Born and raised in a small town, my classmates were my only friends. It was a middle- class school where teachers knew our name, our siblings, parents, and where we live. Never venturing out to other schools nearby, I had no recollection of other types of educational systems. Jean Anyon’s 1980 essay “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” helped me take notice to a problem in school curriculums. Anyon is effective in the way her essay can be interpreted but it has not made any difference in school programs. Even though wealth may affect our educational system, it should be matched to fit the needs of students in any social class because every person deserves the same educational experience. Any student’s future should not be determined
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In Anyons essay, she informs us on how social class determines the structure of education. During the study she observed five different schools based on income levels of the parents. In each school she found that they were different in the way the teachers treated and taught their students. Anyon observed in lower income schools the students are treated with no respect. The teacher’s main concern is making sure they can get the answer right. “Work is following the steps of a procedure” (Anyon, 1980, para 8), there is no worry in making sure the student understands what and why they are doing it. Anyone could see that the teacher is prepping them for the working class and the skills they will need in order to take orders from a superior. In middle-class, the room is controlled by the teacher. They want the student to understand what they are doing so that they can get the correct answer in the end. The teacher is basing this on what they believe the student will be doing in the future. In this case, following in their parents footsteps, being plumbers and construction workers. The schools Anyon studied in the “affluent …show more content…
I believe this gap needs to be shrunk as much as possible in order to give all students an equal educational experience. Anyon points out how unfairly students in working class schools can be treated and how well affluent professional schools are established. If we have the ability to close this gap then this will bring new perspectives into all schools. Everyone deserves the chance to build their future the way they see it. Another point that can be brought out is educators pay. Income can determine how dedicated they are to their students. Another thing to take into consideration is that parents in the executive elite schools are more willing to donate and help fund their child’s education and make sure they have the best opportunities. If we are able to break this barrier between schools and social class we will be giving opportunity to everyone: teachers, students, and even parents. If all teachers have the same amount of income they will be more prone to treating every student as an equal; students who may not have had the ability to use technology are now learning new skills they may need to build a better future and parents in the working class are not being forced to give money to the schools. We need better diverse school
In Anyons essay, she informs us on how social class determines the structure of education. During the study she observed five different schools based on income levels of the parents. In each school she found that they were different in the way the teachers treated and taught their students. Anyon observed in lower income schools the students are treated with no respect. The teacher’s main concern is making sure they can get the answer right. “Work is following the steps of a procedure” (Anyon, 1980, para 8), there is no worry in making sure the student understands what and why they are doing it. Anyone could see that the teacher is prepping them for the working class and the skills they will need in order to take orders from a superior. In middle-class, the room is controlled by the teacher. They want the student to understand what they are doing so that they can get the correct answer in the end. The teacher is basing this on what they believe the student will be doing in the future. In this case, following in their parents footsteps, being plumbers and construction workers. The schools Anyon studied in the “affluent …show more content…
I believe this gap needs to be shrunk as much as possible in order to give all students an equal educational experience. Anyon points out how unfairly students in working class schools can be treated and how well affluent professional schools are established. If we have the ability to close this gap then this will bring new perspectives into all schools. Everyone deserves the chance to build their future the way they see it. Another point that can be brought out is educators pay. Income can determine how dedicated they are to their students. Another thing to take into consideration is that parents in the executive elite schools are more willing to donate and help fund their child’s education and make sure they have the best opportunities. If we are able to break this barrier between schools and social class we will be giving opportunity to everyone: teachers, students, and even parents. If all teachers have the same amount of income they will be more prone to treating every student as an equal; students who may not have had the ability to use technology are now learning new skills they may need to build a better future and parents in the working class are not being forced to give money to the schools. We need better diverse school