We have talked about excuses, now I would like to talk about perceptions. Can the perceptions a teacher has for the student change the way the student is interacted with and taught? Are expectations different for students who are known to come from a "poor" family than those who come from a "rich" home? If there is a difference, are the children treated differently because they are perceived as inferior and less capable of learning? I think it is important to hold expectations high for all and not to let empathy change to something beyond and lower expectations from kids who have less.
As for the difference between schools I never really thought much about it until last week. I teach in one of the three lowest SES elementary schools in the Meridian School District. I know my kids have hard lives but I try to hold them all to the same expectations. I recently accompanied my husband to his school. He just got a job there and had his leg in a brace so I chauffeured him to the school for a tour by one of the other fifth grade teachers. It is a magnet school whose fifth grade is capped at 27 (she believed). There were 33 kids in each of our fifth grades last year. As she is giving the tour I did not have much to say as I drooled over all of the die cuts, copy machines, endless amounts of paper and things we do not have access to just a block away. Oh, and don't forget they have Subway delivered every Friday. My eyes were opened and I must confess I did not like what I saw. How can larger class sizes be justified for kids who need smaller class sizes? What makes it okay for some schools to have things but other schools cannot because they cannot afford it?
Wenglinsky, H.
(1998). Finance Equalization and Withi-School Equity: The Relationship Between Education Spending and the Social
Distribution of Achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
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I teach in one of those schools that has the high and low SES. I think our school has a culture that is sympathetic, not empathetic. We often have different standards for students from with different SES. Part of it comes from just trying to function when the administration is breathing down your neck about "missing work" or "no D's and F's". We don't really address, as a school, what our expectations for students should be and why they are not. We use the term "differentiation" but I think sometimes it is used to justify the different expectations. For example, if we believe that extra math practice at home is important, why do we also say, "don't give it to them if they are not going to do it." I think we are unable or unwilling to make the commitments to our beliefs...when it is difficult. We don't put practices in place to provide the support that students need to do their work and do it well. We barely offer interventions--not what is needed. And we all feel too overworked and overwhelmed to give more of ourselves outside of work hours.
ReplyDeleteSo, what I really am trying to comment on is that it is discouraging to look at the differences between school, and disheartening to look at what happens within one school.
What would happen if we could be more outspoken about the differences between the elementary schools and the differences within middle schools?
Tana and Angie,
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine being a school teacher. The stakes at times must be so high. If I don't do well at my job the worst case scenario is the company may lose a little money because agents were not proficient with the help of my training. Education will never be perfect but I can see the desire teacher's would have to make it perfect. The stakes are so high when you are in charge of children's education. It is a differnt world that I am not familiar with but I definitely can see why it would be frustrating when you have a such a strong desire to give everyone a good education.
I don't know if you already have children but it is a world you will become familiar with soon if you do not aready. :o) It is an interesting world with testing being at the center of everything, at least it feels like. When I first started teaching there were not as many tests and they were not as high stakes. It has been interesting to be involved in and watch the progession and the stress that accompanies that progression towards more and more testing.
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