One of the ways we can make positive strides in our educational system is by addressing the challenges our black males face in the classroom. Across the country, educational indicators show black males lagging behind across all subjects. Furthermore, blacks make up about 17% of kids in school but over 50% of those suspended, expelled, or in special education (as opposed to AP courses and Gifted & Talented programs). This systemic problem is simply dismissed as black males not coming to school prepared, single parent households, etc. This is not "cultural" on the students' part even though there is a need for more culturally competent teachers. The schools need to take more responsibility. By having classrooms that appeal to the learning styles of black male students, schools will by default create classrooms that appeal to all of their students. This isn't about dumbing down the classroom. Conversely, it's about appealing to the multiple learning styles within a classroom. When classrooms are more interactive and there are different forms of learning tools incorporated into the classroom (use of video, audio tools, etc.), black males tend to participate more. Participation also increases when there are hands-on activties and multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge learned in addition to (not substituted for) the written exam. Research has shown that practices such as these also address the issues for boys of all racial backgrounds because boys nationally are lagging behind girls in general. By adopting the aformentioned strategies + high expectations, we will be able to create classrooms where all students will have conditions that can lead them to achieve.
↧