change reader
All students, whatever their history, deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential and excel in their educational activities, in particular our black children who remain in the shadows due to a system that refuses to recognize them. When gifted black boys are allowed to prosper in difficult academic environments, they develop a feeling of self-efficacy and confidence that extends beyond the class. They become models for their peers, demonstrating that excellence is achievable for everyone, whatever their journey. This positive training effect strengthens families and communities, promoting a culture of success and aspiration.
To achieve this vision, it is crucial for families, teachers, heads of schools and decision -makers to meet and take measures. The identification and education of gifted black boys requires an effort of collaboration and a commitment to equity and inclusion, whatever the story of today.
Early identification of the last is essential to ensure that black students receive the support and resources necessary from an early age. Schools should implement screening processes that take into account the various ways that the last can manifest. This includes the recognition of talents in fields such as creativity, leadership and problem solving as well as traditional academic measures.
Teachers play an essential role in identifying and developing gifted black students. It is essential to provide professional development opportunities that focus on culturally sensitive educational practices and the unique needs of gifted black boys. Educators must be equipped with tools and knowledge to recognize and support the potential of all students, whatever their experience.
Creating inclusive learning environments that celebrate diversity and promote a feeling of belonging is also crucial. The program should reflect experiences and contributions from various cultures, and teaching strategies must be designed to engage and challenge all students. This includes the possibility for black students to explore their interests and take advanced courses in a favorable and stimulating environment.
The commitment of families and communities in the education process is essential to the identification and success of gifted black students. Schools should work to establish solid partnerships with families, providing them with the resources and information they need to support their child's studies. Community organizations can also play a role in providing enrichment programs and opportunities for gifted students to develop their talents outside the classroom.
Finally and above all, plea at the local, state and national level is necessary to ensure that policies and practices are in place to support the identification and inclusion of gifted black boys. This includes defense of financing, resources and programs that meet the needs of various learners. Legislators and decision -makers must eliminate systemic obstacles that prevent black boys from accessing Gate programs.
My trip from traditional classrooms to GAPE programs shaped my prospect on education and fuel my passion for plea. I have known the advantages of being in an environment that has challenged and nourished my academic potential, and I agree to ensure that more black boys have access to these opportunities. By working together, we can create an educational system that identifies and nourishes all gifted students. It is time to make a concerted effort to identify and support each gifted child, because it will ultimately be beneficial to us.
