Response for 1/24/08

Response to articles “You’re Asian, how could you fail math?” and “Taking a chance with words”

Both of these articles were very interesting to me and I found myself thinking that I have heard and thought some of these same stereotypes toward Asian students. One point that really opened my eyes was the discussion of the variety of diversities found in Asia. Asia is a continent of billions of people from different countries, cultures, as well as economic status. The stereotype that all Asians are smart would be like saying every white person is the same, every African-American is the same, and every Hispanic student is the same. As a teacher we need to be open to all differences a student has and who they are as an individual.

There are some countries in Asia where the educational system is very strict and emphasizes math and science and this may be where some of our biases have originated from. We cannot assume that just because a student is Asian that this alone determines their intelligence level or propensity towards learning. Asian-American students, who have been raised and educated in the American school system are a product of the American culture and school system and therefore face the same challenges that other minority groups may face.

My father-in-law is a math professor who teaches students abroad from Asia and has noticed silence in the classroom which he feels is due to the differences in expectations in the educational systems. Some Asian students from abroad are not used to the interactive educational system we have here, where they are more used to sitting and listening to the professor and absorbing all of the thoughts and ideas. This silence, which could be interpreted by some teachers as comprehension and understanding, may indicate cultural differences towards learning instead.

Getting to know our students, parents, and community is a strategy that will help us all in understanding a person as an individual and maybe more insight into their actions in our classrooms.