| Author | Message | ||
     Tonya "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Tonya Post Number: 5258 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: |
Date posted online: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Study: Teachers have bias against black males 'Normalized racism' evident to fellow students, researcher says BY YASMIN TARA RAMMOHAN Medill News Service Teachers treat African-American males differently than their white and Latino counterparts based on negative stereotypes and perceptions, according to a recent dissertation presented in Chicago. "Sally can skip, but Jerome can't stomp" is the title of Denise L. Collier's dissertation, which explores teacher perceptions and beliefs of black male students, and how these may impact the teachers' treatment of those students in the classroom setting. Collier concluded that teachers subject African-American males to harsher punishments than other students for the same infractions. She came to this conclusion through interviews with teachers and students, observations in the classroom and data analysis. Collier, a specialist in closing achievement gaps for the Los Angeles school district, studied fourth- and fifth-graders at an L.A. school. Her recent presentation in Chicago was part of the 88th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Collier found "normalized racism" in the classroom, meaning that teachers were often unaware of their own behavior. "Teachers said racist things all the time and didn't even know it," she said, adding the statements came even when she, a black woman, interviewed teachers. Black male students had negative responses to their teachers as a result of this mistreatment. In student interviews, Collier said, one boy said he hated his teacher, while another noted that she always picked on him. "What they saw was just unfairness and part of everyday life they have to contend with," Collier said, adding that other students noticed the unequal treatment as well. Through teacher interviews, Collier found the negative perceptions of black males arose from media influences as well as personal beliefs. She cited articles, television programs and the belief that black parents do not care about their children as examples the teachers gave as to why they viewed African-American males the way they did. Chicago Public Schools officials offer a six-hour class called Community and Culture to help teachers acquire skills in avoiding stereotypes and recognizing cultural differences, CPS spokeswoman Anitra Schulte said. First-year teachers are required to participate in either the Community and Culture class or the Classroom Management class. Copyright © 2007 nwi.com http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/04/18/news/illiana/docc5dbb5b0609aaeb9862572bf 00144674.txt | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8352 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
Dealing with little black boys does require special skills. I'm surprised the article didn't discuss how often these kids are conveniently disagnosed as having ADD, or labeled as hyper-active, and then put on medication. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 9255 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Tonya, This here is one of the BIG reasons why I’m becoming a proponent of single-sex schooling for Black boys. Single-sex schooling might better enable schooling to be structured and provided by foks who are NOT wierded out by Black boys. I believe in MANY schools, Black girls - who usually are not as hyper and rambunctous as Black boys - often appear easier to teach, especially since most grade school teachers are female. In fact, I recall hearing/reading that 80% of the teachers that Black boys who attend public school have will be WHITE FEMALES. Really. Those chicks are usually to dayam confused by and AFRAID of Black boys to effectively teach them. | ||
| Renata AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Renata Post Number: 2035 Registered: 08-2005 Rating: N/A |
Send them to the Nation of Islam schools. Separate sex schooling, and those are the most respectful, intelligent black boys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life. And black men in the Nation of Islam are as active in the school as females are, as disciplinarians and educators. I'm not even Muslim and I would prefer to send my son to their school. Parents of black boys should DEFINITELY look into these schools, even if they decide it's not for them. | ||
| Chrishayden AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 4173 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Dealing with little black boys does require special skills. I'm surprised the article didn't discuss how often these kids are conveniently disagnosed as having ADD, or labeled as hyper-active, and then put on medication (I have to admit you are right on this. I have been black all my life and still I have to adjust myself to their decibel and activity level. You ever notice how loud little black babies scream? Again, you got to adjust yourself to their decibel level. It takes a conscious effort. | ||
| Tonya "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Tonya Post Number: 5261 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: N/A |
ABM, I agree with you to a certain extent. I think it's extremely dangerous to suggest that Black men aren’t just as prejudice, or that "chicks" aren't aware of the blatant and unconscious biases towards Black boys. Don't forget. The Black community is being raised by Black mothers. It's hard for me to believe that ANYBODY knows Black boys more than Black mothers. ...But then again, who knows the Black male experience better than a Black male... (I know the emphasis was on white "chicks". My point is a teacher's gender might not make a difference, or color for that matter.) | ||
| Tonya "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Tonya Post Number: 5262 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: N/A |
...and I'm not trying to demonize Black men, I swear. A Black woman could be just as prejudice. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 9257 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Tonya, I think Black women can teach Black boys. It's mostly those wide-eyed Beckys that scare me. I do, however, think there's a point past, say 6 grade, when Black school boys really NEED to be getting some healthy doses of Black MEN as teachers. Because the rolemodeling thing starts to play out BIG around then. | ||
| Yvettep Veteran Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 1942 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
I agree that same-sex schools or classrooms/units within schools is definitely something that should be considered. That combined with multi-age classrooms where the same group of kids continue as a group over 2 or 3 years has the potential to create the type of vibrant, focused, cohesive environment where real learning can take place. Obviously this is not ALL that is required--you still need good teachers, quality materials, etc. etc. But I think more attention can be paid to context. I appreciate the link you provided in another post, ABM. The difficulty with much research on same-sex schools--actually with any schooling innovation--is that it is difficult to tease out and assess the specific factors that are making a positive difference. But I think there is enough there to warrant not dismissing these kinds of environments out of hand. I attended a college that was at the time women-only at the undergraduate level. You have never seen a more competent group of young women. So I think same-sex environments can be very positive for both boys/young men and girls/young women. As for men in classrooms, it has been my experience when I taught and now as a parent of school children that kids (boys and girls) just light up in the presence of high quality male teachers and teacher aids. Nothing against female teachers, but many, many children are just hungry for positive and nurturing male role models. | ||
| Yvettep Veteran Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 1943 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
BTW, thanks for the post Tonya. I looked up her dissertation and it is not available yet through the digital dissertation archive. But I look forward to taking a more extensive look when it is available. Or maybe she is busy as we speak transforming it into a book or journal articles. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 9260 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Yvettep, I know same-sex schooling is no panecea for your pedagogical problems. Yes there surely are other factors to consider with respect to why an all-boys or all-girls school is (or isn't) effective. I think, though, the reason why single-sex schooling might be of particular benefit to Black boys is because so many of them are bereft of solid, disciplined male mentors and father figures (Hell. Many Black boys in the inner city don't even see men regularly going to WORK.). You probably could more effectively taylor such programming and evironment for boys (at least during pivotal periods of male development) if you don't have to be as concerned about ballasting such with matters more specific to girls. Though I think some parts of the research I referenced to said that girls generally appear to do even BETTER than boys in single-sex schooling. And I agree that girls benefit from good male teachers just as boys do. | ||
| Chrishayden AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 4180 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Folks. The race has been traumatized. Black people suffer from a collective psychosis. I remember a black hold up man saying he never held up black people because they were crazy and you might never know what they would do. It has been passed down from person to person and I know I will not see the end of it in my life time. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8364 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Too bad for chrishayden that he hasn't perfected the technique of mind-control so he can dupe everybody into seeing things his cock-eyed way. snicker. | ||
| Chrishayden AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 4190 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Too bad for chrishayden that he hasn't perfected the technique of mind-control so he can dupe everybody into seeing things his cock-eyed way. snicker. (That's just what I was about to post. You must be reading my mind!) | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8369 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Right, chrishayden, and I just read your mind again and discerned that, deep down inside, you know you're not an oracle but you just can't bring yourself to admit it. |
