I live in a community that 40 years ago had a segregated school system. My older neighbors went to that school system. Underlying segregation mentality is still present in the way things are organized. There are still "black" organizations and "white" organizations.
My neighbors are good people. They would help someone in trouble no matter what their color. But they are susceptible to "us poor whites are asked to do more because "they" aren't doing enough". They are suspicious of government. Their charity is one on one but does not extended to people they don't know. My neighbors can be taken in by braying of people with an agenda.
As to teaching - the students I enjoyed most were not the "intellectuals" but some very honest, not the brightest, ones who didn't understand my course but wanted to know enough to pass. I loved their honesty and their humor. I taught five sessions of the same course. It was a required course. They had to pass it. Some of my "bright" students were bored and resented having to take the course. The reactions ranged from students who asked me to teach an extra session on their own time on a point they did not understand to a student who refused to take the final exam.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-07-22 03:52 pm (UTC)My neighbors are good people. They would help someone in trouble no matter what their color. But they are susceptible to "us poor whites are asked to do more because "they" aren't doing enough". They are suspicious of government. Their charity is one on one but does not extended to people they don't know. My neighbors can be taken in by braying of people with an agenda.
As to teaching - the students I enjoyed most were not the "intellectuals" but some very honest, not the brightest, ones who didn't understand my course but wanted to know enough to pass. I loved their honesty and their humor. I taught five sessions of the same course. It was a required course. They had to pass it. Some of my "bright" students were bored and resented having to take the course. The reactions ranged from students who asked me to teach an extra session on their own time on a point they did not understand to a student who refused to take the final exam.