Meghan

Young African American Males!



[] “Trouble with Black Boys,” is the name of the article written by Pedro Antonio Noguera, a professor at Harvard. In Noguera’s article he explores the role and influence of environmental and cultural factors on the academic performance of African American males. [] In the above article, the author Alfred Tatum describes his relationship with a boy named Q, whom many feared would be dead or in jail if he didn't know how to read. Tatum formed a tutoring relationship with Q and was able to motivate him to read. In the article Tatum describes different comprehension questions he asked Q while in session and at the end tells us Q's answers. [] In this interesting article written by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, the focus is more on what the teacher can do to actually help struggling African American students. Dr. Kunjufu explores the typical male classroom characteristic and a school adjustment. The article also gives many different ways teachers can change their teaching so that it isn't geared towards white students or isn't effective. One suggestion he has is for teachers to have a high level of self respect for their students. [] This Washington Post article was written by Yvette Jackson who is the chief executive officer of the National Urban Alliance. In the article she explores the notion of treating African American males like they are gifted students by creating assignments that identify, affirm and build on the specific student’s strengths. She explains that once teachers do this the students will build on doing what they can, at their level and therefore improve on their academic performance. [] In this except from __Tools for Teaching,__ Barbara Gross Davis, the book's author, gives general strategies for teaching African American males in the classroom. Davis also gives tactics for overcoming biases in the classroom .