Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f2SMhfg14603; Wed, 28 Mar 2001 17:43:41 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 17:43:41 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <005901c0b7d9$fca48300$8aa51c3f@cbking> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Catherine King" <cb.king@verizon.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:449] Re: Students Fare Better With Minority Teachers X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 5850 Lines: 126 To Crystal, who asked: "I'd like to know if the researchers in this study could identify what, specifically, the "minority" instructors did that enhanced the learning of their students. (Minority is in quotes here because we need to be specific about who we are talking about. It's not enough to classify people who are not white as minorities, because, heck, we are not the minority in this country anymore. Please be specific.) Were the instructors in this study largely African American, Asian, and Latino?" Briefly, it isn't what the "minority" instructors did, but rather **from the point of view of the student,** what spontaneous "identity matches" could they make from whatever self-interpretive identity matrixes they bring to the classroom? If this is true, it doesn't matter what race, class, gender, color, etc., a teacher is. What matters is spontaneous identity and how that is worked out in groups and individuals. For the young (undifferentiated) student these identity matches are not reflective, or even conscious, but rather are **spontaneous** and may be triggered by merely seeing a similar skin color, etc., or hearing a similar familiar dialectic, and may be a mixture of these and gender identity, or familiar clothing style, etc. In all children, spontaneous identity matches forge the way for initial comfort **in the child**, and therefore, when present, make all learning easier for them. When comfortable on the social-identity level first, the learning level becomes an "in-the-loop" exercise for them, full of trust, hope, and a spontaneous desire to be involved. Many things can interfere with this spontaneous identity- match situation, including the specific psychology of the child, for instance, whose identity orders of thought are clouded with bad feelings and negatives where, though there is a spontaneous identity, that identity is fraught with tension, or if the child has had another experience where, for instance, a Black child has already had an extraordinarily positive experience with a White person. In this case, a White teacher may be a quite comfortable correspondent, whereas in another situation, an "other" fear may be the "first-ground" to emerge in the learning situation making it more difficult for the child to learn. Prior individual and exceptional experience will, of course, feed into class situations. This is human, and not related to any history, race, gender, etc. And it is human, and not natural science--where human consciousness, history, context, story and anecdote are essential and authentic sources of data which explain, if not predict, the variable and malleable outcomes of studies. This point does not mean, of course, that only Black, Latino, White, etc., teachers can teach "matched" students. It only means that identity-matches do make a difference, especially with young students who have no or little reflective powers. But from what I can tell from my own studies of consciousness, and when administrations suspect there may be an identity-mis-match situation for an entire classroom, it may be a good method to have a "same-identity" teacher introduce the "other-relational" teacher to the group, creating a "comfort bridge" and paving the way for the social trust to be transferred from the same-identity teacher to the "other-relational" teacher. If I am right on the effectiveness of this method, this could be done by a different-identity teacher who is already familiar with the group--fundamentally, someone the students already trust, regardless of color, race, gender, etc. What is important is familiarity and trust of the person by the student in particular situations. As far as adults are concerned, it would seem what matters **for some,** especially for those who are initially afraid, or who have severe "self-regard" problems--like battered women, etc., is the comfort of identity that will often, if not always, spontaneously create an openness in a teacher-learner situation that cannot be there in a spontaneous "different-other" situation. So, though the method or the content of the teaching is not the important first-point in multi-cultural situations, but rather the personal spontaneous identity that is extant in the classroom when the student first meets the teacher, whatever color, ethnicity, gender, etc., either may be is what counts, notwithstanding individual circumstances which may vary the student's sense of identity- comfort. All in all, teaching is a mysterious thing. Best to all, Catherine King ----- Original Message ----- From: <Crystal_McFall@advantica-dine.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 8:28 AM Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:446] Re: Students Fare Better With Minority Teachers > > I have a barrelful of questions about this study. I'd like to know if the > researchers in this study could identify what, specifically, the "minority" > instructors did that enhanced the learning of their students. (Minority is > in quotes here because we need to be specific about who we are talking > about. It's not enough to classify people who are not white as minorities, > because, heck, we are notthe minority in this country anymore. Please be > specific.) Were the instructors in this study largely African American, > Asian, and Latino? What kinds of gains did students achieve academically > as a result of being taught by people whose racial/ethnic backgrounds are > different from theirs? Were students interviewed for this study? If so, > what did they say about the quality of their instruction? > > Here's the big wammy: Are there any plans to conduct a similar study on > the secondary school level? What would be the implications of adult > continuing education? Anyone care to venture answers? >
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