Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit

Delpit argues that a teacher has to exhibit some power over a classroom, but that they also cannot be too powerful. She says "The teacher cannot be the only expert in a classroom. To deny students their own expert knowledge is to disempower them" (32-33). I feel that this strongly sums up the main argument of the article. It is hard to find a good balance between being too controlling of your students and not teaching them at all. It is also hard to teach a class for every type of student that may be in the class. Students of middle class hold more power in a classroom than students of a more urban class. Teachers must learn to teach a class for all of their students. They cannot teach just for their privileged students, they have to create a balance that works for all of their students, and does not empower one group of students over another. 

Delpit also argues that there is a culture of power in the classroom. She lists five aspects of power and explains each one. The first states that there are issues of power in the classroom. The second says that there are rules for taking part in this power, and this is called the culture of power. The third says that these rules will always reflect the culture of those whom have the power to begin with. The fourth says that if you do not know the rules of power, then you will not be able to acquire power very easily, whereas if you do know the rules of power, you will be more likely to acquire power. Her last aspect of power states that those in power usually do not realize that they have power, whereas those not in power are more likely to realize that they do not have power. These five aspects of power really highlight Delpit’s main point, which is that teachers must have a balance in their classrooms and know how to teach for everyone.

Click here for a short bio on Lisa Delpit