Of the two articles that we read for today, I really connected with Sonia Nieto’s piece on multicultural education. In this essay, one aspect of her argument is that educators shouldn’t view schooling practices in isolation, but should recognize these practices as part of a larger social, political, and institutional system. Tracking doesn’t only happen in schools, but reflects a larger practice of tracking social roles based on race. She also shared the example a teacher who prohibited a Puerto Rican girl from speaking her language in town where the government was also trying to pass law prohibited workers from speaking their native language on the job.
Many of the students that the author interviewed mentioned that the low expectations of their teachers negatively influenced their performance in the classroom. Again, this ideology of under-evaluating people’s capacity based on race isn’t something that exists only in schools, but a practice that also occurs in a larger context outside of the school.
Rather than holding low expectations for students, the practice of multicultural education is based on the idea that by including students’ voices, experiences, and culture in the classroom, the educator can create an environment in which all students can succeed. Negating a students’ culture translates into negating them as a human being. Affirming their ways of being validates their humanity. As this study demonstrates, students get excited about education when teachers believe that they have knowledge to share and a capacity to learn. The author mentions that even asking students’ opinions in the present study supported the development of more positive, critical reflection on learning.
The article of this argument carries an important implication. Myopic discussion on particulars such as curriculum decisions, inconsequential schooling practices, etc. will be futile unless they come from an understanding that education reform will fall short unless it takes teachers’ attitudes and critical examination of power relations into consideration. Since schooling practices are powerfully influenced by the socio-political context, students must be given the tools to critically examine this system. In addition, reform in methodology will accomplish nothing if it isn’t accompanied by a similar change in teacher’s attitudes. Even if teachers discover and implement the most ideal methods, students will not become empowered to learn unless their instructors truly believe in their potential and utilize the cultural capital that they bring to the classroom.
1 comment:
I agree with what you say about teachers attitudes completely! I feel like even when a teacher may not have the best pedagogical techniques in their repertoire , their passion for the students and kids will come through if they have genuine intentions. I think the also relates to what Ritz said earlier about "What does it mean for a teacher to be interesting". I believe this kind of attitudinal engagement is what makes a teacher interesting. Nieto would completely agree with the statements you make in your last paragraph about teacher's attitudes. She states:"Reforming schools structures alone will not lead to substantive differences in student achievement, however; if such changes are not also accompanied by profound changes in how we as educators think about our students; that is, in what we believe they deserve and are capable of achieving... This means that concomitant changes are needed in policies and in our individual and collective will to educate all students." (122)
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