Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Alex LaForest
Post University
A HOME IN THE CLASSROOM 2
Introduction
A home, a backyard, a mother’s arms, all phenomenal examples of safe spaces for
children. Amongst that list most teachers would include school. However, the classroom has
becoming less and less of an all-inclusive environment. Expectations while not be unattainable
are being enforced through lenses that do not agree with majority of student populations.
Additionally, when teacher evaluations are based off of these expectations, added pressure is
doled out to both teacher and student. What was once a safe space for students is now becoming
an antagonist for their development and growth. Students are no longer comfortable in the
classroom, and thus stop attending or trying in school. If teachers can develop relationships with
their students, then the students will be more inclined to be present and strive to be successful in
school. Nevertheless, with English Language Learners and minority students, teachers need to
develop their relationship basis, opposed to the value of grades in the classroom.
When teachers focus more on social factors opposed to the physical data, their teaching
can transcend the walls of the classroom. If a mathematics class is laced with a hidden
curriculum of humanitarianism, students are more inclined see the hidden lessons in the everyday
life. This can lead to students feeling as if school has more to offer than one to two meals a day
and books they are forced to read. As of 2010, 84% of Hartford, CT’s population was made up of
minorities, and White Non-Hispanic citizens that were college graduates outweighed the rest of
the population by almost 30% (Becker, 2014). With a skewed ratio as so, there is a disconnect
between minority students, the classroom, and their achievement. One of the main issues
Common core is viewed as the golden standard by some, and as a plague to the classroom by
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others. While it establishes a level playing ground, for many immigrant and minority students,
the level ground is still out of reach. This is where many teachers create practices to formulate
bonds with their students to peak interest, but again administration will view this critically as it is
Between academic struggles and language barriers, students maintaining a voice in the
classroom can be a struggle when it comes to a rigorous curriculum. Chris Emdin (2017) writes,
“A young person who is emotionally to the classroom as a cosmopolitan space will not only be
willing to learn in that classroom, but is committed to that classroom” (p. 105). This is what
educators strive for in their schools. Students who are champions for their classrooms. While a
student may not absorb every last word out of a teacher’s mouth, being present and open to
learning is the beginning of this venture, and through cosmopolitanism this can be accomplished.
The notion of cosmopolitanism is one facet of the larger Reality Pedagogy. Taher,
Mensah, and Emdin (2017) performed a case study where the Reality Pedagogy was
implemented with two urban immigrant students. The following was their findings, “[the] reality
pedagogy creates a socially supportive space for immigrant students, and promotes overall
growth of students in urban classrooms” (p. 1860-1861). Teachers fight for the success of their
students day in and day out, being able to connect with students on a level deeper than the course
material ensures success beyond the classroom. Student-teacher connections do not need to be
life changing conversations, it can be a simple bond over a common interest, show, music, etc.
School Culture
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Just as the phrase goes, change starts at home, student success starts with the teacher. In
order to procure successful students, administration needs to obtain teacher success. Kathy
Pechtold (2018) writes, “that a poor climate and culture for the adult leaders has a
direct effect on student performance” (p. 46). She goes on to discuss how administration can
alleviate teacher concerns. Pechtold boils adult leadership down to visibility, communications,
and relationships. By being able to assist teachers in these three capacities, student success can
be developed. Patrick Rodwell (2017) writes, “A TNTP study found that the average student
proficiency rates at schools with strong instructional cultures were 21% higher in math and 14%
higher in reading compared to schools with weak instructional cultures in the same district or
charter sector” (p. 1). As it is with most inner-city schools, students from shifting family
dynamics create a transient population, resulting in low test scores and attendance. This can
make it hard for teachers to continually push for proficiency without getting burnt out. Same
with administration. However, creating a workplace dynamic that promotes collaboration with
teachers, will extend to the students. Eventually the culture surrounding the school will become a
Part of empowering the teacher stems from the teacher’s pedagogical and social
competences. Administration while establishing relationships with their staff need to also help
their teachers continue their practice of learning. Maja Brust Nemet (2018) writes:
Teachers with high social and pedagogical competences can act to create a positive
productive schools with a positive culture, teachers are open, willing to help, make joint
decisions, are collegial, excellent at teaching, share the same goals and responsibility for
the results, and are thus a positive role model for their students and their parents. (p. 153).
A HOME IN THE CLASSROOM 5
As teachers further their social and pedagogical competences they will be able to work towards
establishing a positive school culture and classroom climate. This will result with students being
more willing to take a stake hold in the classroom. As students do so, staff and student will be
Achievement Gap
The achievement gap between suburban schools and urban schools full of a minority
population is on the rise. As of 2017 minority groups form 39.3% of the United States population
(United States Census Bureau, 2017). With an increasing minority population being pushed
towards urban schools, students are feeling less inclined to partake in school activities. Parents
while speaking towards school success are making less of a physical effort to push academics.
Students need to be grasped by the school in a different manner. This needs to be relationship
based teaching. Once students have something to hold on to other than grades, their school
When students continually shift schools and fail classes they come to believe the lie that
they are stupid. With false notions coming in from every direction for minority and English
Language Learners, they find it hard to fight for their own education. These students are
consistently told they are wrong because they do not know the language or they are fighting
through information they have not yet comprehended. Mark Rober (2018) discusses “The Super
Mario Effect” in his TedTalk. When failure occurs and points are continually deducted there is
less drive to continue to strive for success. Although, when failure occurs and there is permission
to try again, success is inevitable. Rober (2018) notes this as, “focusing on the princess and not
the pits”. Currently, when students fail tests, they fail, there may be an allowance to make it up,
but their grades will never be the same. Through the utilization of “The Super-Mario Effect”,
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students may fail one, two, three times, but once they have grasped the concept, or standard, they
pass. Students are allowed to try until they succeed. This sort of mindset promotes student
Conclusion
While there is no clear answer to solve the issue of the achievement gap, this paper serves
as a means to offer a few strategies of how to help close the achievement gaps in learning.
Through pushing for cosmopolitanism in the classroom, teachers can help provide students a safe
space. By building up teacher skills and school culture, administration can work towards creating
a positive school climate and culture. This can be done by furthering pedagogical and social
competences and culturally responsive teaching practices. Finally, with the pressing issue of the
achievement gap, offering students the chance to attempt material again without repercussion
will promote student success. A teacher’s goal is to help students grow and develop their skill
and human beings, not to measure the speed of how fast students understand material. The more
teachers can work towards establishing students as leaders of the classroom, the less time, they
will have to stress about test scores and the race for success.
A HOME IN THE CLASSROOM 7
References
http://www.hartford.gov/images/facts/HartfordDemographic2014_Complete.pdf
Emdin, C. (2017). For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood ... and the Rest of Yall Too: Reality
http://search.ebscohost.com.postu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=13
3472379&site=eds-live&scope=site
Pechtold, K. (2018). Changing School Culture A Case Study: It’s the simple things that realty
http://search.ebscohost.com.postu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=12
7254667&site=eds-live&scope=site
Rober, M. (2018, May 31). The Super Mario Effect - Tricking Your Brain into Learning More |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vJRopau0g0
Rodwell, P. (2017). 3 Statistics That Prove Positive Behavior Drives Higher Student
statistics-that-prove-positive-behavior-drives-higher-student-achievement
Taher, T., Mensah, F. M., & Emdin, C. (2017). Exploring the Impact of Reality Pedagogy:
http://search.ebscohost.com.postu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ
1159753&site=eds-live&scope=site
United States Census Bureau. (2017). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: UNITED STATES.