Comments on: “i Had To Get Some Ghetto In Me” http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Publius http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me/comment-page-1#comment-45013 Publius Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:08:07 +0000 #comment-45013 Thomas, follow things through. Unless your white, middle class upbringing was materially different from mine, your father was not a buddy and didn't claim to have all the answers. What he did was get up, shave, bolt down some breakfast and grab another coffee on the way to work, bring home his paycheck on Friday and generally show up, dressed for what he needed to do, and did what was expected of him. When you do that, day after day, evaluating the same uncertain orthography, bringing your best work even if today it isn't very good and doing better tomorrow, you are being a father figure. Isn't that, after all, exactly what your father did while you were young? Father figures don't become so by trying to be. They become so by doing exactly what you are doing. Showing up on time every day, staying all day despite the insults and disrespect, working to improve your skills at the art and science of teaching, are the things a grown man, or woman, does. That is teaching by example, teaching the eternal verity that we are measured by what we produce rather than the purity of our motivations. This essay is better than some of your other recent efforts. Clearly, you have worked on it; just as you want your students to work. That is what your TFA mentors mean by 'authentic.' Thank you for your service. Thomas, follow things through. Unless your white, middle class upbringing was materially different from mine, your father was not a buddy and didn’t claim to have all the answers. What he did was get up, shave, bolt down some breakfast and grab another coffee on the way to work, bring home his paycheck on Friday and generally show up, dressed for what he needed to do, and did what was expected of him. When you do that, day after day, evaluating the same uncertain orthography, bringing your best work even if today it isn’t very good and doing better tomorrow, you are being a father figure. Isn’t that, after all, exactly what your father did while you were young? Father figures don’t become so by trying to be. They become so by doing exactly what you are doing. Showing up on time every day, staying all day despite the insults and disrespect, working to improve your skills at the art and science of teaching, are the things a grown man, or woman, does. That is teaching by example, teaching the eternal verity that we are measured by what we produce rather than the purity of our motivations. This essay is better than some of your other recent efforts. Clearly, you have worked on it; just as you want your students to work. That is what your TFA mentors mean by ‘authentic.’ Thank you for your service.

]]> By: zok_t2 http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me/comment-page-1#comment-39962 zok_t2 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:21:28 +0000 #comment-39962 Really interesting take. Right on Mr. Gibbon. Really interesting take. Right on Mr. Gibbon.

]]> By: thomasgibbon http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me/comment-page-1#comment-47605 thomasgibbon Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:29:15 +0000 #comment-47605 You got it, pro patria: It's not as difficult as liberal ideologues want to make it seem. You got it, pro patria: It’s not as difficult as
liberal ideologues want to make it seem.

]]> By: pro patria http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me/comment-page-1#comment-47120 pro patria Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:24:24 +0000 #comment-47120 Wow. This is quite a enlightening thought: "Inner city students dont need a friend as their teacher. They dont need a mother or a father figure or a social worker, even though thats what were often told. What they need collectively are genuine and smart people who use the best of what God gave them to show them a world outside their own." What a conservative realization to contend what urban schools really need are smart people, intrinsically motivated to persevere in teaching in the worst environments possible. I'm pretty sure that will always stand up against a hand out or 'more equitable school funds' any day. Wow. This is quite a enlightening thought: “Inner city students dont need a friend as their teacher. They dont need a mother or a father figure or a social worker, even though thats what were often told. What they need collectively are genuine and smart people who use the best of what God gave them to show them a world outside their own.”

What a conservative realization to contend what urban schools really need are smart people, intrinsically motivated to persevere in teaching in the worst environments possible. I’m pretty sure that will always stand up against a hand out or ‘more equitable school funds’ any day.

]]> By: turnturn http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me/comment-page-1#comment-52259 turnturn Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:09:03 +0000 #comment-52259 good stuff. good stuff.

]]> By: Clarence Darrow http://www.frumforum.com/i-had-to-get-some-ghetto-in-me/comment-page-1#comment-46518 Clarence Darrow Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:09:47 +0000 #comment-46518 Great article - just a fantastic thoughtful read! Great article – just a fantastic thoughtful read!

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