Teachers want their students to learn. Many teachers make an effort to be particularly responsive to racially and ethnically diverse students. These efforts are influenced by the beliefs teachers hold and the lessons they are taught about how to facilitate students' learning. The following is a sample of commonly held beliefs that teachers say in conversation about what they do to meet the learning needs of all students. You will be asked to indicate the degree to which each statement reflects your views about how best to teach diverse students. You will then have the chance to explain your views. Your comments will remain anonymous. When you finish the survey, you will be able to examine expert commentary, research and other resources that deal with the possible effects of acting on that conviction. You can add your comments, too.
Step 1: Take the Common Beliefs Survey
Step 2: Take a Closer Look at 13 Commonly Held Beliefs:
- I don't think of my students in terms of their race or ethnicity; I am color blind when it comes to my teaching.
- The gap in the achievement among students of different races is about poverty, not race.
- Teachers should adapt their instructional practice to the distinctive cultures of African American, Latino, Asian and Native American students.
- In some cultures, students are embarrassed to speak in front of others, so I take this into account and don't call on these students in class.
- When students come from homes where educational achievement is not a high priority, they often don't do their homework and their parents don't come to school events. This lack of parental support undermines my efforts to teach these students.
- It is not fair to ask students who are struggling with English to take on challenging academic assignments.
- I believe that I should reward students who try hard, even if they are not doing well in school, because building their self-esteem is important.
- I try to keep in mind the limits of my students' abilities and give them assignments that I know they can do so that they do not become discouraged.
- Students of different races and ethnicities often have different learning styles, and good teachers will match their instruction to these learning styles.
- Grouping students of different levels of achievement for instruction may benefit some students, but it can undermine the progress that could otherwise be made by higher-achieving students.
- Before students are asked to engage in complex learning tasks, they need to have a solid grasp of basic skills.
- With all the pressures to raise student achievement, finding and using examples of the cultural, historic and everyday lived experiences of my students takes valuable time away from teaching and learning what matters most.
- Talking about race with my colleagues could open up a can of worms; little good is likely to come from it.
