Understanding Minority Students

This podcast aims to explore the struggles faced by minority students in education and how teachers can create an equitable and inclusive classroom environment. It emphasizes the importance of understanding race and its impact on students, including the history of minorities and the inequalities they face. It also discusses the concept of internalized racism and its effects on students' self-esteem, as well as the need for teachers to recognize and address this issue. Additionally, the podcast highlights the experiences and emotions of black students and the biases they encounter, emphasizing the importance of understanding and supporting their unique needs. Overall, the podcast provides insights and strategies for promoting equity and success among minority students in education. Welcome back to Understanding Minority Students, A Journey to Equity in Education. This purpose of this podcast is to understand the struggles that minorities face by exploring trauma and history. We direct it towards teachers to understand the students in their classroom and how diversity does not need to be a silent battle. We will do this by defining race and the impact it has on students, understanding how internalized racism works and its effects on students, or getting into black emotions and the experience that comes with it, wrapping it up with a solution to pursuing equity in education in the classroom. So, overall, we will be understanding the background, history, and emotions of minority students. This creates a positive environment with success among students, teachers, and the classroom. Alright, so part one, defining race and its impacts. Race will mean different things to each student. Some students will not have their race impact them in a negative way, while others, race will be the biggest factor of their life. This is because race is connected with many factors like culture, identity, and most importantly, history. According to the Traumatic Impact of Structural Racism on African Americans, it states, quote, the U.S. Census Bureau defines a person's race based on that person's self-identification of the race or races which he or she most closely identifies with, Scott Jones, et al., 2020, end quote. The same journal explains the difference between Africans that migrated to America and a black person born in America that identifies as African American. Now, as a teacher, it's important to understand that students identified with these races will not identify with the same culture, so they should be seen separately. Hence, while understanding the history of minorities will make a better teacher, because some people may see these two groups as the same, it's important that history shows that they do not see each other as the same. So, this separation comes from history and students will continue to be affected. We know that a majority of minorities were not allowed to read and write because of slavery. This means that there has been a gap in education for centuries that current generations will still face. Understanding these inequalities and structures placed on society, especially events like slavery, will impact the classroom. This really shows that race is self-evident and something that, as teachers, we cannot hide from. Now, this may be controversial, but race does matter in a classroom, so teachers do not be colorblind. To me, this statement simply means be aware of your classroom. It's diverse and students come from different backgrounds, so really understanding your students and understanding that race is important and will impact the classroom will make you a better teacher instead of trying to hide away from it. In Critical Race Studies Education Examining a Decade of Research on U.S. School States Cold, their analysis, they illustrated how racism was a persistent historical and ideological construct that could account for inequalities such as dropout rates and school suspensions, rates for Blacks and Latinos. This shows that race is a part of the classroom and sometimes students are negatively impacted by it. When minority students are looked at as a problem in the school system, these are those biases that are being repeated from history. These inequalities are responsible for the school-to-prison pipeline, which basically explains that when minority students get kicked out of school or see more disciplinary actions, they are more likely to drop out of school. And for some, that means having a life full of crime and prison because they don't have that stability that comes with being in school. And this is the school's fault essentially because they're not giving them the same care that they need in order to be a successful student. The impacts that race will have on students are endless. This is something that is a part of the classroom and a part of the education system. However, having a well-informed teacher that can make the environment better will lessen and dampen some of these negative effects that race has. Part 2, Internalized Racism and its Effects. Internalized racism is a concept where a person of color has self-hate, where they create biases against themselves because of race. Applying and understanding this concept inside the classroom will help students of color with their confidence and self-hatred. When we see a minority student saying that they can't do something, or only can be good at a sport and not in education as well, we need to see this as internalized racism and redirect them with positive attributes. These negative attitudes occur because of the history and what race-based stereotypes society continue to make against minority students. In the journal article Naming Racism, a conceptual look at internalized racism in U.S. schools explains that, quote, as a first step in welcoming some potential causes of internalized racism, we examine the racism embedded into three fundamental components to functioning of schools. 1. Teachers. Acknowledging the predominantly white teaching force and teacher education faculty, we highlight examples of pedagogy where educators privilege whiteness and perpetuate racism. 2. Curriculum. Because state standards guide textbooks and curriculum, we explore California's K-12 multicultural U.S. history standards to call attention to the lack of representation of people of color. And 3. School resources. Utilizing desegregation literature, we point to unequal resources between predominantly white and non-white schools. Hubbard et al., page 16. This article really expresses that internalized racism is not just in the students in the classroom, but in the education system and the curriculum. Understanding that the way we teach will affect the way students see themselves and develop into the world. So personally, being a student from K-12, I definitely see how the curriculum was biased. I never learned anything about my history outside of slavery, and that most likely happened in February. We're still taught that Christopher Columbus founded America and made peace with Native Americans. So clearly, there are some updates that need to be made. Followed into, what can we do? Teachers being able to understand that minority students have internalized racism is the biggest and first step. Acknowledging the problem and finding a way to change that. This can mean integrating black history all year long and not just in February. Speaking positive values into minority students instead of, I'm only good at sports, encourage them to be good at both, or encourage them to be good at everything. Not use terms like good or bad to describe students because this sometimes can be connected to skin color. Since students of color are most likely to be disciplined compared to white students, it becomes an internalized battle that maybe their race has something to do with it. When teachers not only understand but can redirect internalized racism in a positive manner, this creates a supportive environment that students of color can thrive in. All right, we're moving pretty quickly. So we're on to part three, understanding black emotions and experiences. Black students are unable to hide from being black. We all know this. This meaning that they walk into the classroom and it's the first thing people see. There are so many biases about