Recent articles in The Columbian called our attention to the unsatisfactory gap between the number of teachers of color and the number of students of color (“The Color of Education, Dec. 16, The Columbian”). Readers were made aware that the students of color need more role models to encourage and motivate them to believe in themselves and strive for worthy occupations that fit their talents.
Until this gap in education is filled, perhaps more emphasis could be placed on inviting speakers of color as guests to local schools. I think that visits to classrooms is a particularly effective means to make a personal connection between speaker and children. Hopefully this practice will result in warm human experiences to which all can relate. I still remember and draw inspiration from visitors to my classroom as a child in the 1960s.
