Everyone is quick to jump on the poverty and broken home bandwagon; claiming them to be the sole reasons why underprivileged children find it hard to "come-up" in the school system. For example, I had a conversation with some very well-meaning colleagues of mine. Their comments went something like this, "I know we won't get homework back from our students because they have to take care of their brothers and sisters when they get home. So what is the point of assigning it? We are only punishing them more because they struggle and we give them consequences for failing to do the work." I was dumbfounded. Who could ever believe in the logic that making an excuse for a child, and giving them a break because of their circumstances, will "help" them out? Is there even logic tied to this line of thinking?
Overwhelmingly though, educators believe there is logic in giving a kid a break. They believe their students have hard knock lives, and holding them to higher expectations almost always ends in failure. In fact, this line of thinking has infected some administrators of schools who encourage educators not to issue assignments. In essence, this "logic" is killing the very fabric of the educational system.
Instead of meeting a student where he or she is and bettering them, the education system is stifling progress and aiding in maintaining the status quo. Schools and thus, educators, are not teaching students how to overcome their circumstances and strive for excellence; these entities are merely lowering the bar and making students unaccountable for their futures. After all, refusing to assign work, which could add value to a student, under the guise that they will fail before trying it, does nothing more than create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Underprivileged students are not benefitting from this trend. Instead, the education gap continues to widen; and economically advantaged and stable students continue thriving. Students, who are underprivileged, fail by default because they cannot compete with their more affluent peers. In reflecting on my colleagues' comments, one saying rings true. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions!"
Well-meaning educators are often the source for underprivileged student failures. These students fail, not because of their circumstances, but because of the circumstances educators have created for them. In giving underprivileged students excuses and passes, educators teach them that the world owes them something. The problem is that those students must be taught how to compete with their peers, despite their obstacles.
Educators simply cannot subscribe to the belief that life is hard for the underprivileged; let me give them a chance. Instead, they should teach underprivileged students how to recognize a chance and seize it by increasing expectations, teaching life skills and holding students accountable for their choices, not necessarily their circumstances.
Follow Brandy Williams on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@DaWriterChik
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If I have more failures then the assumption is I am doing something wrong since of course it can't be the kids.
Am I wrong?
We are trying. I swear to God we are. But sometimes its just impossible.
Fundamentally, and without painting a broad brush, there is an attitude of "sending children to school" among many school-aged parents that is not supported by goals, objectives and at-home support that is necessary to shape the proper perspective and attitude toward the learning experience that students need to be successful LEARNERS.
When you expect nothing, you receive nothing. Parents who don't expect anything from their children are rarely disappointed.
When I once complained to my mother that "they 'aint teachin' nothin' at school," she replied LEARN THAT, and we'll get the rest right here.
My mothers philosophy was 'you are not going to embarrass me, I am going to embarrass YOU!"
Need.More.Parents who are committed to the educational process regardless of quality whose agenda is to educate their children in and outside the classroom.
My brother played several sports, and was great at football. My mother REQUIRED that he maintain a 'B' average and read at-least one book a month.
I can't tell you how many coaches called my mother when he didn't meet HER expectations.
My mama got out of us what was expected - adults who are not burdens on society and when the time came, not on her, as that was her mantra and rationalization for every choice she made to support her 'cause I said so' edicts.
Teachers only had to teach me, because my mom was on HER job doing the raising.
She is not unique. Many mothers of all races are like that.
But some are not.
Please note that I am, most emphatically, NOT saying that I believe these children to be less able or less worthy of education. They are, however, beginning well behind the starting line when compared to wealthier children; unless families learn how to help and commit the time and energy to do so, teachers will be unable to pull the disadvantaged kids up to the same level.
Think about it--if the advantaged kids move forward by 10 units, but start from 5, they will finish at 15. The disadvantaged kids start at 1, and even though the teachers pull the kids the same distance, they will finish at 11, not 15. If there were a way to move the disadvantaged kids forward by 14, not 10, could we justify withholding that help from the advantaged kids?
A teacher's job is to teach, and just as a teacher has a role, the student also has a role (to listen, and be engage).
I've seen so many teachers wasting their time to tells a student to remove their hat, take out their pen and paper, stop playing with cell phone etc...
Sadly no one wants to admit that there's an issue of culture/environment here.
The no homework edict impart of the plan to fail, just as usurping teachers is, a cost effective measure that makes success thatbmuch more difficult to achieve. Considerbthis and a host of headlines about LAUSD lately. The schoolmabolishes hw( since recalled when Deasy saw it was unpopular). There is also an attack on teachers with adbpvanced degrees! It suggests teachers who havebthem are exploiting the system . With 50 a month for the MA and ifnyou have 2' 3 or 4 itbis still about $500 a year., I'd hardly say it is a scam. Now professional development is anoypther story but that scam enriches consultants and educRATS nor teachers. Tbc
Articles like this are also part of the problem. I don't see anything in here about parents having high expectations for their children and following through on making sure they go to school, follow rules, and do their work.
Once again, this author--as too many others do--puts all the responsibility on the teachers. She claims that teachers makes the blanket assumption that poverty is an excuse not to work, and yet the author makes the blanket assumption that it's the teachers who are the problem. How ironic.
I agree these kids shouldn't be given a pass. But we can't expect them to perform at the same level if these other services aren't provided.
Individualism is a proud tradition in this country and I applaud it. That doesn't mean we can't have a little compassion for people who need more help.