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The "Magic" in Ms. Bronzic

The "Magic" in Ms. Bronzic

jkang's picture

While reading Dance's " Social Capital, Cultural Capital, and Caring Teachers," I came to admire Ms. Bronzic and the amount of care and effort she ovviously pours into her students.  However, I was a bit disturbd by her interaction with the Latino student in Seventh Period, who had received an "F" on an assignment.  While I think it was perfectly fine to engage the student in a conversation about why he received a failing grade, I found it a bit unprofessional and innapropriate to, first of all, do it in public in front of the other students, and to grab his chin.  

I felt like Dance attributed Ms. Bronzic's actions to her caring so much, but to me, her actions came across as a bit harsh and somewhat bullying.  I personally think its quite unprofessional for teachers to touch or grab their students, especially around their face.  I also found her insistence on eye-contact a bit frustrating.  I'm not sure about the student that Dance describes, but I know that I personally was taught by my parents not to look at teachers or other authority figures in the eyes or the face because its a sign of disrespect.  I had to learn how to do make eye-contact with teachers my last few years of high school before I came to college.  I understand that this may be a part of the cultural capital that Dance argues Ms. Bronzic imparts on her students and makes Ms. Bronzic a "magic" teacher.  I definitely see that she is able to make learning interactive and engaging for her students, and I admire her for that.  However, I also find it a bit problematic that Ms. Bronzic is maintaining a certain cultural hierarchy that will always privilege certain students over others.  

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