Teaching Pedagogy in Urban Schools - Essay Example

TEACHING PEDAGOGY IN URBAN SCHOOLS By: ID: 09046450 Tom Burns Module Urban Education Module No ES2004N Date: Introduction According to Brown (2004, p. 266), urban centres in UK are diverse both in population and the culture of the people. This is reciprocated in the schools and this calls for the educators to be responsive to the diverse needs of their students. This paper will set out to discuss the effective pedagogies for educating young people in an urban context. Pedagogy was derived from Latin and it widely used in education sector to mean methodologies of giving instruction, learning and all other aspects in teaching. Teaching pedagogy Urban areas have high population density and they include towns and cities. Moreover, Ladson-Billings (2001, p.23) explained that urban areas are characterized by higher economic activities and the housing is dense. Consequently, due to high economic activities, urban areas have a culturally diverse population since masses from different cultural backgrounds move to these areas in search for employment opportunities. In UK, Ladson-Billings (2001, p.23) observes that early industrialization was characterised by segregation of people in different social classes, though this diminished with increased need for the working masses to be housed together. When different people congregate in urban areas, they lead to a new society through the process of urbanisation. Given the diverse nature of the lives of people in urban areas, there emerges difference in the way people become integrated into this society. The poor feel disadvantaged and they withdraw to living in the margins of the society while the well-off group feel well a sense of belonging in the group they live in. In response to the diverse socio-economic characterisation of the urban society, there are different issues that require to be addressed. These issues range from provision housing, waste management, poverty and provision of water and security. In addition, it is critical that the issues of provision of quality education for the young people in the urban centres are addressed. Brown (2004, p. 266) explains that urban schools are evidenced by inequalities and tension, given the high population and the various communities that they are entrusted to teach. Gay (2000, p. 12) notes that urban schools are currently located both in the inner cities and in some rural environments have varied issues they need to address. Brown (2002, p.23) argues that research in urban schools have been for a long time inclined to the problems but they fail to focus on the contributions that these schools can make to the wider society. Brown (2002, p.23) describes that historically, urban schools emerged after the realization by the early working group that there were crisis in housing, poor health and poverty in the urban areas. This group proposed that there was need for some social intervention as these crises were leading to brutality and oppression. Consequently, education was chosen as one way of dealing with these social evils by trying to ‘gentle’ the masses. From the inception of the urban schools, they were seen as complicated places. In the schools, Howard (2001, p. 136) explains that very few students attended schools on regular basis while the children from the working group were the only ones who were able to climb the education ladder. Presently, there are various issues teachers in urban schools must address to ensure effective learning. These issues stem from the fact that classes in urban schools have a high population in addition to the fact that they have students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The issues include class management, maintenance of order and control, students with special needs and students from minority ethnic groups. The teacher also faces the challenge of children with emotional and behavioral problems, poor performance and the relevance of the curriculum. Teachers may also have to deal with refugees and asylum seekers. This challenges calls for the teachers to employ various pedagogies to ensure effective learning in urban schools. Irvine and Armento (2001, p.34) argue that gaining the cooperation of the student in urban classrooms calls for the teacher to have the ability of establishing an environment where they can address the cultural and ethnic needs of the student in addition to catering for the emotional, social and cognitive needs of their students. Irvine and Armento (2001, p.34) further assert that an educational centre that fails to that in consideration the history, and different perspectives of the students or fails to adjust its learning practices for the benefit of its entire student contributes to inequality of opportunities. This is an eye opener for all urban schools to try and adjust their program to ensure they take care of their diverse student population. For effective learning of the students in urban schools, the schools need to employ culturally responsive teaching. Obidah and Manheim (2001, p. 54) explain that culturally responsive teaching demands that the needs of the varied learners both culturally and ethnically must be taken into consideration. Obidah and Manheim (2001, p. 54) explain that this calls for use of both student-focused instructional strategies in addition to employment of a culturally and ethnically relevant curriculum. Management of urban schools calls for educators to be culturally responsive. Cary (2000, p. 15) explains that effective management of urban schools demands for the choice of the best curriculum and use of harmonizing communication processes. To guarantee effective classroom management, educators need to respond accordingly to the emotional, social, cognitive and ethnic needs of the students. According to Cary (2000, p. 13), to effectively manage the students, educators must have the ability to create a social society in which the student can cooperate among themselves and with the teachers. Cary (2000, p. 15) argues