As I reflect on this week’s readings, I am drawn to a particular point that Danny Bernard Martin makes in chapter 10 of Improving Access to Mathematics. Martin explains that people’s cultural and racial identities are so closely linked to their identity as learners. Because of this, it is so important that we, as teachers, strive to figure out how to develop an “identity of achievement” among African American and other minority students.
This, however, seems like such a difficult task to overcome when at the very heart of a student’s learning there can be such drastic inequalities in the opportunities available and accessible to them …
How a student identifies with his/herself directly influences his/her learning and through that learning, a student’s identity can either be affected positively or negatively. In the interviews Martin presents with Keith and Gina, both shared recollections of feeling as though they lacked opportunity, encouragement and support as young students in the education system. This struggle and social devaluation at such a young age negatively impacted their cultural and racial identity as well as their identity as a learner.
I feel that we, as a society and as teachers, need to do everything we can to address those inequalities that are still present in today’s education system and work to ensure that every student has the same opportunities available and accessible to them. We must never forget how closely tied a student's cultural and racial identity is to their identity as a learner.
You're digging into critical issues here. How could you anticipate addressing inequalities in your classroom to ensure every student has opportunity and access? To push on your noticing about how closely tied a student's cultural and racial identity is to their identity as a learner, I think Martin might argue they are more than closely tied-- they are inseparably bound.
ReplyDelete