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Introduction and About Me!
Introduction and About Me!
Hi, my name is Matthew Sudnick. I am an English Secondary Education student in my junior year. I hope to teach in high school English classrooms in the future. I have both friends and family members in the education field, and I have heard what they describe as “horror stories” in the classroom. But more often than not, the “horror story” revolves around a misbehaving student. I strongly believe in labeling theory, the idea that self-identity is influenced by how others define someone, and I believe that most of these “horror stories” are simply the result of improper and malicious labeling. I hope to find a way to refine labeling in the classroom so as to not negatively influence students who are simply looking for a place to belong and learn.
Effects of Negative Labeling
Effects of Negative Labeling
Carla Shalaby, in her book Troublemakers, describes and gives real-world examples of how negative labels such as “troublemaker” can disturb a student and their educational development. Shalaby says that we need to acknowledge the power in schools and reimagine each classroom to make each child feel like they belong. We should avoid attaching negative labels like "troublemaker" to students because it influences how they view themselves. And by associating a child's name with a bad action, we are associating that child’s identity with “bad” behavior, and the child is more likely to view themselves in the same way. This resource offers four different cases of “troublemakers” in the classroom and acknowledges how each one is not a “troublemaker” but rather a student with an unconventional learning style and attitude who may differ from the expected student but not necessarily in a bad way.
"Good" Labeling
"Good" Labeling
Through life, we are most likely going to be called labels we aren’t particularly proud of, and that is likely going to influence how we view ourselves. So to promote a positive self-image, Betancourt suggests that we rethink what labels we use for ourselves. He suggests that by forcing positive labels onto ourselves, we may be able to overpower the negative labels the world may give us. And when thinking of labeling ourselves, we should make sure it is one that will “help you grow and not hold you back”. This resource also acknowledges that some labels can help people feel secure, such as identifying with the LGBTQ+ community and assigning yourself a label from that group, which can help people understand and feel comfortable with who they are.
Should We Avoid Labels Altogether?
Should We Avoid Labels Altogether?
Drwal is a psychologist who acknowledges that labeling cannot always be avoided, such as in his job, which requires him to label (diagnose) patients. This resource describes how mental health labels can cause distress, as they can have negative stigmas and influence prejudice but can also alleviate guilt and self-blame. Since labeling can be problematic, Drwal offers different solutions so as to not put so much emphasis on labels. They are to:
"1. Remember that a label is just a label."
"2. Don’t deny it."
"3. Don’t take limitations as givens."
"4. Accommodate but don’t overprotect."
It is important to acknowledge and address our differences, especially if they impede the learning process. But we must not stop at labeling; we must also educate ourselves and acknowledge that these labels are simple guides for student identity and should not solely define anyone.
Labeling in the Books We Teach - Is It Harmful?
Labeling in the Books We Teach - Is It Harmful?
I ran a small survey and asked people to describe four characters in the literary canon who are child "troublemakers" in one single word. These are word arts of the results:
I ran a small survey and asked people to describe four characters in the literary canon who are child "troublemakers" in one single word. These are word arts of the results:
Note: When words are bigger, it means they were repeated more than once.
Although this was a very small and last-minute survey, even these results show that the characters students should be able to relate to are framed as "mischievous", "immature", "savage", "corrupt", e.t.c. If run on a larger scale, I wonder if the more positive labels that are dispersed in the survey would diminish, as the population who answered consisted primarily of college students, who may be a little more well-informed and progressive-thinking. It's also worth noting that the male "troublemakers" are described with words like "ignorant" and "immature" whereas the female "troublemaker" is described in less harsh terms like "naive". Gender stereotypes are unfortunately, commonly enforced in classrooms, and labeling in these cases create very different self-identifications. This survey was not conducted to be hard evidence, as there is potential bias in things like the ratio of male-to-female troublemakers I included, but to simply gauge how people who grew up reading these texts in classrooms were taught how these characters should be viewed. And if just by describing these children in one word resulted in this many negative views, it only shows how labeling can be dangerous and effective, and how these labels can persist for years. If we want to eliminate the negative labeling of our students, then maybe we should also consider eliminating the negative labeling of the children in the texts we teach, as these are characters our students should see parts of themselves or their loved ones in.
Avoiding Labeling Characters in the Classroom
Avoiding Labeling Characters in the Classroom
This resource by Wendy Lawton explains how character labels are restrictive. They force readers to think of characters in limiting ways and do not promote both creativity of thought for students and analyzing complexity in character. She says that "[w]e are all more complex than a label", and how it is "sad to sum up a wonderfully complex person in a single limiting label and wrap it in a bow". So Lawton suggests that we reject labeling of characters in stories, so as to acknowledge the complexity of our characters, which then extends to the readers who are looking to identify with them. This resource also shows us that we should acknowledge that there may be labels directly mentioned in the story. But any labels coming from the mouth of a character in the story do not have to reflect the actual message or moral of the text, so when educators are teaching these stories, they can acknowledge when a label is mentioned and how it does or does not influence the narrative or characters.
Teaching Our Students to be Mindful of Labeling
Teaching Our Students to be Mindful of Labeling
This resource is a full lesson plan on teaching children labeling in the classroom. It focuses on teaching students how to identify labels, understand how they influence our own thoughts, how they affect other people, and how we can reflect and readjust the way we use labels in our daily lives. This lesson plan provides activities where students can see the effect of labeling in action (through videos and planned activities) and respond to it through guided thinking and questions. It also asks the students to apply what they have learned in this lesson to themselves and think of moments when they were in similar situations (whether they were the ones labeling or being labeled). This resource allows students to apply what they have learned about labeling to their own lives and can help them better understand how to be cautious with their labeling language. In doing so, we can possibly create a more conscious and inclusive classroom.
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