that maintaining conducive learning environment while still managing the student behaviours is both an art and a science. This can however be achieved through adoption of various strategies. Educators in urban schools should adopt a caring attitude. Brown (2002, p.23) explains that each learner in urban school needs to feel the ability of the teacher to touch their specific social and emotionally. Brown (2002, p.23) explains that urban students require to develop close relationship with the educators than their suburban counterparts. Brown (2002, p.23) further explains that close association of teachers with urban youths should be encouraged due to the fact that this students may be experiencing segregation in addition to identity crisis during development. Furthermore, Brown (2002, p.23) reported that the adolescents in these schools require attention, supervision, understanding and care which may be unavailable at homes from the adults given the nature of the other responsibilities that they shoulder. Gay (2000, p. 12) asserted that psychological safety is critical for the management of the classroom. This is because students feel comfortable and supported. Brown (2002, p.23) defined the best urban educator as one who shows affection and warmth to the students and emphasized the need to create a relationship with the students as a way of enhancing the social development of the learner. Wilson and Corbett (2001, p.76) reported that urban school educators need to show assertiveness and authority as a way to control the classrooms. They report that urban teacher should be explicitly assertive. They should explain what is expected of the students. Wilson and Corbett (2001, p.76) argues that in urban classrooms, educators must not take any excuse and must deal with inappropriate behaviors promptly. This will be critical in ensuring that controlling of the classrooms is enhanced. Assertiveness is important in dealing with absenteeism since the student will be aware of what is expected from them. Wilson and Corbett (2001, p.76) describe that the source control for an urban teacher rests on their authority which they explained is underlined by the parents’ and students’ perception that the teacher is knowledgeable on how to deal with the student. Brown (2002, p.23) describes that the teacher in urban schools should demonstrate their authority through verbal commands as research has shown that working class mothers are fond of using verbal directives to their children. This should therefore be implemented in schools. Brown (2004, p. 266) proposed that urban teacher need to establish congruent communication processes. He points that research have shown that students took keen in nonverbal communication from the teachers as they equally noticed the verbal communication. Giving a student a knowing look enhances the sense of acceptance of the student and they feel that teacher is willing to listen to them. This is critical since students from minority groups deserve to feel that they are accepted. A feeling of acceptance is also important for the student to like the school environment and this enhances their attendance. Gay (2000, p.13) reported a trend among students from minority ethnic groups known as ‘call response’ where a student speaks as the teacher is speaking where the student expresses their feelings on the teacher. In case the teacher reacts negatively to the call response, this may lead to strained relationship with the student. This will eventually lead to the student’s hatred for school and therefore their attendance may be negatively affected. Teachers in urban schools must also make a demanding effort to ensure that students adhere to all their expectations. Howard (2001, p.137) reported a new sense of care from teachers by their teachers. Howard observed that some students felt that their teachers cared about them when they are pressured to complete assignments, perform better in school and to pay attention in class. This gives the students assurance that their teachers want the best for them. Wilson and Corbett (2001, p. 76) note that students feel cared when the teacher takes no excuse from them when they fail to complete the assignment. They further assert that students feel cared when teachers demand to know the reasons for failure to attend school by students. Teachers from urban schools need to make a demanding effort and a follow up of their students’ progress. Making a demanding effort will help improve the academic performance in urban schools. Moreover, when teachers make a demanding effort, students will avoid school absenteeism as they will be aware that the teacher will not take any excuse. Cochran-Smith (2004, p. 18) underscores the importance of urban educators to use individualized attention to create personal relationship and mutual respect with the students. Cochran-Smith (2004, p. 18) explains the need for teachers to spend some of their free time of the day to discuss with as many students as possible on nonacademic issues. Cochran-Smith (2004, p. 18) emphasizes that mutual respect among students is a demonstration of personal interest by each student and an effort to create a secure environment for the students in class by educators. Taking time to discuss nonacademic issues with the students helps to relieve the pressure that students from minority ethnic groups may harbor when learning in a diverse school in urban areas. Discussions are also important given that most students in these schools do not get the much deserved attention from their parents and guardians who face economic pressure to provide for them. Taking time with the students to discuss the issues that concern them thus gives the student confidence even to go to the teacher for academic guidance. This will in turn lead to improved performance among students in urban schools. Educators in urban schools need to be socio-cultural consciousness which as defined by Wilson and Corbett (2001, p. 73) as the ability of the teacher to understand that a person’s way of thinking