Did you know I wrote a book? Actually, I’ve written a few but so far only one that’s out there in the world. It’s called The rose that grew from concrete: Teaching and learning with disenfranchised youth published by University of Alberta Press. Getting published is hard work. They made it easy. Well, easier.
The story I’ve told is only one of many possible stories that could be told about Edmonton’s inner city. Here’s an excerpt:
Some people and groups are more disenfranchised than others in the urban margins—class, race, gender, societal expectations and norms, and combinations of all four, play a part in deciding a person’s “place” in any society. This is a story that shows a slice of Edmonton’s street life, and many of the possible combinations that dictate marginalization, but it’s a different story than those you might hear on the radio or read about in the news because its backdrop is an institution that tries to provide unique educational programs for youth who have been pushed to the bottom of the urban social ladder.
The story is also about my own experiences as a teacher in the school. I’m pretty sure that during my time there I learned more from my students than they learned from me. Arriving at the school with my White privilege firmly stowed in my pocket gave me a huge opportunity for learning. And what a curve.
I gained so many important insights during the first class where we discussed Tupac, and the ones that I conducted thereafter. It is often so hard to explore personal issues and open old wounds in a classroom setting, and the Tupac unit requires difficult emotional work from both me and the students. I do, however, think that the process allows all of us to transform our lives. Certainly my teaching has been transformed through my interactions with them.
This book was based on my doctoral thesis, but ultimately my hope is always to lessen the struggles for schools like this one. Schools that engage in ongoing and genuine attempts to help youth move forward in their lives.
