One part of the reading that really frustrated me was the section on gender roles, stereotypes, and differences. Of course gender roles and stereotypes are sometimes based on biology and need to be recognized as one aspect of our students' identities. I'm sure that I hold biases based on gender that are reflected in my instruction that I don't even notice. But I can't handle reading once again that boys are more aggressive or better at math while girls are better communicators and more successful in literacy. The worst part is that I've seen these roles confirmed by many of my students. When I read the part about relational aggression, all I could think about was the malicious behavior of my female students last year and the ways they would manipulate relationships to hurt other students. But was I noticing this behavior from the girls because they were the only ones doing it, or because I was expecting this behavior from girls already?
I was really interested by the final part of the reading discussing parental roles and the ways that parenting styles often change as children grow. Sometimes I assume that students have a certain level of structure or rules at home that helps them understand the boundaries and expectations that I have for them at school. I have seen at a couple home visits that my students and their siblings are getting away with things I wouldn't have been able to do as a kid (begging for things until they get them, grabbing food from the fridge whenever they want to), but then again, I'm not seeing the whole picture. As I gather data about students for this unit and for my case studies, I want to consider the home environment of each student including the expectations and routines they follow at home.
I really enjoyed this quote as it confirms that I can guide students in solving their problems rather than solving problems for them as a method for building self-esteem.
"Self-esteem is often increased when children face a problem and try to cope with it, rather than avoid it. If coping rather than avoidance prevails, children often face problems realistically, honestly, and nondefensively. This produces favorable self-evaluative thoughts, which lead to the self-generated approval that raises self-esteem."
3 comments:
I kind of zeroed in on that home connection too-- I was amazed at that statistic about students getting 50% less of their parents attention between the ages of 5-12 (woah, broad range), that was in the chapter. I really do think so much of how a child behaves in the classroom ties back to how much attention their getting, what they are getting away with at home versus at school, etc. It's something I really want to pay more attention to, especially for my students with SSTs coming up. Interesting observations!
I agree with what Kate said about the home connection. You should read what I put on her blog. Essentially, you can tell the difference not only in their behavior but also in the quality of their homework. I am considering having another mandatory parent night so that parents can bring their student and go over homework with me again. I'm so done with them signing the homework and not even opening the packet to see if it's finished. blah!
I have been wondering a lot recently about whether there is a positive way to voice concerns with parents about what is occuring in a students home life. I feel almost limited in the ability to change or impact a students development, if pieces at home are missing. I understand that we, as educators can influence a child's development to a certain degree, but that home element is crucial. How do you have that dialogue with parents?
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