black students that are followed, especially in underfunded communities. And those are like the stereotypes that we see. I'm going to go further into that. Some students won't make it to graduation because of the biases and lack of support coming from their school. Most black students have terrible experiences with the classroom environment and most of the time are moved, refer back to the school to prison pipeline, if you want to get more into that. So teachers do not know how to handle these students' emotions and most likely have misconceptions about these students. This is because black students are seen as thugs, loud, wretched, aggressive, executive. This will actually reflect on the students and they start to stay in these marginalized concepts instead of explaining how they actually feel. And the Journal of Research on Adolescence, it explains, quote, for instance, black youth emotions, expressions, the verbal and nonverbal communication of internal feelings, states it misinterprets and subject to racial bias by adults. Found that among pre-service teachers, black boys and girls' faces were more often mistaken for anger amid expressing other emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, and surprise. Lazada, page 14, end quote. These said experiences where black students' emotions are being misinterpreted, creating negative biases that makes an uncomfortable classroom environment. As teachers, we need to be better with understanding emotions instead of seeing black students as the problem. So this may mean asking what is wrong instead of assuming something is wrong or maybe not assuming anything is particularly wrong. Maybe say, hey, what's up, instead of what is wrong. This could potentially mean limiting the challenges black students face and increasing the engagement in classrooms. So once black students are able to see that they're no longer the target in the classroom, they may be more focused on learning and engaging. As teachers, we need to connect with students, not looking for external emotions to speak for their internal emotions. So by connecting with black students, this can mean talking about football because a lot of black students like football. Maybe asking them what do they like or what would they like to see in the classroom? How would they like to feel represented in the classroom? What are ways that you can actually make their lives easier? These are some of the questions we should be asking as teachers. There are so many factors against black students, so try to make the classroom be for them instead of against them. This especially goes for teachers that are not of color because it may be harder to identify with these students. And there are studies that show that teachers of color seem to have a better connection with students because they see them as uncles or aunts or moms. However, this does not need to be the case for only colored teachers. This can be the case for all teachers where they see you as a respective authority instead of someone that's against them. All right, so now we're finally towards the end of the finish line. You may be asking, what is the solution for all of this? We see all of these problems. How can it really be solved in a classroom? How can we as educators help minority students? Now, let's get into part four, pursuing equity in a classroom. Let's understand the difference between equity and equality in the classroom. So when we see quality in the classroom, we see that we're giving students all the same things. So the playing field is level. We're giving them the same learning material, the same learning techniques. They're all given the same thing. Now, how is that not beneficial? Because students have different learning styles. Some students have IEPs. Some students are not able to focus in class. There are so many factors that changes the playing field and making them unable to finish the race because they don't have the things necessary. Now, this is where practicing equity will be better in a classroom because you're giving students the material they need specifically to be able to survive and have academic success. As a future educator, that is what's better. I understand that equality may sound better. And of course, equality is good and should not be taken out of schools. But practicing equity in a classroom and giving that individualized experience for students will create a better classroom environment. This is not only leveling the playing field, but giving the students material that they need for them to make it to the finish line. This can also help with closing the achievement gap and open an opportunity gap. Achievement gap can be closed because students are no longer at those different levels and unable to cross the finish line at the same level. So once students, students that are working at such a fast pace, they don't need the material that someone working on a lower pace that is unable to read or do math. They may need different type of help. So giving them this help will increase their levels, which creates a better student and success plan. This also opens the opportunity gate because maybe you're bringing awareness to the classroom. You're teaching them how to work on their emotions and how to be a better citizen and how to not let history dampen what they can do for the world. I think this is important as teachers to be that push, that shove to show them that this is not all. What society is doing is not all and all. All right. So a couple more things. Being a culturally responsive teacher with understanding the background of minority students. So this is learning the history and learning about the CRTs and the internalized racism, all of those things that will impact a classroom. This is so helpful because you get to know these students before actually knowing them, but it's creating a sense of acknowledgement of the struggles that they wear on the inside and not on the outside. All right. So there is a lot of fuss that the education system has already been structured against minority students. So how can you possibly change that? This nation has made students of color unequal and underrepresented in public schools. There are disabilities and a lack of funding to ensure that minority students have a harder chance at academic success. And it's since 2006. So clearly these principles have been set. However, as a teacher, it's your job to not only acknowledge, but change these principles. So yes, understanding that history has been against minorities by saying, hey, this is not what it has to be, especially in my classroom. You cannot change everyone's classroom, but you can promote equity in your classroom by understanding students' history, emotions, and culture. Once you are able to practice equity, it will help all students reach the finish line. It will help all students be comfortable. It will create a great learning environment. And personally, you'll become a good teacher and a good person for wanting to help minority students become equal and practice those equity values to the rest of the world, to their peers, to their non-colored peers. And I think it's important as a teacher of color, as a teacher of non-color, as any type of teacher, to be that representation for your students, especially in your classroom. So thank you for coming to my podcast today, Understanding Minority Students, segment Addending to Equity in Education. This is your host, Leia Jones. And just some closing statements. We went through our introductions. We got through defining race. We went to internalize racism, understanding Black emotions, and finding the solution, which would be pursuing equity in a classroom. I hope you guys learned some very interesting facts, and I feel like as future educators, please look into all of these topics, especially the sources, because they were great in understanding what is the problem in the education system and in the classroom, essentially. Also, focus into internalized racism, critical race theory, and the school's PRISM pipeline, because it's so important, especially being an educator and working in the public education system. I think those are all important factors. And you heard it from me, Leia Jones, Understanding Minority Students. You have officially been dismissed. ♪♪