Since the last two post were about the first essay in chapter 4, I guess I'll discuss the second essay by Beverly Jean Smith. I think she begins by making some very good points, especially in relation to the duality of the term stepping up depending on the context it is being used in. She says the students feel they are being disrespected by those opposed to the Ebonics resolution. She writes, "If young people's reality is shaped in part by their language, dismissing or devaluing how they talk is a way of disrespecting, of beginning to erase part of who they are" (198). In this debate it can be easy to view the students as numbers and statistics to show improvement or lack of, particularly because, while the debate is about them, they are largely silent. It seems so many are discussing what is best for the students without actually listening to the students themselves. There was a dehumanizing effect that took place during the school boards debate about Ebonics, and it is easy to see how students may have felt that they were being stepped up to.
Smith also points out that she tries to not step up to her students. Whether or not Ebonics is used in my school, this is a lesson I can take and apply it to my students in the future. It's not about treating them solely as students, but as people too. Smith says that she shows her students respect not only in the classroom, but in the streets and in town too, and in return they have a certain amount of respect for her. I don't think that this is a constant, simply showing respect to students won't always garner reciprocal respect, but I definitely see it as a good attitude to have.