Other People's Children

 In Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, Lisa Delpit argues that schools operate within a “culture of power” shaped largely by white, middle-class norms. Because of this, students of color and working-class students who are not already familiar with these expectations often enter school at a disadvantage. According to Delpit, teachers must acknowledge these power dynamics and explicitly teach the rules of the dominant culture while also respecting and valuing students’ own cultural backgrounds.

What struck me most about Delpit’s argument is her emphasis on explicit instruction. I strongly believe that student-centered learning and independence are important in the classroom. However, Delpit argues that many teachers avoid direct instruction in the name of empowerment. The problem with this approach is that students who are already familiar with the dominant culture can navigate ambiguity and figure things out on their own. Students who are not familiar with those expectations cannot. When teachers refuse to explicitly teach the “rules,” they may actually be reinforcing inequality rather than dismantling it.

This idea made me reflect deeply. I do not think Delpit is arguing against student agency. Instead, she is arguing that agency requires access. Students cannot choose how to navigate a system if no one has ever clearly explained how it works. If students are going to critique systems of power, they first have to understand how to function within them. To me, that does not feel like assimilation; it feels like preparation.

Thinking back to our class discussion about the reading, we talked about how schools subtly showcase these rules. One example Tom shared was about cafeterias, what our students eat, and even how they eat it. That conversation made me reflect on when I first moved to the United States and was unfamiliar with the school system. The only idea I had of American schools came from television, which was mostly High School Musical.

Not knowing the rules made me feel powerless. I did not know that we had to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance every day. I did not understand how the lunch system worked, or that students transitioned from one class to another throughout the day. There were many aspects of American schools that I simply did not know. But once I learned those rules, I gained a sense of power and confidence in navigating the system.

A few years later, when my younger brother moved here, I explained these rules to him explicitly. Because he had that guidance, he was able to navigate the system much more easily. That experience made Delpit’s argument feel very real to me.

Ultimately, this reading pushed me to reconsider what equity actually looks like in education. Equity is not just about creating welcoming classrooms or encouraging student voice. It is also about making sure every student has access to the codes, language, and expectations that often gatekeep opportunity. Ignoring power does not erase it. Teaching students how to navigate it might.

I used AI to fix grammar and make my ideas flow more easily.