"School often asks for students to remain within particular identities. A student may acquire particular identity within a classroom, which may become fixed. . ." (Pahl, 99).
A students' identity should be very important to a teacher. School is an institution, and as such I feel like all the students just become another blur in the mass, just another generic body in a generic desk. We need to remember that they are SOMEBODY, and unique at that. We so expect them to fit into our little lines of what they should be we miss out on them. I think the concept of putting our students into specific identity not only devalues them, but does them a huge disfavor in their education. We need to really get to know our students, so we can play on their strengths. So they can feel competent and successful. And for sure I don't want them to be fixed into an identity. There is so much research like self fulfilling prophecy that would say how horrid this is. I don't want any student labeled as the bad reader. We have discussed ways to rotate groups etc. to not segregate them so obviously etc. But I think a good way to combat this identity is reach all facets of students, so they know its ok if they aren't the best at reading, they are GREAT at drawing. I need to teach in a varied way that will reach all my students and accommodate for their learning.
What are ways we can develop between students an appreciation for differences and celebrate students' unique identities?
First, we can make it clear that we appreciate all the students. Make it clear that we think they are all worthwhile, and will not accept any student making fun of another. Second, we praise what they do well specifically in front of the whole class (this won't cause jealousy if we do it for every students). Last of all, we can do group projects that require wide ranges of talents, like the artistic student can help make the graphs of a math project. This way they appreciate the artist, and the artistic student gets to use what they know to learn about graphs.
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