Black Boys' Academic Success Boosted By Black Teachers - Essay Sample

Introduction

Teacher diversity affects student's performance as well as interest in school. According to Carver-Thomas (2018), research found that if black boys have a black teacher in middle school, they are more likely to complete high school and join college. The research further suggested that dropout rates are higher among black boys because white females dominate the teaching profession in the United States. Students draw inspiration from role models with whom they have mutual cultural connections. They tend to relate to them more easily. Teachers have an implicit bias due to their own stereotypes and backgrounds, which make them unconsciously treat and influence students of other races differently. Teacher's bias is also a common phenomenon where teachers have higher expectations for students of their races or ethnic communities and vice versa. Therefore, teachers' race and gender matter in student learning, especially for learners of color.

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Teachers need to know and appreciate the value of their students. They should also make all students have a positive sense of belonging in the learning environment. Other students are not only hurt but also deprived of equal motivation and attention when teachers approach students of their races with greater optimism than the rest (Mahnken, 2018). It is, thus, unfortunate that teachers only meet the ideal expectations for students of their own color. On implicit bias, research found that people who interact with classmates, neighbors, caretakers, friends, et cetera of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds during childhood hold lesser implicit biases as adults than those who did not have interracial interactions during childhood (Carver-Thomas, 2018). In the same manner, when students are taught by a diverse teacher workforce, they all develop characters that prepare them for the workforce and civic life.

Mortenson (2018) conducted a study to determine the correlation between the black-white racial achievement gap and the implicit racial bias of teachers. The study found that a student's race significantly affected how a teacher would assess his or her engagement and ability. Various studies have, for example, demonstrated that white teachers tend to treat black preschool children more harshly when they engage in the same behavior as their white counterparts. White teachers are also less likely to put black children in talented and gifted programs even if they have matching test scores with white students. This is why black students who had both a black and white teacher reported feeling that black teachers always had higher expectations for their potential.

The biases held by teachers can eventually become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers with high expectations motivate their students to perform better. Hence, lacking the optimism accorded white students hurt black children, and this can only be corrected by hiring more black teachers (Miller, 2018). Being taught by teachers of the same race resulted in positive improvement in the academic attainment and achievement of both black and white students. This correlation is higher in black male students whom most studies have described as the most vulnerable victims of the implicit racial bias of teachers. Both disadvantages, such as racism and poverty and positive influences like good role models and high-quality schools, have been proven to affect black boys more than girls or any race.

However, academic performance is not the only major concern when it comes to teacher diversity. Therefore, the improvement of test scores of the affected populations alone does not settle the issue. Racial matching has a long-term impact on learners. A recent study of students in North Carolina suggested that black male students who were exposed to black at least one black teacher between grades three and five were much less likely to drop out in high school (Miller, 2018). In addition, the rate of male and female black students who took a college entrance exam increased. Also, more students in this population expressed intentions to join college.

Notably, teachers sometimes have internalized biases about their own races. In some cases, teachers do not believe in the ability of children of their gender or race. Again, this is common with black teachers, meaning that unlike their black counterparts, Asian-American and white students may not necessarily experience the same negative effects from having teachers of other races. Similarly, through eighth grade, the performance of girls in mathematics is nearly the same as boys, but teachers tend to create a notion of male advantage in math by 12th grade (Miller, 2018). Math teachers tend to favor white students over Hispanic and black ones and boys over girls. Also, female teachers favored boys, and teachers of the color showed the most favoritism for white students.

Conclusion

In conclusion, teacher diversity does matter in student learning. The American teaching force predominantly consists of white females. Students who don't have the opportunity to interact with at least one teacher of their races have low expectations in school, which negatively affect their academic performance, completion rates, and self-esteem. On the other hand, having a teacher of the same race leads to positive improvement in academic attainment and achievement, especially for black students. Therefore, the long term solution to this problem is to train and hire teachers of diverse gender, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.

References

Carver-Thomas, D. (2018). Diversifying the teaching profession: How to recruit and retain teachers of color. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.

Mahnken, K. (2018, August 15). Why Diversity Matters: Five Things We Know About How Black Students Benefit From Having Black Teachers. The 74's. Retrieved from https://www.the74million.org/why-diversity-matters-five-things-we-know-about-how-black-students-benefit-from-having-black-teachers/

Miller, C. C. (2018, September 10). Does Teacher Diversity Matter in Student Learning? The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/upshot/teacher-diversity-effect-students-learning.html