Race & learning: What can teachers do?

Race & learning: What can teachers do?

Teacher belief

Thanks to God not all my teachers gave me the bad feelings. There were two or three in which I found all the forces that I required. They believed in me, they worried about my grades, and they always tried to help me with tutorials after school. Finally, I demonstrated to all the ones that made fun of me or by listening my accent they thought that by being Mexican was a bad student, that I could do many things that neither I myself imagined.— Nanynka, Feb 13, 2008, EDCI 4322-01

Teacher sensitivity to race/ethnicity differences

At school, many times teachers don't see students from ethnic minorities as different and treat all students the same. Teachers fail to see that some differences do matter to how students respond to schooling and that some students’ experience inequality because of their ethnicity. These teachers run the risk of missing opportunities to develop a different curriculum or additional resources that might better address the needs of those ethnic minority students.—Rose, February 16, 2008, EDCI 4322-01

Focusing on teaching the materials, not on the achievement gap

I think things are improving because schools are better trained in helping bilingual students (at least those who speak Spanish). When I become a teacher, I will not focus on the gap. I will just simply teach the material. I hope to instill in them that they can do it, just like everybody told me that I could. I am no better than anyone else. If I can do it, anybody can!—Dawn, February 20, 2008, EDCI 4322-60

This (racial) unfairness does take place in school settings and can only be fixed by educating people. Parents, students, school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel need to be educated as to the fairness that all people deserve.—Irina, February 15, 2008, EDCI 4322-01

Greetings from the editor
Race & learning: Introduction
Race & learning: How aware are we of our ethnicity...
Race & Learning: What are the stereotypes about be...
Race & learning: How do the Hispanic stereotypes a...
Race & Learning: What can we as individuals do?
Race & Learning: What can parents do?
Race & learning: What can teachers do?