NEA-Achievement Gap

As a future teacher, I hope to teach in a lower socioeconomic school, which will probably correlate with minority students. Most of the students at the school I am student teaching at are recognized as low-income and minority. They have tragic stories that contribute to their low academic achievement. As the students' teacher, there is not much I can control from their home life, however, when they step into my classroom, there is much I can control. Some of the factors attributed to underachievement in these students that I have control over are: 1) Insensitivity to different cultures, 2) Poor teacher preparation, 3) Low expectations of students, 4) Low expectations for student achievement, and 5) Lack of rigor in the curriculum. By creating an environment with high expectations and sensitivity to the various cultures, I hope to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of these children. To learn more about the achievement gap, access the following link to read the article published by the National Education Association:

NEA - Achievement Gap Article