Chapter 4 Learning Log

What?

In our classrooms there will be much diversity. Whether it be in culture, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.
When dealing with students of cultural diversity, 'colorblindness' is not the best way to approach students because of your own cultural bias. 'Colorblind' to a white middle-class American would be to treat every person regardless of culture as a white middle-class American. Recognizing differences in culture is important to understand how students approach our class, and learning in general. Differences in culture cause students to react to situations differently, and perhaps in ways that you may not understand.

Gender differences can play a role as well. In general intelligence, there is no difference between boys and girls. There are however a few legitimate differences, such as:

Boys:
-Express their anger through physical aggression
-From puberty are marginally better at spatial reasoning
-Don't like to 'seem smart'
-Are more likely to be outliers in both academic and social performance.
-Have more muscle mass
-Higher self-esteem (generally)

Girls:
-Express anger through relational aggression
-Like school for social reasons
-Cluster socially
-Less muscle mass
-Have lower self-esteem (due to hormonal differences)
-Have a harder time taking critcism
-May be more self-aware and self-critiquing

Socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the biggest determining factors that effects academic performance. In Utah alone almost 40 percent of people are considered low-income or below poverty level. These students tend to be less engaged. Engagement in learning can make or break a student, especially one with a low SES.

Engaging a student consists of:
-Good attendance in school
-Having a predictable schedule
-High participation in class
-A sense of belonging, welcome, and safety
-School pride
-Involvement in extracurricular activities or special opportunities

So What?

As teachers, it is important to do all that we can to understand the diverse cultures that we encounter and interact with in our classrooms. If there is a student in our class from somewhere we are unfamiliar with, a responsible teacher should try and investigate and learn all they can about that culture. Knowing more about the cultural norms that our students practice will help us better connect with them and be able to accommodate for them if necessary.

Teachers also must avoid a gender bias while teaching. Looking at both genders as equally intelligent and academically capable will help to eliminate any bias. However, allowing for some few legitimate differences will give our students expectations that are realistic for them.

Low SES students in our classes may require special accommodations that the teacher should not feel hesitant to make. For a student who may be homeless, or have working parents who are unavailable to them, special accommodations regarding homework or funding may need to be made. We should be sensitive to these situations and treat these students with respect so that they do not feel embarrassed or singled out unnecessarily.

Now What?

In my classroom, I will try to be as culturally respectful as possible. I sometimes feel nervous and overly-cautious about appearing racist or biased. However, I think I need to overcome this fear slightly so that I can show acknowledgment of differences and celebrate these diverse cultures that I may be teaching. I know that I should do whatever I can to better understand these students. This could include reading a book about their culture, or asking the student or their parents to explain to me the unique things about their culture. This will help me be a better teacher, focused on the individual.

Gender differences in my Health, Anatomy, and Biology classes will definitely be acknowledged in course content. These differences, however, are mainly biological differences that students should be aware of. As for having a gender bias, I feel that I have equal intellectual expectations of the boys and girls that will be in my classes.

When I personally come in contact with low SES students, I want to be able to make any accommodations necessary for them to be successful in my class. Before I can make any of these accommodations, however, I must be familiar with their backgrounds and home lives. I want to be the kind of teacher who is interested and asks about a student's situation. If I strive to better understand where my students are coming from, I will be more prepared to help them succeed.