Teaching Implications and Groups

The authors of your Tozer book contended that individuals succeed or fail in our society not simply due to their native abilities and applied efforts, but importantly on the basis of their membership in one or more ethnic, gender, or economic groups.  If this is true, what are the implications for teaching, learning and schooling?  Support your position with evidence and reasoned argument. 

      I feel that a student's ethnic, gender, or economic group does play a part in their success.  The opposite is also true in my opinion; a student's 'group' does not play a part in their failure.  The problem that any student has in whether they learn or not is through the teaching they receive.  The other major player is parental support, or family support.  No matter what 'group' a student falls into, the expectations for him or her should not be changed.  They should remain high and challenge the student.  Teachers should be sensitive to differences without being biased by group differences (Tozer, Senese, &Violas, 2009).  The family of a student can and should play a very supportive role in their education.  We know that this isn't always the case.  The reality is, that students with parents who are educated themselves typically support their children more.  The 'groups' we are discussing here probably lack parents with education.  Of course this isn't the rule by any means, but a valid point none the less.

       The implications for teaching, learning, and schooling is awareness.  Everyone involved in the schooling process needs to be aware of individual student makeup.  Anyone who has ever given a standardized test and studied the results knows that the 'groups' we speak of are important markers to judge overall teaching and learning.  If only the Anglo students do well, the teacher better change the way they are presenting material!  Many educators understand this dilemma, but few I feel really put into practice.  It is easy to get 'comfortable' doing what we do and unfortunately students fall through the cracks.

Tozer, S. E., Senese, G., & Violas, P. C. (2009).  School and Society.  New York, NY: