Although a student alone may have the self-determination to control his/her life and future, it is more common to see a student be greatly influenced by the teacher’s negative remarks because of the lessons they learned as younger children. Hurtful remarks could be taken as truth. As a result, the cycle of social reproduction persists. These low expectations and negative perceptions of these youth are what streamline minorities into maintaining the cycle of social reproduction. MacLeod (1987) coined the term social reproduction to bring light to the trend and continual reproduction of low-income families’ role in society. He mentions that a school can take two forms. It could either be, as MacLeod says, the great equalizer that provides each and every student an equal opportunity to contribute significantly to society by means of a quality education or it could reinforce inequality while pretending to do the opposite (p. 11). It looks as if the great equalizer is only a myth. What reality presents to us is that schools are no longer meant to equalize citizens of this society. The main purpose of schools is to breed and reproduce mechanical products of society. For example, in affluent schools in affluent neighborhoods the schools teach and encourage students to aspire to be a part of a professional occupation. On the other hand, schools in more working-class neighborhoods are taught a more "practical curriculum" (Anyon, 1981) that is geared towards more vocational occupations. St. Emydius is an example of a school that uses a "practical curriculum", which is a main factor in preserving the existence of social reproduction. Not only do they encourage vocational occupations through curriculum but they also encourage it vocally. The teachers have the ability to break the cycle of social reproduction by encouraging the students to become more than what is expected of them by society. Teachers who are not progressive in thought allow their personal perceptions of students to form their expectations of their students. By allowing this to occur, the teachers aid in the personification of their fated future. If the teachers utilize the influence they have in a positive way, then the social reproduction would be deconstructed and minorities would be able to break the cycle.
Whenever I recall a memorable moment regarding social reproduction, I think about my formative years in education. All my life I have lived in Lynwood and from kindergarten until seventh grade I attended a catholic school called St. Emydius. The population of the school was mainly Latino students. I only recall probably one or two African American students. The students who attended this school came from low-income and poverty stricken families. This fact was not uncommon because the city of Lynwood is not wealthy, thus, the resources were scarce. Academic achievement is usually of great value to most families in this neighborhood. The main problem that exists is within the educational institutions. The accountability should not be placed upon the shoulders of the parents or the students. The accountability should be focused on the system and how it is not providing adequate resources and opportunities to the community. This is the reason why my experience in the seventh grade is so important.
My teacher, Mrs. Dee had a meeting with my older brother, Gilberto, regarding my education. Gilberto was at the time in his 1st year of medical school at UCLA and because of this, my brother graciously offered to speak to the school about his journey into medical school and other significant experiences. Mrs. Dee then told him that he should not waste his time because the students will amount to no more than hairdressers and mechanics. Although I was somewhat shocked to hear these comments, I did not understand the severity of the situation. All I knew revolved around the environment in St. Emydius. The fact is that I carried that with me for some time. Had I not escaped this negative environment, a negative perception of myself would have been created. As a result, low expectations and a sense of unimportance would have engulfed my mind. This is an example of how negative comments could have potentially put me in a harmful situation. In my case, the low expectations were something I believed at the time. I had no other educated authority figure to tell me otherwise. This is another common problem that many minority, low-income students have to deal with. They do not have figures in their lives that are a living example of what hard work in academics can do and this is the reason why a teacher’s opinions and comments are so significant to a student’s future. If a teacher, the main educated figure, truly believes that a student will only be a mechanic, then the student will truly believe that because that teacher is looked upon as someone who knows.
The most important reason a teacher has a direct influence on a student's success or demise is because the students are taught to comply with authority figures. The mindset of students is very impressionable. At this time in their lives, specifically in the elementary and middle school years, they are becoming acquainted with their abilities as students. In addition to knowing their academic abilities they are also shaping their unique personalities. Because their minds are so impressionable at this time, a teacher has the ability to shape and form a student's expectations in either a hurtful or beneficial way by words alone. So, a teacher's encouraging words can potentially lead to the increasing confidence of a student, which would then lead to transformational resistance, which is a form of resistance defined by Daniel Solorzano as form of resistance that incorporates a critique of social oppression and a motivation of social justice. One of the main problems that exist in St. Emydius, as discussed earlier, is the insensitive and negative commentary that they say to the students. The young minds of the students are fed subliminal messages that say to them, for example, that it is ok if they are not good at something and there is no need to work to improve because their focus should not be on academics but rather their focus should be placed on the preparation for their vocational future.
