Students Need to see Themselves in their Classroom Role Models
Interview with Lyle Dandridge
– by Lauren Slagter
Lyle Dandridge knows first-hand–as a student and as a teacher–the importance of having role models in the classroom who share a cultural background with students.
Growing up in Chicago, his parents emphasized the importance of education and enrolled him in good schools, where he was often the only Black male student in his honors classes. Dandridge excelled in math and science, but he downplayed that fact around his Black friends.
“My peers often made it seem like being in these honors classes was a white thing to do,” he said. “I would try to kind of dumb it down … so that I could fit in, whatever that meant. But in my head I was always thinking, ‘Man, I shouldn't have to do that. I don't think that this makes me less Black because I'm in this honors class or this AP class.’”
Black men in science
When he decided to pursue a career as a conservation biologist, Dandridge dreamt of building a public persona–like a Black Crocodile Hunter–to change the perception of Black men in science.
As a graduate student, he received a National Science Foundation grant to provide research support in a high school science class. After a few months in the classroom, a conversation with a student showed Dandridge that teaching could give him the opportunities he sought to be a role model for the next generation of students of color.
“(This student) stopped me one day after giving me a once over and asked if I was a scientist, and then … asked, ‘I could be a scientist too?’ Seeing me pursuing a doctorate degree showed the student that Black males that looked, sounded, and dressed like him could be good in school,” Dandridge said.
That student told Dandridge he wanted to be a scientist, and Dandridge validated his dream by encouraging him to put in the work to make it happen. Regardless of whether the student ends up pursuing a career in science, Dandridge says the power is in the student seeing new possibilities for himself.
Personal connections in the classroom
Interacting with students motivated Dandridge to pursue a career in teaching. Today he’s a teacher retention specialist for his school district.
Dandridge is among the 1.3% of Minnesota teachers who are Black, according to the 2023 Biennial Report on Supply and Demand of Teachers in Minnesota, compared to 11.4% of students. Ideally, the racial diversity of the teacher workforce would match the diversity of the student body, but overall, 40% of Minnesota students are people of color, compared to only 5.9% of teachers in 2021-22 school year.
Research shows that positive outcomes like finishing high school and attending college are more likely when students have even one teacher from their background during their first years of education. All students learn more when they interact with a racially and culturally diverse set of teachers.
“The reality of it is that a lot of young people are searching for connections with trusted adults outside of their home,” Dandridge said. “(As a teacher), you want to steer them in the right direction and you want to give them confidence. All of that is wrapped up in the position, and it's not in the job description. That's what makes it hard. But it's also the thing that makes it beautiful.”
Visit www.elevateteaching.us to learn more about becoming a teacher and inspiring the next generation of students who need relatable role models. Email Yes@ElevateTeaching.USto see how you can get involved in the Elevate Teaching movement to celebrate teachers and change the narrative about the profession.
