Tag Archives: labeling

Labeling – Children Live up to What Their Teachers Think of Them

Labeling Understood in Social Science

Labeling is a long standing theory in social sciences which basically says that people (and especially children) live up — or down– to what the people (especially the authority figures) around them think about them. A child who is told and expected to be smart, pretty, or competent generally is. A child who is told that she is a slut or he is a dumbass — usually ends up acting that way.

Teachers should know this. It should be in their curricula in college. It certainly is in Introductory Sociology and in Pyschology courses. Why then to teachers demonstrate and live out labeling theory instead of apply the wisdom from knowing about it?

What I’ve Seen

When I was in graduate school in the 1990s, the one Sociological paper about Learning Disabilities found that teachers thought LD was Mental Retardation. When I substituted in 2006, I certainly saw this play out. Teachers treated any “special needs” student with contempt and extraordinarily low expectations. My short time in the class could turn the situation around — but I doubt permanent change would remain.

When I was Academic Dean, I saw teachers make bright student’s life hell because of teacher gossip. When the student is a 7 year old, too bright for the class, and yet bedevilled by negative fantasies of the teacher…. it is exasperating. I was in the classroom. I saw it.

I was not in the classroom of my daughter’s third grade classroom, but the mother of another student let me know that the teacher there used bullying and name-calling regularly in the classroom. We are talking about the 1980s. In front of me, even, the teacher declared that my daughter could not read. But when the teacher turned her back, my daughter turned to the back of the book and read the page fine.

One shudders to consider how labeling is working in today’s hyper-sexualized, extremely disrespectful environment.

Hear the Episode

Let’s consider labeling. It has detrimental effects. Unfortunately, we see these more often with students with diagnoses and learning problems.

It could have good effects. If only….

Labeling is Real : Identify it and Overcome it

Dr. Swank Overcomes Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities with Individualized Approach

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:51 — 27.3MB)

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Dr. Linda Swank argues for the individual approach in overcoming dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Back in 2009, Dr. Swank of the Swank Enrichment Center in Austin on Bee Caves Road shares with us how they help children with academic problems, especially “dyslexia.” With her PhD in speech and language as a grounding, she developed a unique approach to helping children. Rather than rely on statistical testing and labeling, they work individually with the child and parents. The individualized approach avoids the labeling. It avoids the varieties of definitional problems that “dyslexia” presents. It avoids the denominationalism that special educators and doctors and therapists find themselves in. It addresses the presenting academic problems. Many have overcome their problems with the center’s approach.

While her methods may be controversial, I would say the proof is in the pudding. Her method is much in contrast to what the public schools do and much in contrast to what the College of Education at The University of Texas now teaches about dyslexia. However, the Swank Center has been in Austin for decades and has helped many children and worried parents. There is little value, in my view, in building a “dyslexia orthodoxy.” Rather, helping individual children is out aim. Differing approaches should be very much welcomed, in my view, in order that more children might be helped, after finding the right approach for them.

COMING TOPICS

Please note that this is a rerun, and announces that next week we will have a doctor/researcher to address the controversial aspects of immunizations. That episode will NOT air next week. That doctor/researcher was Andrew Wakefield and may be accessed by searching the website or the list of podcasts on the podcast host. If you find a search page full of old or false news that he was discredited, and nothing on a reversal of same, then doubt your search engine. He was a dramatically respected world class researcher before he ran aground of pharmaceutical companies’ profiteering. The center he founded in Austin lives on, as does he, entirely exonerated, if bewildered at the persecution. Listen to our interview of him, and consider for yourself if he seems like a decent level headed scientist… or something else.

We do hope to soon run an episode on the labeling issue that Dr. Swank brings up. Let us know if you want an explanation of the statistical analyses that Dr. Swank brings up.

GET IN TOUCH

We really enjoyed having Dr. Swank and she evidently really enjoyed being with us. Notice that heartfelt agreement at the end. It is unfortante that we haven’t heard from her since. Don’t be like that! Let us hear from you. What issues do you want addressed? Please leave your comments and requests. Most of all, sign up, letting us know that you are a Lioness, part of our tribe. Let us pray for you. Contribute to the cause!

Swank Enrichment Center

The Great Shalom Broadcast: Overcoming Learning Disabilities

Unique in sharing hope, faith, and good ideas to OVERCOME learning problems.