Years in education: 4
Korean American immigrant
Male
Straight
First Generation American
Former high school English, Comparative Religion, and Race & Ethnicity teacher


Q: What did you have in common with your students?

A: I'll start with what I did not have in common: wealth. I was the son of poor immigrants, and while I had some educational privilege vis a vis my father, who was a grad student at the University of Washington, we struggled to pay our rent, rarely went out to eat, and exclusively shopped the clearance rack at the Gap. So when I started teaching high school English at the Overlake School, a private school in the heart of Microsoft Country, it was hard to ignore the the luxury brands, top-flight tech gizmos, and general (mis)understanding that success was wholly earned, not inherited. Accompanying any such bastion of pooled resource, of course, was racial homogeneity, and the subtler microagressions and self-inflating savior complexes that serve as an undercurrent to interactions with the Other. 

And yet as I spent more time there, getting to know my students more personably, I began to witness the suffering that unites us all. Sure, one of my homeroom students' families collected Ferraris, but what was there to enjoy when dad was moving across the country after a nasty divorce and brother had left for college, the family splintered and dispersed? And while I, with greater access to the American Dream than my parents, felt burdened with the need to achieve status and monetary success, validating my parents' sacrifice, these students were in a pressure cooker of their own, surrounded by competitive, wealthy, high-achieving parents who expected their kids to attend an Ivy League school, then go on to realize their obvious genius in realms of business, law, tech, or science. 

It was this realization, that our worldview as children, no matter where you come from, is  limited by that of our parents and our surrounding community, that I began to accept their social blindspots as the target of my mission as an educator, not as evidence of willful negligence rendering them undeserving of my energy or care. I had to overcome my own biases and insecurities regarding class in order to be a more complete educator. Sure, it tested my patience when a student dismissively asked in reference to reservation-bound Native Americans, "Why don't they just leave?", but when I considered the students' lives--family vacations on Kauai, a car for almost every sixteen-year-old, an out-of-state liberal arts college expected, they needed nothing more than to ask that question, and for me to reply as best I could with the reality of our time. 
 
Despite the homogenous environment, there were a handful of students that more readily shared my life experience: students of color, and students receiving financial assistance, although the latter were less visible. Most of the former were of East and South Asian descent, so I think it was especially affirming to see someone that looked like them bucking stereotypes in tech country: in his twenties, teaching Literature in a department full of middle-aged white women; coaching sports; singing with the high school choir during free periods; hackey-sacking with the skater kids during lunch; leading a singing-songwriting workshop during project week; and eventually, leaving behind a stable career in education to pursue a life as a independent musician. 

One student, a reserved Asian-American boy whom I also coached, made sure to pull me aside before I left the school in 2013. He thanked me for coming to Overlake, and told me that having me around was immensely helpful for his confidence, and helped stabilize his sense of identity. ​


Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common?

A:  People who don’t understand that representation matters—especially during childhood, when students are constantly assessing any social limits to self-actualization —are usually those who saw themselves reflected everywhere, from CEO to lovable chimney sweep, rock n roll star to geneticist, pro athlete to high school teacher.  

It is essential that students have teachers that reflect their identity, be it race, gender, sexual orientation, or interests. Students who feel underrepresented in their school setting will feel further alienated if there are no adult educators that can instill confidence, affirm their individuality, and remind them that, despite social labeling, you alone will construct your identity. 
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This isn’t to say the only effective educators are those that look and think like you. It’s important to have opposing philosophies and a diverse array of ideas and identities—often it’s the search for commonality that can lead to a great teacher-student relationship. But as things stand now in both public and private school sectors, there are few teachers of color, let alone those given the social and financial resources to affect true change within school settings. We need to be recruiting, training, hiring, and retaining underrepresented teachers, and aggressively correcting systematic barriers that stand in the way. 


Joe is a violinist-looper, singer, rapper, and storyteller who weaves his experiences as a Korean-American immigrant and high school teacher throughout his innovative performances. He has opened for world-renowned​ cellist Yo-Yo Ma, rapper Warren G, and Senator Bearnie Sanders. ROLL CALL founder Kristin Leong interviewed Joe about the joy and heartache of being a bicultural artist for KUOW Public Radio. Get a behind-the-scenes look into their conversation and listen to the 8 minute audio feature here. Learn more about Joe and stay up to date on his latest tour schedule at joekye.com. 

​Photos (c) 2019 Kristin Leong

Years in Education: 4--6
Malaysian + White  
Female 
Immigrant 
First Generation American
Middle and High School Math Teacher 


Q: What do you have in common with your students? 

A: My students are all recent immigrants and refugees to the U.S. I share the fact that I am an immigrant with them but I moved here under different circumstances than them and at a much younger age so my transition was different.

I don't know what it is like to be Muslim in America but I know what it is like to be a womxn of color and someone who is committed to racial and social justice.

While I may not share everything the same with my students, I know that our oppressions are rooted in each other and their fight is my fight. Together in solidarity we find our strength. ​


Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? 

A: Yes! Sharing common experiences leads to trust.

You do not need to have everything the same as your students, differences cause us to push one another to help each other grow, but seeing someone who you can find parts of your self in matter.

It is important that students see themselves as potential educators, or where ever their path may lead; and it is important for teachers to see themselves in their students, to have that empathy and understanding.

There is a reason that there are so few teachers of color and why students of color continue to be disenfranchised. My hope is through collectivity we can change that and truly be in solidarity.


Saraswati teaches at the Seattle World School, which serves primarily immigrant and refugee students. She is a Washington State Teacher Leader and in 2016 she won the Imagine Us Award for Bold and Visionary Leadership in Equity and Justice. Follow her on Twitter @saraswatinoel. 

Years in Education: 20+
Caucasian
Female
First Generation American
​Middle and High School Humanities Teacher

Q: What do you have in common with your students? 

A: I grew up in the school district where I spent most of my teaching career. It is a suburban, upper-middle class area, and I'm sure my experience growing up in that environment is similar to that of many of my students.

However, I also realize that just because two people grew up in the same place, it doesn't mean that they have everything in common.

My parents didn't divorce, but many of my students' parents have; I am not a person of color, but many of my students are; I did not suffer abuse, but some of my students have.


Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? 

A: I've always been a firm believer that a strong relationship with a student is absolutely, hands-down the most important element of being an effective teacher. On a macro level, sure it helps to have things in common with students because it makes those relationships easier to form.

I do believe it would be harder for me, a suburban white woman, to walk into a classroom in an area where kids have experienced things that I just haven't. I haven't experienced poverty or violence or the racism faced by so many. I could not look at kids who have experienced those things and tell them that I know how it feels and how it impacts them...because I don't.

However, there are still ways to connect with kids to let them know that I really do care. I'm a natural sharer and like to let kids know what I'm reading, what I did over the weekend, that I was overjoyed when my soccer team pulled off the late win or angry when the guy cut me off on the way to work. Creating a comfortable environment where kids feel like they can be open helps with that important relationship and connection. Kids need that connection; they need to feel like they are important and loved.

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After over twenty years of teaching, Michelle is happily retired. Follow her adventures in golfing, parenting, and pet care on Instagram @michhood4.