Chapter 4
Class Differences: Economic Inequality in
the Classroom
Classism
 “Class” communicates a person’s position in society, determined by money,
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education, occupation and access to resources of information
“Classism” is the differential treatment of groups of people because of their class
background and the reinforcement of those differences through values practices of
institutions, such as schools
Steady increase of rich getting richer and poor getting poorer, increases disparity
between the two classes.
Schools are doing very little to help children understand economic inequality, how
it pertains to them, and the effects that are apparent in the classroom.
There is an overwhelming idea that all Americans have equal opportunities to
succeed, those who don’t only have themselves to blame.
Why Address Classism in Education?
 Class differences DO affect learning. A correlation between social class and educational
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outcomes surfaces where lower class students have lower levels of education fulfilled. The
opposite is true for upper class students.
Most schools promote values and practices of the middle class and those children tend to
do better.
Children from lower class do not have resources or have fewer opportunities to develop
skills needed to succeed in school.
Students do not see the factors that play into their academic success and tend to blame
themselves, regarding themselves as dumb.
Highly trained and effective teachers teach in middle and upper class school districts, so
low income areas may not have the resources to attract these teachers.
Schools serving lower income children have limited resources that results in buildings in
disarray, increased violence, and lack of parental involvement or after school programs.
Schooling is believed to help people surpass their class status, this is not true for all
individuals
Why Address Classism in
Education?(cont.)
 Different treatment of students from different classes affects a students self perception
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and consciousness.
Teachers expectations of students’ abilities can close off opportunities for those
students.
Teachers may have opportunities to attend workshops that help them gain a better
understanding of race and culture. However, it is rare to find classes or workshops on
classism.
Low income families tend to move more, mobility has an effect on achievement.
Summer vacations allow for higher income children to gain ground while lower income
lose ground a greater disproportion is formed for the next class year.
Heightening Teacher Awareness About Class
 Teachers may not be prepared to deal with students from different social classes.
 Unintentional discrimination by teachers may affect the classroom in many ways.
 Difficult for teachers to sympathize with students that may have anxieties like noting having
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enough to eat or having a roof over their heads.
Teachers need to educated themselves about people from different socioeconomic
backgrounds.
Expectations of teachers matter because these expectations are subtly communicated to
students about their perceived abilities. Research shows that learners that are perceived to
be from a lower class tend to be perceived as less capable.
Avoidance of using assignments where students have to bring items in from home, revised
show and tell time, and fundraising for field trips are all attempts to bring the class together
on one level.
Teachers can examine messages about class in text and see how these messages might affect
students.
Educators can create opportunities to discuss class issues with their colleagues.
A no put down norm should be established in the classroom.
Creating norms and practices to affirm class differences
 Educators can work to create alternatives of class procedures that
may be class biased and examine resources that maybe not be
equally distributed to all children equally.
 Organizing of activities that raise money for children to buy books
from book clubs and allow children to go on field trips.
 Teachers and administrators can and should be role models for
students by being advocates for class equity.
Teachers talk about class
 In order to create a classroom as free from classism as possible and
that affirms all children without regard to their class backgrounds,
teachers much be aware of class issues and consistently look at how
their actions affect children of varied classes.
 Teachers tell the importance of examining their expectations and be
as careful as possible not to make any assumptions about lifestyles
and beliefs.
Values
 Schools are places where middle class values are constantly
confirmed.
 Middle class teachers unintentionally make judgments that criticize
working families and their choices. Ultimately teachers are judging
people with values different than their own.
 Reading is important for an interconnection between social class and
school achievement, important to encourage reading without
implying there is something wrong with the family for not reading.
 Place more of an importance on storytelling since passing on stories
is a literary tradition.
Being inclusive
 Simply not denouncing a specific lifestyle is not enough, teachers
need to verify a diversity of lifestyles.
 Provide different activities inviting parents to join.
 Contribution by all parents.
 Teachers need to look further than simply stating things as fate, or
allowing things to go beyond their control, make student groupings
work.
Clothing
 Approach students and their clothing without fixed
preconceptions and assumptions.
 Refrain from making value judgements and sit back, observe
and try to understand.
 Realize activities where students might damage or stain their
clothing might be a big deal to some parents.
School Success
 Standardized tests and other methods of assessment have a
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strong correlation with socioeconomic status.
Some districts expect less from children that come from low
income homes.
Role models, supportive teachers, parents and community
members as a main focus of students academic achievement.
Parents need to be included in the childs classroom and
academics.
Cooperation and competition have a major impact on
learning.
Conclusion
 Becoming more aware of class issues can lead to modification of
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our educational work.
Development of activities working to increase awareness of class
issues and create new methods for sharing resources in the
community.
Structuring groups differently, creation of a inclusive curriculum
that is a reflection of people and a variety of class backgrounds.
Work towards creating parental involvement, respecting parents
skills and needs.
Reflect on the impact of our actions that show in the classroom in
regards to culture and socioeconomic status.
