Doench, L. (2014). [Graphic illustration September 28 2015]. Grounded Parents. Retrieved from http://groundedparents.com/2014/04/12/internet-meme-
demolition-derby-childhood-is-not-a-disease/
I have gone through many years of education and was always labelled as the bad student. I was the bad student because I took longer to understand concepts being taught. I was the bad student because I did not contribute a lot as I was shy. In my opinion, the education system has a great distinction between good and bad students. Though I see the education system as making a positive change in letting students grow and learn individually, I am writing this blog with my thoughts before I came to university. Even though I do feel that schools in Ontario are changing for the better, I still believe this issue of “good” and “bad” students should be discussed, as it is an ongoing dispute in other schools. I believe schools overlook the fact that the education system influences student’s behaviours through repetition in the curriculum (MacLure, et al, 2012). The education system has great influence on “good” and “normal” children, through social and institutional ideals, which could cause children to become someone they are not. I feel that these ideas of good and normal children are potentially not normal or natural, causing students who are not receiving teacher’s approval to be “othered” (MacLure, et al, 2012). In elementary school, I was placed into an alternative class with students who were struggling. I have not received a diagnosis for any learning disabilities, but teachers judged me as being below average. From kindergarten to grade 8, teachers tied to put a diagnosis on me because I was not at my grade level. However, teacher never gave me or tested me on any content that was my grade level, so how was I supposed to show them that I was at an average development? Just because I did not learn as fast as other students, I was othered and it had a toll on my high school educational experience as well. The clip below is an example from students of ways in which teachers categories them as good or bad.
Now as
a teacher candidate, I believe it is important for students to develop their
own identities rather than schools building the identities for children. I
question the education system when looking at ideas of “good” students because
unnatural approvals and evaluations become highlighted (MacLure, et al, 2012).
If education is causing students to be less sincere and built unnaturally,
should schools give educational freedom to children? I think that childhood is
not a specific kind as it is produced through many societal conditions as
children are viewed as becoming (Walkerdine, 1993). I question if children can
truly become whom they want to be if the education system marginalizes them based
on approval and assessment? In my eyes, there is some problem with the
education system because it places children in the good or bad category based
on false beliefs. An example of this is teachers giving feedback from
assessments or showing the class evaluation criterion. By giving strict
feedback and evaluation criterion, students are more likely to give less
sincere opinions and feelings (MacLure, et al, 2012). In addition, many
students learn in different ways; by giving strict criterion, teachers are
automatically placing students who lack those strengths into the “bad” student
category. As being a teacher candidate
and seeing this problem in the education system, I will practice student
centred learning in order to allow freedom and individuality to all my students. Rather than discovering children for their individuality, is the
education system a way to corrupt and produce children for society? To find out steps on how to positively correct difficult behaviours, check out the video below.
pUHgVNs4
The two links below provide you with more information on this idea of "good" and "bad" students.
https://raniblogsaboutcausation.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/good-or-bad-students/
http://www.alternet.org/story/39/school_testing%3A_good_for_textbook_publishers,_bad_for_students
References
and reputation in the early years classroom. British Educational Research Journal.
Walkerdine, V. (1993). Beyond developmentalism? Theory and Psychology.
Right after I read the title, I was excited to read what the “flaw” of education was going to be. Turns out, I had a similar experience in education as you and I couldn't agree more! Its funny how one incident, or one “weakness” can cause people to be label through their entire educational experience. I think people underestimate the power that can hold over someone, which relates strongly to the notion of the “self-fulfilling” prophecy. Once students are told that they aren’t “good enough” they will begin feeling like that and be less likely to try in the future. Thus, I definitely agree that it is important for us, as future educators, to start acknowledging these embedded labels students carry with them and work on diminishing them. Do you have any specific ways in which you plan to do so in your class? I also thought the image you chose to include in the beginning was very strong. I did notice, however, that you didn't include any hyperlinks. I think in your future blogs, it would be very beneficial to include quick links to other sources that help readers understand your topic more. I look forward to reading your next post!
ReplyDeleteHey Maddalene, I thought that your blog discussed a really important topic that many people may avoid and I absolutely loved your opening photo for your blog this week. I agree with you that labeling is an educational flaw within the system and subconsciously teachers categorize students as either good or bad often based off of their first impressions and behaviour. I think it’s important for teachers to get to know their students at a personal level and to take the time to understand where they’re coming from. A suggestion of activity for teachers to do at the beginning of the year with their new class would be for students to write a private all about me project so that the students can tell the teacher any additional information they would want the teacher to know about them such as subjects they struggle with in school or bullying issues. As a child I remember doing an all about me project and it really helped me to connect with both my classmates and the teacher. Moving forward, I think it would be helpful to suggest projects to help students and teachers connect with one another to eliminate teacher judgements and categorization of good and bad students.
ReplyDeleteMy question for you is: In your opinion, although the notion of labelling students as good and bad is an issue, do you believe that through projects and a positive mindset we can truly eliminate these judgements?
Maddalene I thought you did an awesome job this week of using your past experiences and connecting them to the issue of labeling “good” and “bad” students. Many students are often cast aside and not given the chances they should be getting because teachers believe that since they have not reached the level that everyone else their age is at, then they never will. You made a great point when you said that every student learns differently, because it is true what works for one person may not work for another. Teachers need to be more flexible with their teaching styles and try to accommodate the many different types of learners in their class. I do however think it is very difficult to determine if a child is “good” or “bad” because all teachers have different definitions of those two terms. You stated that you would use student centered learning in your classroom so that everyone can be their individual self. How would you let the students in your class discover who it is they want to be? How would you offer your students freedom in the classroom if the rest of the school is still abiding by the current education system?
ReplyDelete