Title: Race, Class, and Oppression: Solutions for Active Learning and Literacy in the Classroom - Inquiries Journal
Headings: Race, Class, and Oppression: Solutions for Active Learning and Literacy in the Classroom
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Race, Class, and Oppression: Solutions for Active Learning and Literacy in the Classroom
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Content: It is true, as they indicate, that interactions between teacher and students could be impacted by race. Teachers might feel a sense of hostility or rejection of minority students, or even rate those students less favorably than their classmates. The teacher must be sensitive to the diversity found in the classroom, and foster a learning environment that incorporates that diversity. This begins with an awareness of the differences amongst students, as well as the differences between the teacher and the students. The solution offered by Freire is authentic dialogue. From an educational literacy standpoint, this dialogue must be genuine, and not a “false charity” (p. 48) as described by Freire. Forging mutual understanding and respect is paramount, and introducing learning materials that would be more easily related to by marginalized students is a good place to start in engaging those students in the learning process. Since part of that dilemma is the struggle for identity as “spectators or actors” (p. 48), it is vital to encourage the student to take an active role in their education, and break through whatever cultural paradigms they may have internalized through tradition. Socio-economic stratification in American society creates clear dividing lines between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Spradlin and Parsons (2008) point out that class distinctions are incredibly powerful determinants of the quality of schooling an individual receives as well as how that individual might interact with peers and society as a whole.