My personal is bias is not so much
against one group as for one group. Some
people may tend to call on boys and some people may tend to try to connect more
with the outgoing kids who seem obviously bright. I tend to focus on the quiet shy
children. I do this because I was one of
them. I was frightfully shy as a child,
shocking to believe that the “Math is awesome” girl was as such but there you
go. I would constantly hide behind my
parents and I almost never spoke to my relatives. This led most people to have some very preconceived
notions about what kind of kid I was, none of them flattering. For one I was thought of as stuck up, even a
bitch from my own family members. In
class, since I would rarely talk, my teachers frequently thought that I was not
aware of the classroom and that I did not know anything. When I was tested for gifted I scored high
but they thought I was cheating because I was so shy. My husband is also very shy, but he did not
seem to experience this kind of discrimination academically. His kind sweet heart was missed by many just
because he was hard to get to know.
For these reasons when I see a shy
or particularly quiet child I do not see them for just that. I see that they are a plainly wrapped package
with the most exquisite present inside.
I see that every shy child is child with amazing things to offer who
just needs to be seen. I strive to gain
this child’s trust so that I can unlock the beauty within. This takes time, care and attention
though. I am afraid that I could
possibly miss spending time with other kids in the quest to reach these
kids. I am not sure that this will
happen as I have not spent a huge amount of time as a teacher but it is
something that I will have to keep an eye on as move into the primary teacher
role.
I like this idea of "biased for". It seems most of the time when we use this word, it has the connotations of something negative, but its true, we can be biased for someone group. I do think other if its implications are similar though. The consequences of spending too much time with one group would come at the expense of another- something which is a delicate balance in the teaching profession. This was very intersting, not until now did I reflect on groups that I have a positive bias toward, and I think now my eyes are a little wider open.
ReplyDeleteYour life experiences has allowed you too see that what is inside can be completely different then what is on the outside. I think being able to do that can be very beneficial to a teacher and their students. My teaching philosophy is that it is important for the teacher to be able to express to their students that they care and that they believe that they believe in them, gain their trust. Being able to relate to the student and build their trust is a good skill to have as a teacher, that way the teacher is not judging a book by it's cover.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts. I think it's just as important to think about who we favor as who we look down on. Everyone is worthy of equal respect from us, regardless of who they are or what they do. That said, I think shy kids can be unique cases. I find that either I do what you do and tend to gravitate towards them, or else become too distracted by the kids who are outgoing and noisy. I think it is important for us to always be in scrutiny of our actions and always be evaluating how we are treating children, particularly those who we have a tendency to either favor or have a bias against.
ReplyDeleteI was also shy in school when I was younger since I didn’t like to be at the center of attention. I still don’t usually like to be at the center which I will soon have to get over since that’s where a teacher is mostly. I love how you may have a bias for helping the shy kids but not all of them necessarily need this extra attention to learn. From my own experience, and from others who were shy, I have found that drive is usually internal and for living up to your own expectations. These students are brilliant and so with more attention their shell break and you can see how bright they really are.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting blog. Teh math is amazing girl is shy-you could not have convinced me of that. As a lifelong stutterer, I realte to this situation, which mainfests itself in the scenario that you become that "math is awesome" girl to cope with your shyness, just as I have as being a stutterer. I suggest that you need to focus on all of the children, each with their own particular needs, strengths and weaknesses. You may find that an extra effrot with the shy ones is especially rewarding, but, you should revel in all of their success stories and helping each to reach their potential.
ReplyDelete