Entry #8 Deficit Mindset

 Both Cassidy and Thalia referenced Muhammad's discussion of the problem with choosing literature that only focuses on the oppression and struggles of Black people.  It seems like such an obvious idea; who would want to only read about the bad things that have happened to their people and see people like them only looked at with pity or sympathy?  No one! However, I had to read Gholdy Muhammad to see that obvious issue that I need to pay attention to when choosing materials for my students to interact with.  It is vital that we choose texts that tell more than one story like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about in her Ted Talk and allow students to identify with what they are reading. Giving all students the opportunity to see the success stories of people who look like them will inspire them to see their own future. Finding texts that show people of all races and religions in authentic ways and demonstrating that they do have a place in our society will bring the joy of literacy to all students and will help all students to expect minorities to be a part of their schools and communities and as characters in their stories.

This topic raised for me the question of how we as teachers can change the deficit mindset that we hear so often when teachers discuss English Language Learners and how we can use literacy to change that perspective for the students. Situations like a teacher who tries to correct children when they refer to the teacher as Miss or Mister instead of Ms. Name and Mr. Name or teachers who see students, from some cultures who may not speak up out of respect, as lazy. Punishing children for cultural differences can only increase their confusion and set back their education. I feel that the more educated we become about our students and their cultures the more we can accept their cultural practices and use them to strengthen their learning.

In a class discussion once someone mentioned how silly it is that we look at ENL students as behind because they don't speak perfect English when they are actually ahead because they speak one language and are learning another.  Along with this thought is how US students who study foreign languages are commended but people who already speak one and come to a new country and learn English and the US culture are no treated with respect. 

Once the issue is raised it is easy to see the deficit mindset all around you but it's just as easy to start to see the opportunities to value students' cultures and language and to develop the criticality and identity of all students.

 

 Adichie, C. N. (1254877200). The danger of a single story. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story