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Book: 25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them by Carolyn Orange
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Authors: Carolyn Orange
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This behavior humiliates the person who gave the ridiculous answer. Although teachers cannot stop their students from laughing, they can set the tone and duration of the laughing response. In this case, the teacher joined in with the students, thereby prolonging and condoning the laughter.
Consummate professionals know that no matter how funny, hilarious, or ridiculous a student’s answer might be, as professionals, they must make every effort to stifle their laughter. They also must make it clear to the class that outbursts of laughter will not be tolerated. To take the wind out of the sails of laughter, the teacher can gently correct the student with a smile and affirm the student by acknowledging that all of us make mistakes sometimes. The skillful teacher will get back on track and regain the momentum of the lesson.
2
TEACHER-STUDENT
RELATIONS
“Everyone in my biology class voted against dissecting a frog. But we almost had enough votes to dissect the teacher.”
Mistake
5
Favoritism
SCENARIO 5.1
Snob Appeal
I never really think about this being the worst experience. I was always, and still am, a talker. I was, however, a good student so somehow I guess it balanced out. My parents never really got on me for talking/conduct because I had good grades. Anyway, I guess the teacher I disliked or felt uncomfortable around the most was Ms. W. in third grade. In elementary school I had lots of friends, but never the cute “girlie” types. Ms. W. was always so obvious about who her favorites were; the girls were always rich, white, and dressed right out of Talbot Kids. She was a snob and always made me feel quite small.
Snobs are people who admire and seek to associate with other people they regard as their superiors and may ignore people they feel are inferior ( American Heritage Dictionary , 1992). The student seemed to think the teacher in this scenario was a snob. Several factors support that notion. The little girls the teacher preferred had snob appeal: They were upper class, very well-dressed, and members of the dominant culture. Most teachers are not rich; they’re usually considered middle class. The teacher could have possibly regarded the favored children and their families as superiors. The student was obviously not rich, not well-dressed, and probably not white. The teacher reportedly ignored the student. It seems the teacher does fit the perception of a snob. I say perception because there might be another, less apparent reason for the teacher’s perceived favoritism.
Where there are rich, well-dressed kids, there are probably rich, influential parents somewhere in the picture. Perhaps the teacher catered to this favored group of children outof fear of their rich and powerful parents. The teacher’s motives are not as important as the negative effects her behavior had on the less-favored children. The student said the teacher made her feel quite small.
Astute teachers are aware that inequity within gender groups invites resentments. They know that in peer groups, students invariably compare themselves to each other. If teachers favor and esteem certain members of a peer group, the remaining children will understandably have a diminished sense of self-worth. Insightful teachers appreciate the need to take a personal inventory periodically to examine their thoughts and motives. Such an inventory can serve to fetter out both social class and gender bias. If good teachers suspect that they have a bias, they try to become more aware of their snobbish behavior and its effect on students, and they try to take steps to curtail the behavior. They might start with making efforts to find positives in children they possibly regard as inferior.
SCENARIO 5.2
Sugar, Spice, and Very Smart
My high school junior English teacher was constantly on my case about talking (maybe because I’m a guy), but she would let the class valedictorian and salutatorian (both girls) talk away right next to me. I really disliked
Consummate professionals know that no matter how funny, hilarious, or ridiculous a student’s answer might be, as professionals, they must make every effort to stifle their laughter. They also must make it clear to the class that outbursts of laughter will not be tolerated. To take the wind out of the sails of laughter, the teacher can gently correct the student with a smile and affirm the student by acknowledging that all of us make mistakes sometimes. The skillful teacher will get back on track and regain the momentum of the lesson.
2
TEACHER-STUDENT
RELATIONS
“Everyone in my biology class voted against dissecting a frog. But we almost had enough votes to dissect the teacher.”
Mistake
5
Favoritism
SCENARIO 5.1
Snob Appeal
I never really think about this being the worst experience. I was always, and still am, a talker. I was, however, a good student so somehow I guess it balanced out. My parents never really got on me for talking/conduct because I had good grades. Anyway, I guess the teacher I disliked or felt uncomfortable around the most was Ms. W. in third grade. In elementary school I had lots of friends, but never the cute “girlie” types. Ms. W. was always so obvious about who her favorites were; the girls were always rich, white, and dressed right out of Talbot Kids. She was a snob and always made me feel quite small.
Snobs are people who admire and seek to associate with other people they regard as their superiors and may ignore people they feel are inferior ( American Heritage Dictionary , 1992). The student seemed to think the teacher in this scenario was a snob. Several factors support that notion. The little girls the teacher preferred had snob appeal: They were upper class, very well-dressed, and members of the dominant culture. Most teachers are not rich; they’re usually considered middle class. The teacher could have possibly regarded the favored children and their families as superiors. The student was obviously not rich, not well-dressed, and probably not white. The teacher reportedly ignored the student. It seems the teacher does fit the perception of a snob. I say perception because there might be another, less apparent reason for the teacher’s perceived favoritism.
Where there are rich, well-dressed kids, there are probably rich, influential parents somewhere in the picture. Perhaps the teacher catered to this favored group of children outof fear of their rich and powerful parents. The teacher’s motives are not as important as the negative effects her behavior had on the less-favored children. The student said the teacher made her feel quite small.
Astute teachers are aware that inequity within gender groups invites resentments. They know that in peer groups, students invariably compare themselves to each other. If teachers favor and esteem certain members of a peer group, the remaining children will understandably have a diminished sense of self-worth. Insightful teachers appreciate the need to take a personal inventory periodically to examine their thoughts and motives. Such an inventory can serve to fetter out both social class and gender bias. If good teachers suspect that they have a bias, they try to become more aware of their snobbish behavior and its effect on students, and they try to take steps to curtail the behavior. They might start with making efforts to find positives in children they possibly regard as inferior.
SCENARIO 5.2
Sugar, Spice, and Very Smart
My high school junior English teacher was constantly on my case about talking (maybe because I’m a guy), but she would let the class valedictorian and salutatorian (both girls) talk away right next to me. I really disliked
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