and behavior is influenced by ones race, social class and language. Only those teachers who cannot discriminate against the students by color, race or social class should be deployed to teachers in urban schools. Socio-cultural consciousness among the teachers must be inculcated early in their training. Urban schools may also employ teachers from a diverse society. Given that schools in urban areas have students from minority ethnic groups some who do not understand English, these schools need to come up with programs for teaching English as a second language to such students. This group that is not competent in English is only overloaded by the curriculum when they are taught in a normal class with other students. Brown (2004, p. 266) proposes that urban schools should hire teachers who understand the background of the minority group as their English as second language classes. These teachers can also help in teaching of students from minority ethnic groups in their first language. This will help improve the student’s attendance in schools and effective learning. Brown (2004, p. 271) advocates that to ensure effective learning in schools, this schools must be given more resources to depending on the socio-economic diversity of schools. This, he argues is critical since the more diverse the school is, the high the teacher to student ratio should be. This is given the fact that different students have different needs which can only be addressed when teachers have adequate time with their students. Urban educators need to enlist more parent involvement in the learning of the students. Brown (2004, p. 266) notes that parents should be consulted by teachers regularly during school meetings on what they feel is the best for their children. Parents should also receive regular newsletters from the school. This makes the student become a key stakeholder in the education of their children. Involvement of the parents also helps in making the minority groups feel embraced in the society since they realize that it is concerned with their success. The curriculum for urban schools must be cohesive of the diverse cultures. Moreover, Gay (2000, p.15) recommends that the curriculum must be flexible, open and adaptable to the ever changing culture and influx of students in school. Gay (2000, p.15) further asserts that a notion of a standardized curriculum is flawed in the case of urban schools. Gay (2000, p.15) proposes that educators need to have strong accountability for the results in their schools. Schools whose performance does not match the national standards should offer extra tuition to improve the student’s education. Educators in urban schools must embrace constructive views in learning. In this view, teachers have to develop faith in each student. Brown (2004, p. 271) explains that the teachers should provide reconnection of what the student knows through experience and what they require to learn. This makes the learning process more enjoyable to the student and easy for the teacher. Constructivist teaching also advocates for critical thinking, collaboration and recognizing of the different perspectives available in teaching. Its application in urban schools is important given that in these schools, there are different talents and their use could help to make teaching effective. It is also important that urban schools emphasize on games where students from different cultures are able to interact and gain first hand information on different cultures and this helps to enhance culture integration. During these games, students can learn English from those who are fluent in the language. In conclusion, teaching in urban schools requires the application of different pedagogy to ensure effective learning of the students. Urban schools are characterized by cultural, social and economic diversity as is the case in the urban areas. The classes in these schools are usually large with some students coming from the minority groups. There is thus need to have a program that gives students a chance to learn English as a second language. Educators in urban schools should be culturally responsive. They should show care to their students, furthermore, the teachers must offer individualized attention to the students. Moreover, they should be assertive and show authority to the students. Parent involvement is critical in urban schools. The curriculum should be open and flexible to take care of the individual student’s needs. References Brown, D. F 2002, ‘Becoming a successful urban teacher’. Portsmouth, NH; Westerville, OH: Heinemann and National Middle School Association. Pp. 10-68. Brown, D. F 2004, ‘Urban teachers’ professed classroom management strategies, reflection of culturally responsive teaching’. Urban Education, Vol. 39 No. 3: pp 266-289. Cary, S 2000, ‘Working with second language learners: Answers to teachers’top ten questions’. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Pp. 10-15. Cochran-Smith, M 2004, ‘Walking the road: Race, diversity and social justice in teacher education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Pp. 11-18. Gay, G 2000, ‘culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice’. New York: Teachers College Press. Pp 1-20. Howard, T 2001, ‘Telling their side of the story: African-American students’ perceptions of culturally relevant teaching’. Urban Review, 33(2): pp. 131-149. Irvine, J. J. and Armento, B 2001, ‘Culturally responsive teaching: Lesson planning for elementary and middle grades. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Pp. 10-45. Ladson-Billings, G 2001, ‘Crossing over to Canaan: The journey of new teachers in diverse classrooms’. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Pp. 23-67 Obidah, J. E and Manheim Teel, K 2001, ‘Because of the kids: Facing racial and cultural differences in schools’. New York: Teachers College Press. Pp. 45-54. Wilson, B and Corbett, H 2001, ‘listening to urban kids: School reform and the teachers they want’. Albany: State University of New York Press. Pp 60-79 Read More