Helping students understand and change classism
What to do
What NOT to do
 Make the structure of the class  Provide different materials,
the same for all students
 Use the same pedagogical
approach for all students
teaching methods, and
interaction patterns based on
class background
 Providing traditional, routine
instruction to lower class
students and innovative,
progressive instruction to
middle- and upper- class
students.
Examples of classroom practices
 Have the class work together to finish an open ended story
about a student whose family might be evicted from their
apartment.
 Read a letter written by a student who is unable to go to
college to become a doctor because she must work to
support her siblings and discuss students’ reactions.
 Ask students why people stereotype others and think of ways
to stop this type of discrimination.
Examples of classroom practices
 Divide the class into groups and ask them to create a project
on a topic being studied. Give each team unequal resources
but have them all be evaluated the same way.
 Have groups discuss situations in which people are expected to
perform equally given unequal amounts of resources
 Use demonstrations to show students the distribution of
wealth in the U.S
 Follow up by asking students to explore their own
environments (school, home, community) for class-bias
Examples of classroom practices
 Have students examine their text books and other assigned
reading materials for classism
 Determine if people from different classes are presented
in different ways
 Try to determine the author’s opinion of these characters
 Have students examine the media for stereotypes
 TV commercials, newspaper advertisements
 Encourage students to take action
 Have students create stories that counteract stereotypes
 Make books for the school library or present stories in
short skits
Classroom practices
 Although these activities were mentioned, we do not
recommend using all of these practices
 It could create more misconceptions
 Take other factors into account before implementing
Classroom norms and practices
What to do
 Create groups of mixed-ability
What NOT to do
 Have students read
reading levels read to each other
independently at all times
in class
 Offer school book club orders
 Organize a car wash, book sale,
to only those students who can
or raffle to raise money so that
afford them
all students can order a
 Charge some students an
reasonable amount of books
additional fee for not having
 Make field trips financially
certain items (ex: ice-skates)
accessible for all students
Classroom norms and practices
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What to do
Remain neutral and do not judge
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those with different values from your
own
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Teacher invites all parents to
participate in the classroom and
provides many opportunities that will
attract different parents
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Teacher creates student groups that
are diverse in class and race
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Serve as a role model for students by
actively supporting class equality
What NOT to do
Teacher only reaffirms the values
and culture of the middle class in
the classroom
Teacher is selective when choosing
opportunities for parent
involvement appealing only to a
particular group of volunteer
Teacher creates homogeneous
groups based on skill
Teachers react passively to
classism present in the school and
community
Beliefs
 Define your own awareness
 In general
 Determine what lengths
 How they will create a bias-free classroom
 Addressing students
 Don’t let it effect learning
 Incorporating equality into the lesson planning process
Helping Students Understand Classism
What to do
Start the school year off by implementing activities that
allow students to get to know one another and develop trust
Create an classroom in which all students feel valued
Set a classroom tone that encourages the discussion of issues
that are related to socioeconomic status
Use role-play of real life situations so students can become
more aware of issues and can recognize stereotypes
Helping Students Understand and Change Classism
 Intentionally teach socio-economic inequality and attitude that reinforce classism.
 Build a supportive atmosphere in the classroom, where all children feel accepted and
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are comfortable discussing sensitive issues.
Once children understand class discrimination they can begin to examine their own
environment; text books and the media.
When students understand the effects of prejudice and stereotypes then they can
understand how classism unfairly distributes resources to particular groups of people.
Students can in turn make a difference when they are given practice to stand up for
what they believe in with knowledge and understand about discrimination.
Students need information about different classes so they can conceptualize a different
living environment. Role play will help students retain this.
Classroom Activity
Draw a picture
Divide the class into 3 groups at random; lower, middle and upper class
groups.
Us current demographic distributions to model the current population.
Each student gets the same size piece of paper, slightly larger then one
desk size.
Crowd the lower class group around a group of desks and give them
each one crayon of a different color for them to share.
Set the few upper class group up at a large table with plenty of room
and give them each a plentiful box of a variety of color crayons.
Middle class students can remain at their own desks, uncrowded with a
small assortment of crayons.
Classroom Activity cont.
Draw a picture
Once all the students are in place reveal a picture that the students are
to copy to the best of their ability.
Set a fix amount of time for the students to do the work. Arrange for
the lower class students to share the crayons to avoid unnecessary
conflict.
After the time has elapse, display the pictures from each group and have
the students evaluate them.
Have students discuss what problems and benefits they had with their
situation and what were the underlying factors that caused them. How
could things have been different?
If there is time try rotating the groups.
Books
Fly Away Home
by Eve Bunting
Fly Away Home is the story of a little boy who lives in the airport with
his father.
The boy tells the story of the things they have to do to stay out of sight.
The boy parallels his own situation with a bird getting trapped in the
airport that one day flies out.
The boy tells how his situation makes him feel, but also that he remains
hopeful that he to will someday leave.
Conclusion
 Definitions
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Class
Classism
Emerging trends
presence in education today
Why address in education?
 Disparity
 Differential treatment of students by class
 Fewer resources, teachers with less training
 Raising funds