No, schooling is not equitable but there are many ways to help fix this problem. Teachers play a big part in helping make sure schools are equitable because we are the ones teacher. It is our job to properly give out information to our students, but how do we do that when teachers do not talk about the tough things. I believe we should talk about how different we all are from one another, which is fine. We should discuss how everyone is unique and different in their own way. We are allowed to have different views from our neighbors while still getting along with them. We should talk about how different our cultures are from each others so we can all start to look at things from others perspectives. Teachers should also talk about and show different teaching methods to students. All students should know that not everyone learns or thinks the same, so it is alright to ask for help about assignments. They should know it is ok to need a different explanation of what to do, or that it is alright is they do not study the same way as their classmate or friend. It can be discouraging for a student if they are the only one to speak up about not understanding, when they are not taught that it is ok to be different. I believe making schooling equitable will also help students in the real world when it is time for them to go out and live as an adult.
I believe it is sad that students education depends on their physical appearance and where they live or come from. I agree with many others that money should not be the reason some students do not get as good of an education as all the other students. For starters children cannot control where they come and they can't control if, where, or when their parents work and they also can't control how much their parents are making. Students that come from a lower income already feel different from others and I believe teachers should make sure no one is feeling singled out. For example students do not need to know which of their peers or classmates are eligible for free lunches. I do not think we as teachers should even be discussing those type of things in front of students. We should not be judgmental towards others especially when at school and it should not be tolerated. Students like to tease their classmates or other students because of what they may be wearing and what conditio...
Hi Shalondra! I really enjoyed your commentary in this post! You are absolutely right that we should demonstrate equity to our students, that we should be able to talk about the issues with them, and help them to feel they are on an equal footing with their peers regardless of race. I don't know if you follow the news lately but something disheartening that I have been seeing is how difficult state governments are making it for teachers to create an equitable environment for their students. In Indiana and Florida for example, they are trying to pass legislation that would make it impossible for teachers to discuss racial or LGBTQ issues with their students. Basically, they would have to teach straight academics and nothing else. I wonder how we as future teachers would still create a classroom of equity if we can't talk about the issues that are preventing equity.
ReplyDeleteHello Katy! Thank you for your comment I actually was not aware of what the state governments are doing so I'm glad you pointed that out. That is really sad to hear though because that is definitely pushing us as a whole in the wrong direction.
DeleteHi Shalondra! I enjoyed your post and I agree with you about schools not being equitable when it comes to teaching about diverse cultures, languages, real-life topics, and multiple perspectives. Looking from the outside, schools seem very equitable nowadays when compared to less than 70 years ago. Everyone in modern society has access to the resources of public education and receives the “same” education from K-12. But while we spent our years all in the same places from ages 5 to 18, each and every one of us has all had a different experience with our schooling whether it positive, negative, or a combination of both. Something else you said in your post that stuck with me is how we can have different views from our neighbors and still get along with them. I think this perspective should definitely be held by schools and by teachers, when dealing with our students. Instead of trying to fit our students into one box, we should embrace the differences and uniqueness, and find ways to incorporate that into our classrooms. And as teachers it is our job to promote this perspective, and let our students know that its okay to not think, learn, speak, or act like everyone else!
ReplyDeleteHello Faith! I completely agree with your response. It can be pretty neat to explore everyones differences about learning when it is welcomed in the environment. Some students may be looking for different learning techniques and sharing everyone's in class can help those students.
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