[EDUC-2120] Discussion Topic #1 - Non-obvious At-risk Student Groups

Discussion topic for Chapter 1

Prejudice is defined as a negative attitude toward a group and persons believed to be part of that group. What are some groups, like the example of the atheist used in the power point, which are not obviously based on culture or race, whom teachers need to be aware of in their classrooms as possible targets of prejudice? How will you guard against prejudices yourself as a teacher? 

My Response for This Prompt

From personal experience, I offer for discussion two student groups of which teachers should be aware as possible targets of classroom prejudice.  These groups include children who are physically small for their age and children are academically advanced.  Each of these groups suffers varying levels of prejudice from public social stereotypes, and teachers need to guard against their own ill-timed reactions in addition to making their classrooms a culturally positive haven from bigotry and discrimination.

Children who are small for their age are susceptible to bullying because their bodies are often physically weaker than their age peers in larger percentile brackets.  Smaller children are often slower in running games because their legs cannot cover as much ground or unable to meet the objective in activities where physical strength matters.  Because of this, they often earn playground monikers that reflect "loser" stereotypes, which subsequently leads (in far too many cases) to name-calling and bullying.  Because busy adults have a tendency to lump together as "troublemakers" all children involved in playground mishaps or classroom incidents, smaller children are asked questions such as "well, what did you do to make her/him want to hit you?" or "you just need to learn to be tougher skinned and then the bigger kids won't bother you."  Victim-shaming legitimizes the prejudice that leads to bullying by teaching small-stature children that adults cannot ensure equal footing for all students, and by teaching bullies that society does not blame them for abuses they dole out, that blame lies with the victim(s) instead.

As with the “Asian math whiz” example from the chapter lecture, children whom are academically advanced also need protection from stereotype reactions from the adults in their lives.  It might seem obvious that these children may be open to teasing or bullying from other students, but teachers must be on guard against their own internal prejudices where gifted students are concerned, too.  Just because a child is smart does not mean that s/he is automatically proficient at all intellectual pursuits.  There is more than enough pressure on these students to succeed, so it is often difficult in the extreme for them to admit that they need help with schoolwork.  We must strive to be the teachers who open doors for all of our students and not the sort of teacher that responds to a request for help with "Why, Johnny, you're so smart! Surely, you don't need help with this, now do you?"  Not only does this display of confirmation bias publicly demean the child, but it marks the teacher as a willing party to societal prejudices rather than as an authority figure dedicated to overcoming them.  The student is asking for your help, after all; why are you going to ignore their plea in favor of an incorrect, stereotype-based assumption?

Our textbook teaches that "the values we choose are influenced by our membership in groups defined by such factors as race, ethnicity, gender, and social class; however, the ultimate decision to embrace certain values is up to the individual" (2).  As an educator, my goal is to make my school a safe place everyone who walks through the door.  To do that, it is my responsibility to be actively involved with both the student and staff populations.  I can make my Zero Tolerance for Intolerance policy clear up front, working with my students to develop a Classroom Bill of Rights that lays out the responsibilities of peer behavior and the repercussions for breaking our rules.  I can also work with parents and other staff on bringing tolerance education into our school through anti-bullying and cultural sensitivity programs such as the PBIS system (3) in active use at Norcross Cluster schools.

WORKS CITED IN THIS DISCUSSION POST

1. EDUC-2120 GPC-specific textbook.  Chapter 1, Afterword,  pp.17
2. Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. http://www.pbis.org/