Is schooling equitable?
As time continues to pass school equality continues to grow; is school more equitable now compared to 10 years ago? Absolutely, but equality still has so much more to grow and we as teachers and the school system still have a lot of work to do to make schooling equitable. While stereotypes are close to being non-existent in our society they do come up once in a while. A stereotype is a generally held belief about a group or type of people that can be fixed and oversimplified. We need to avoid putting people and cultures in little groups so we can understand them, everyone is a unique individual that shouldn't be put in a group. Just like we need to avoid making groups we need to take people out of groups they were put into by society. Just like Dr. Love talks about in her Ted Talk, classes that are a little loud are labeled chaotic and unorganized but that is not the case. As a teacher, we have to allow our students to express themselves and if it means they have to be a little loud we should let them. Dr. Love said something that really stuck with me she said: "when you ask students to be someone they are not in school you're killing their spirit and that is wrong." We shouldn't stop our students from expressing themselves we should encourage it, that way they don't feel like they are being pushed out of school. Society has laved students of color as problematic and criminal students when the case for many is they may just be more active than other students, because of this many students of color receive harsher punishments. As future teachers, we need to make sure that in our classroom all students are treated equally to start making a change around the world and make schooling equitable.
Hi Nancy I loved the way you explained everything in your blog! It's true school equality has grown in a way where everyone is more accepting of one another. At a base level education should be equal and include equity to ensure that all students are getting the education they need for positive outcomes. For us educators is important to take into account each student's situation, from learning disabilities and cultural differences. Educators who operate classrooms equitably understand that their students will not all respond the same to the same instruction. We can operate our classrooms equitably by paying close attention to each student as an individual and knowing that some students may require different or more personalized help depending on their past educational experiences and their learning styles and abilities.
ReplyDeleteHi Erianah, I think you are totally right that as teachers we need to know and understand the students situation, disabilities and cultural differences. It’s a step in the correct way to have an equitable classroom.
DeleteNancy, great blog post. I noticed you used the stereotype definition from the module and a video that was also in the module which I believe elevated and supported your answer to the question. I agree that as time has gone by, school has became more equitable and that there is plenty room of environment. I'd like to add my perspectives and something that I got out of the recent module. In the post, you mentioned Dr. Loves video which stood out to you the most, one idea that stood out to me was the iceberg concept of culture. I couldn't believe that it was my first time seeing this and made me think about how I could approach situations and keep guard of my reactions. Back to your blog, I I do agree that teachers need to treat students equally and schooling be more equitable, but how? Will teachers ever really treat students one hundred percent equal? Though we are not created equal and everyone is unique, I believe teachers can only do so much. It h as to be a whole society change because it is deeper than the teachers. In a classroom, teachers should be able to modify, accommodate, and tend to each childs needs to help them succeed in life and overall school system. Teachers now still have their favorites or their "troublesome" students which we should get rid of those terms as it causes division and inequity in the classroomI do not believe there will be ever a point where teachers will treat students equal, but we sure can try.
ReplyDeleteHi Chelsie, I'm glad you had something that stood out to you in Dr. Loves Ted Talk video. I think you are right in saying teachers will likely not treat students 100 percent equal in the classrooms because this has to be a whole society change.
DeleteHi Nancy! I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I also found Dr. Loves Ted Talk extremely informative. I think that like you pointed out from Dr. Loves Ted Talk we should embrace when children are talking. I have learned in many of my other classes when are students aren't communicating usually something is wrong. A quiet classroom may seem as though the teacher has ensured everyone is not confused with what is being taught. However, students often are silently struggling rather than collaborating with their peers to gain an understand of what is being taught in class. Also when silence in the classroom is enforced students are not sharing who they are with others. Specifically not being able to share their culture and identity with their classmates. Rita Pierson explains in her Ted Talk that teachers need to make a connection with their students. They can not do this if they are constantly telling their students to be quiet and making them feel as though their voices are not valuable.
ReplyDeleteWow Zehra I like your insight that a quiet classroom isn't always the best scenario. It can mean students are struggling but are too scared or shy to speak. It's a nice thought to have in the back of our minds that our future classrooms shouldn't really have quiet periods of time.
DeleteHi Nancy! Your post is incredibly thoughtful. I also enjoyed Dr. Loves Ted Talk, and I agree with you that he had some very insightful and informative things to say about the way we should behave when a child is speaking. I have learned from my own personal experience as a preschool teacher that communication can tell you most everything you need to know about a child's well being. The key point is that you listen to what they are telling you. I also wanted to point out that it is important that educators understand that equality means to make an environment where each students can become equal. It does not mean to treat them like they already are because some kids need a little extra help to reach equality. I think that sometimes we get so caught up in trying to make sure that everyone is being treated the exact same. When in reality, students are going to have different needs, and it is our job as educators to recognize and fulfill these needs.
ReplyDeleteKassie, thank you for reminding me in your comment that we don't treat students equally because not every student is the same but we need to have an environment where students are equal and respected. I agree with your point and it's something I should have made more clear in my blog post.
DeleteHi Nancy! I really enjoyed reading your blog and also really found that TED talk interesting. I agree that we are pushing students of color away from school by labeling them and putting them down/more harshly punishing than white students in the classroom. I think a great step in the right direction as a teacher is embracing every students personality and taking into account their home life and background. We need to be more empathetic and understanding. While its getting better, we still have a long way to go.
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