Growing Roses in Concrete

By: Jeffery Duncan-Andrade

Pg. 192 Paragraph 1
There is a well-documented changing of the guard taking place in teaching (NCTAF,
2003) as upward of one million new teachers, mostly in urban schools, will join the
profession within this decade.
QUESTION: The reason I bring this up as a question is because the entire time the
article has made me realize just how difficult the situations in urban schools is. This
leads me to believe that teachers, especially new and experienced ones, would
steer away from such a tough and sometimes depressing task. So to hear the
author discuss that teachers in the inner cities is going to be on the rise, if makes
me wonder if that actually came true all these years later after this article was
published.
Pg.183 Paragraph 4
McCains insinuation that this election signifies the end of racism (DSouza, 1995)
is mythmaking.
REACTION: The entire section about McCains obvious disillusion with the real world
is troubling. This mostly drew a negative if not embarrassed reaction from me. To
think someone this high up in the American political system could say something
like that flat out, and probably be received with cheers, is unsettling.
Pg.184 Paragraph 3
Many teachers feel overwhelmed by the challenges urban youth face in their lives
and consider themselves ill-equipped to respond with a pedagogy that will develop
hope in the face of such daunting hardships.
CONNECTIONS: This is a concept I identify with the most. Going through high school,
I never felt like teachers were that interested in the lives of the students. This isnt a
problem, because after all they are doing their job, they are just missing out on
being a more active role in the success with their students. I had great teachers,
and they cared, however it was my impression that more than a few students
slipped through the cracks with little being done. Just thinking of them as another
statistic, and that was an unfortunate realization to come to.
Pg. 188-189 Last and First Paragraph
Socratic hope requires both teachers and students to painfully examine our lives
and actions within an unjust society and to share the sensibility that pain may pave
the path to justice.
RESTATEMENTS: The reason I chose this quote for this portion is because I wanted
to take a deep look into this section of the article. I found this to be one of, if not the
most, profound statements. As a teacher you expect to have student come to you
with issues and open up a little. I found it curious and not something I ever really

thought I would have to do, referring to opening up my own personal vulnerabilities.

I like the idea behind this, and while I might not be completely sold on this idea, it
made me think and Im open to this idea without a doubt.
Pg. 198 Second Paragraph
At the end of the day, effective teaching depends most heavily on one thing: deep
and caring relationships. Herb Kohl (1995) describes willed not learning as the
phenomenon by which students try not to learn from teachers who dont
authentically care about them. The adage students dont care what you know until
they know that you care is supported by numerous studies of effective educators
(Akom, 2003; Delpit, 1995; Duncan-Andrade, 2007; LadsonBillings, 1994).
APPLICATION: Reason I picked this section was because I think it perfectly summed
up the main take away from this article. Teachers need to invest in some way in
their students, in order form them to invest in their class. This is probably truer in
high risk areas, and is something Ive always had in the back in my mind, because it
is something I know to have some validity to it. While I was personally motivated to
do well in school, I found I liked classes in subjects I typically disliked if I had a good
relationship with the teacher and I felt like they cared about my well-being. This is
something I wish to take forward in my education career, especially as a first year
teacher.