Charles Nelson responds to my comments on the consideration of the impact of attitude on student success. And of course I would be the first to agree that student success is a complex matter and which can include attitude, especially as (as Nelson points out) attitude can be linked to poverty. He asks, "in 'priming our children for success,' shouldn't we consider attitude?" Sure. But not in such a way as to disregard the effect of poverty. "Neither should we excuse ourselves from attending to poverty's effects on learning and life." True. But it's more.
I met with a professor from the United States a couple of years ago when I was visiting in Wolfville, and he described for me a program which would help impoverished students. The program would provide computers for the kids, he said, provided they learned how to assemble them themselves and took a course on computer operations.
I will never forget the look on his face when I objected to the plan; it was as though I had stabbed him with a dagger, and I felt really badly. "But it's work for welfare," I objected. "And you're imposing it on kids." The students need to appreciate the computers and to learn about them, he said. I agree. But he was using their poverty as a lever to make them appreciate the computers and to learn how they work.
So, sure, focus on the attitude. But if attitude is something you're focusing on just because the students are impoverished, then consider that you too are are using their poverty against them. And that's what I am worried about.
I met with a professor from the United States a couple of years ago when I was visiting in Wolfville, and he described for me a program which would help impoverished students. The program would provide computers for the kids, he said, provided they learned how to assemble them themselves and took a course on computer operations.
I will never forget the look on his face when I objected to the plan; it was as though I had stabbed him with a dagger, and I felt really badly. "But it's work for welfare," I objected. "And you're imposing it on kids." The students need to appreciate the computers and to learn about them, he said. I agree. But he was using their poverty as a lever to make them appreciate the computers and to learn how they work.
So, sure, focus on the attitude. But if attitude is something you're focusing on just because the students are impoverished, then consider that you too are are using their poverty against them. And that's what I am worried about.
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