November, best teachers continued

I didn't fully appreciate the study cited in What the Best College Teachers Do about issues of racism and stereotypes at first. It seemed a little obvious but after awhile it became clear how this relates to Landmark students. First of all there is the obvious problem of facing repeated messages of being inferior and how this leads to dropping out and building a life in another area. But what about those who are well prepared and successful, who still as African Americans still lag behind similar groups on European American students. Is it possible that even as we, as targets, consciously reject negative images, these stereotypes still exert a strong influence upon our selfconcept. This is the theory, that we cannot escape the shadow of beliefs around us. In the very least there is this ongoing awareness of this prejudice adding a level of anxiety that others don't have to face. For those without the stereotypes they have to deal with the stress of the work itself, while those with the stereotypes (another example is females and math) have an additonal burdon, triggers of reminders. This is called "stereotype vulnerability." It's a matter of "vigilant worry about the future". The solution, as far as developed so far, seems to be if we can keep people from thinking that someone else is viewing them through the lens of a negative stereotype. This idea is simple enough but enacting it appears more difficult. It becomes a matter of explanation and expectation. Effective teaching appears to mean to "expect more and to get students to produce it with great satisfaction." It's a web, of which the individual strands seem a little superficial but put them together... here they are listed below.
1) look for and appreciate the individual value of each student
2) have great faith in students ability to achieve (this seems to be a critical step for working at Landmark. I am always alarmed when I hear faculty badmouth students, not in a personal way but more subtly, as in making assumptions and shortchanging their motivations and not seeing the overall complexity within our students that, like all humans, they operate under). This sounds a lot like the self-fulfilling prophecy idea - impacting others with genuine, challenging but realistic, serious work. An important implication for this our methods of feedback for students. One study suggests that very different, opposite types of feedback (one with directives, the other with compliments then criticisms) does not really change how many students made changes. However, those with negative images did not do much at all. They did however, respond to a third method - to combine high standards and assurance - suggesting that they will be judge by standards rather than negative images (which they are carrying in their heads). Set the standards and communicate a strong trust in students ability to meet them. It is important that this trust be surrounded by an attitude of intellectual excitement and curiousity (rather than worry and doubt).

Summary: remember the individual (and our personal barriers) and basic assumption that people want to learn (innate curiousity)