Primary Roles Of A Grade 7 And 8 Teacher - 1519 Words

Introduction â€Å"The words we hear and use in our everyday lives affect our way of thinking and, ultimately, our actions† (Brooks and Brooks, 1999). The seeds of racism, sexism and oppression, I believe are planted at an early age of childhood. The parents of grade 7 and 8 students, of an elite private school of a higher social economic status, presented an objection to their children learning about social inequalities. Parents of the students feel their adolescent children are not ready to tackle these issues of oppression, rather continue to focus on learning skills they feel will lead to future successes. I consider one of the primary roles of a grade 7 and 8 teacher is to help our youth understand how their own and others identities and†¦show more content†¦Educating the students on social inequalities will provoke thought and understanding in injustices of prejudice and discrimination. Teaching the students at a young age about the affects of social inequalities will help t o shape our future. Prejudice and discrimination focus on the bias and negative perceptions towards individuals or towards a group (Nieto, 2004). As Sonia Nieto discusses in her article â€Å"Racism, Discrimination, and Expectations of Student’s Achievements†, recent studies have been done showing race and social class are still segregating most students of colour. School should be a safe place for all students and all students should feel equal, as education is a right. Introducing concepts of privilege and oppression, developing an understanding of the complexity of individuals within our society is an ideal entry point for developing an understanding of critical thinking, inclusivity and advocacy. Kohlberg believed and was able to demonstrate through studies that people progressed in their moral reasoning through a series of stages. In the first level of moral thinking, generally found in young children, obedience is compelled by the threat of punishment, by authori tative figures, for example a parent or teacher. In Kohlberg’s