Chpt. 5: Stereotypes and Low SES

With the growing diversity in schools, I think the most important thing a teacher can bring to the classroom is acceptance and understanding and the hope that your students will bring the same. I feel that the majority of this chapter was about accepting others that don’t fit into the “norm”. I think it is important to be conscious of others that are different from the “normal student” and make sure your lesson plans do not discriminate towards these students; make sure that all of your students can comprehend it.

Equity Pedagogy, from Banks’s Dimensions of Multicultural Education relates a lot to differentiated classrooms, which is what I talked about in my last journal entry. In order for a differentiated classroom to succeed the teacher must adapt their lesson plans in order to better suit each students’ learning styles. I think as a new teacher (I hope!) I will be at an advantage because I do not have a “routine” that I have followed the last ten years. I am more open to trying new things because I do not know what works best for me. I do feel that differentiated lessons plans may be more work for teachers, as we discussed in our special education class, but I feel the benefit to the kids could be substantial. We just need to remember to take small steps towards this kind of lesson plan so as not to get overwhelmed. It is not good for anyone involved if the teacher gets burned out on something new in the first year.

Many low-socioeconomic status students have lower achievement than others. I think it is important, as a teacher to encourage your students to look past their own stereotypes, whether they are conscious of it or not (don’t point it out to them, jut don’t treat them differently). Low socioeconomic status does impact the expectations of some teachers towards their students. However, it is important to hold high standards for all of your students. They may be going through Erikson’s stage of industry versus inferiority and without the chance to try and to struggle they may feel inferior and never get past this stage. If we hold low standards for these kids, then we are telling them that we don’t believe that they can succeed at anything difficult or challenging.

Also, students may not succeed because they are attempting to avoid the stereotype, otherwise known as stereotype threat. They may be concerned about fitting into what people already believe to be true so they may avoid the situation all together. In the short term this may cause anxiety, but the long term effect could be much worse; students may drop out of school or never try new things because of their fear to become the stereotype. I think as a teacher, it is important to be conscious of stereotype threat and attempt to help these students get past it.

I did find it interesting that we are more likely to notice information that confirms what we already believe, information that reaffirms the stereotype. With this knowledge, I plan on being more aware of what I am processing in the future.

Another reason for low success with these students is tracking. Since there are lower expectations for these students they may be taught to learn by a surface-processing approach; therefore only memorizing work and never fully grasping the concepts and understanding them. As a teacher I can help these students succeed by holding the same standards for all and giving them the tools and opportunities for success. However, the biggest obstacle for me and any other teacher is summer vacation. Students who come from lower-economic status do not necessarily have the resources that other students may have. This puts them further behind and over the years it really makes a significant difference. Is there a way a teacher can make a difference over the summer, other than instilling a love for learning in the student and encouraging reading?

My final thought is on the Gender Schema Theory. I do think this theory is practical in how younger children think. This is why I do get frustrated with females openly talking about their lack of interest in Science and Mathematics when children are around. Or when they say they are terrible at math. It could become a form of stereotype threat where future females will not even try because they don’t want to prove the stereotype true.