Naughty BY Nature Chapter 25

1. Naughty BY NatureChapter 25 Kristi, Jenny, Priscilla, Sean, Marissa, and Kim

2. Purpose of Naughty By Nature • To observe how the different representations of students in society and expectations of their future, affect the way teachers treat them • Ex: The perfect white male student has a little bit of mischief in him, the black male student does not • To compare the differences in expectations of children whether they be black or white, male or female • Ex: Reprimanding African American girls for acting out because “someone has to give pride to the community” (pg. 590)

3. Gathered Through… • Through observations done by the author and countless others in classrooms at Rosa Parks School and other similar schools around the world. • Through observations of neighborhoods and societies over the years

4. Author’s Analysis • The author did a few different observations of how teachers interacted with their students in different classrooms. The things that she found in her analysis proved that teachers do treat kids based on their race and gender. • The author observed that students are not oblivious to when they are not all treated fairly. • She also noticed that teachers do not realize what they are doing to students when they discipline them in public. • According to the examples in Ch. 25, teachers often mold the students into the reputation that they have developed.

5. Cultural Representation of “Difference” • African American boys loose their childlike reputation and are adultified. • Two versions of childhood that are contradictory to each other • Children are seen as “little plants” • Children are seen as powerful, self-centered, with an agenda and purpose of their own.

6. Cultural Representation of “Difference” continued • The author also witnessed a teacher downgrading African American Boys . African American Girls were treated like they needed to act in a way that would help them get away from what society has labeled them. (590) • Boys tend to be picked out on over girls. • Good Good Boy • Good Bad Boy (591)

7. Normalizing Judgments and Teacher Practices • Two principles teachers use to decide to intervene. • Moral: belief that rules teach children values • Pragmatic: effective way to show authority • These principles are highly influenced by what the teacher’s perceptions of students are which are in turn affected by social categories of race, class, and gender. • Subjective Teachers

8. Identifying “At Risk” • Misbehavior from African American boys is interpreted as symptomatic of ominous criminal proclivities and is not considered to be acting under the expression of a “good bad boy.” • An ideal student expresses in taking risks and fools around which gives him the identity of being a “real boy.” This same behavior expressed by “at-risk” children is viewed as inappropriate, loud, and disruptive. Page 595-596.

9. Implications Related to Standards • Standard 3: Diverse Learners • Teachers should treat their students based on how they learn not based off of their race or gender. • Teachers need to understand that all students think differently and learn in different ways • Teachers need to be able to take their students different learning styles and still allow their students to learn in a fair way. • Teachers need to be aware of how easily it is to fall into what society labels different races and genders.

10. Implications Related to Standards Continued • Standard 5: Learning Environment • Teachers need to be aware that the reputations that the students receive influences and affects the rest of the class. • Affects the overall learning of the rest of the class. • Reputations of one student will often hinder cooperative learning within the classroom.

11. Conclusion • Children get a reputation that precedes them through school. • Minor infractions are more likely to escalate into major punishments. • “Unsalvageable” boys • Should resources be wasted on them?

12. Internet Resource • http://www.equaleducation.org/commentary.asp?opedid=1336sroom • http://www.hbns.org/newsrelease/racialid9-17-02.cfm • http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9219/skills.htm • http://www.wpel.net/v7/v7n1Berducci1.pdf