“Are you in the smart class or the dumb class?”
Contrary to the Supreme Court’s famous ruling in 1954’s Brown v. Board of Ed case, many schools begin to segregate children by the 1st grade. Remedial reading and math is introduced forcing a group of students onto a road that may very well determine the tools (or lack there of) they will be exposed to for the next 12 years. Research shows that in general teachers hold lower academic expectations for students in lower-tracks than they do for students in upper-tracked classes. The hierarchy can foster school misconduct in an effort for a lower-tracked child to obtain an identity to parallel their academically achieving peers. They are also more likely to receive “dumbed down” versions of curriculums.
In the 18th century school house a teacher often targeted 8 grade levels simultaneously. A class was more deemed a group of individuals than a product of social engineering efficiency experiments (our modern design of schooling). This is the challenge of today’s educator if we are to set our youth on a path to self-knowledge via highly subjective exposure to a specific set of tools. Chronic and targeted assessments will ensure development of critical thinking skills that encourage constant re-evaluation to define a child’s unique life journey.
To keep kids untracked:
Try a short generalized guided practice no longer than 15 minutes. For example when introducing multiplying fractions use 3 examples where a mixed number is changed to an improper fraction, numerators and denominators are multiplied and the answer is changed back to a mixed number. Independent practice will be completed by a few students who catch on faster. They need enrichment immediately.
Have a “bonus” question on hand. Partner them with a struggling student thereby fostering leadership. Give them a chapter to read on Srinivasa Ramanujan. For the students who are having trouble go around the room to assist. Have them go to the board to work on the problem together. The goal is to constantly challenge a particular skill set to instigate unique thought ascension for digital learners.