The problem is not necessarily denied access. The administration is not saying that you cannot be this or no you cannot join that. It is more latent. There are little comments like, "You are not a good writer and that is ok", which was what my English teacher Mr. Campos told me. These are the type of attacks that the economically disadvantaged experience in their school system. The access into his or her own minds and potential was denied, which is much more detrimental to the denial of access into a club or sport. Since then I have carried that criticism with me. I have always felt that I am not a good writer. Those comments were taken as truth and I honestly believed that I was not a good writer. Because he said it was ok not to be, I never put forth the effort to improve my writing skills. He said it was ok and I believed him. I had no reason not to. It was not until I began attending New Roads School when most of the damage was undone. It was there that I received encouragement. I have Troyvoi Hicks to thank for the time and encouragement he gave me. I remember writing one of my first essays in Troyvoi’s class and having him ask me if I had ever written an essay before. I told him I had not. It was at this moment when I realized that there are teachers who actually care for a student’s progress. He took the time and taught me how to write, unlike Mr. Campos. He taught me the structure and the concepts behind writing an essay. Ever since my time with Troyvoi, my writing has steadily improved to the point where I feel confident with my writing. This is the kind of encouragement that a student needs to look past the low expectations and to look past the social reproduction that exists. Although my situation was specifically about writing, students can also learn to think and analyze the world around them critically.
Once a student is encouraged to use critical thought, the student can then actively resist and unshackle themselves from the social restraints that are usually placed upon them. Solorzano (2001) says that there are four kinds of resistance. For each form of resistance there are certain criteria that needs to be met in order to fall into one of these categories. The four kinds of resistance and their criteria are: self-defeating (critique of social oppression and not motivated by social justice), reactionary (not motivated by social justice and no critique of social oppression), confrontational (no critique of social oppression and motivated by social justice), and transformational (critique of social oppression and motivated by social justice). In schools such as St. Emydius, there is no resistance because there is no critique of social oppression and there is no motivation to have social justice. A lot of the young students at St. Emydius are not aware of the oppression and the injustice that exists. On the other hand, schools like New Roads encourage transformational resistance because they teach and make students aware of the injustice and oppression that exist. The only way change can occur in our school system is if transformational resistance is present. The teachers and the schools should teach this kind of resistance so that, once again, the students, regardless of race and economic background, can equally contribute to society. So, if a student is encouraged to take on a critical mindset, then they will acquire transformational resistance. They will be taught to be aware of social justice and the systematic oppression that is present in their respective communities.
When analyzing the influence of a teacher and a school, it may be obvious to observe the serious implications of their influence. Because a teacher has great influence on the student’s ability to learn and succeed, a critical perspective about influence and compliance must be looked at. There are so many paths that a student could take in their lives. It should be up to the school and the teachers to steer the students into the right direction without prejudice. MacLeod and Anyon have an accurate portrayal of the way the system is run. MacLeod says that there is a cycle and pattern that exists regarding roles in society from generation to generation (social reproduction) and Anyon analyzes and researches the differences between affluent, executive elite, middle-class, and working class schools. She finds that each and every kind of school teaches their students differently according to the status quo. MacLeod would say that the schools teach based on the framework synthesized by social reproduction. Solorzano would say that we do not encourage a society of people to partake in transformational resitance, rather, there is a concentration of self-destructive resistance if there is any resistance at all. These problems exist within the schools system. The influence that the teachers have is so crucial to resolving these problems. The most logical solution for the problem is to make schools the great equalizer. My experience shows the good and the bad of the school system. My time at St. Emydius showed me how the schools system can influence students to a dismal life, while my time at New Roads showed me how schools can influence students to a prosperous life. Salvador Allende once said, "To be a student and not a revolutionary is a contradiction." Schools should not force students to contradict themselves. Schools and teachers should lure out and nurture the revolutionary within. Once that occurs, true equality will exist, and it is then that an equal battleground will be created to revolutionize the world.
The Influence of Those Who Teach
