Making Difference Matter: Teaching and Learning in Desegregated Classrooms

ABSTRACT

In this ethnographic study, we look closely at everyday classroom interactions in order to examine the complex process of creating equitable classroom communities in racially and socioeconomically diverse schools. We use the lens of relational difference (Abu El-Haj, 2006) to examine how students negotiate social boundaries within their new school; how students and teachers use small group work to co-construct expectations of academic ability; and how teachers communicate and students navigate the social significance of differentiated instruction and assessment. We find that assumptions that some students are more competent than others permeate the classroom, and these perceptions of ability are frequently tied to students' race and socioeconomic status. We provide suggestions for teachers and teacher educators who wish to challenge these unspoken classroom norms.

Notes

¹ All identifying information has been changed throughout this article to protect the anonymity of the school, the students, and the teachers. We have also slightly adjusted data and demographic details that could easily identify the school and community.

² Since both students and teachers consistently referred to sixth-graders as “kids,” we have adopted their language.