Identity work in the classroom

In the previous posts, we discussed identity, how it differs, and how it affects students’ understanding. For this post, I want to emphasize some teaching strategies that will foster students’ identity in the classroom and help them develop as better learners. 

• Raising students’ sense of identity as readers and writers.

Use words and activities that will influence students’ sense of themselves as readers and writers. One way to do that is to let them rewrite what they have read by changing what they think should be changed. This will develop their critical thinking skill and they will also get a chance to perform their identities. 

• Ask students to write connections between the lesson and their lives.

Asking students to make connections between what they have read and their own lives will give them space to reflect on what they truly understood and on how that is connected to their lives. It will also give them an opportunity to make sense of what they have read while using their own identity.

• Using plays.

Plays give students a chance to practice different identities. Holland et al (1998) mentioned “Play” as an identity artifact that allows us to “act otherwise.” to simplify it, think of it as a way to “fake it until you make it” by allowing students to paly different rules and characters we allow them to try different identities and act based on them. This is a great way to introduce students to different identities and give them space to explore themselves. 

• Teachers’ position in the classroom.

One of the things Gina in Vetter’s (2010) study did with her students is that she positioned her self as a facilitator rather than a director. By doing this she became close to her students and she gained their trust, which helped her in creating a welcoming and inviting classroom. 

• Open-discussions about real-life issues. 

 Jones’s (2006) in her book studied girls in a working-poor community. One of the things she did was creating open discussions about topics from students’ lives and bring those topics to the surface. She once discussed with them growing up into a woman and how they think it is like. Doing this will help students’ to better understand what is going on around them and will help them in developing their thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Use students’ language as a bridge. 

Language is a powerful tool that allows us to perform our identities and express ourselves. If students come from different cultures where they speak different languages than English, they lose the power of language. Most of the teachers treat them as illiterate even though they can read and write in their own language. Taking the power of language from students and treat them as illiterate will take their desire to learn and they won’t be able to fit in. Lupero´ n High School treated students’ language as a valued resource, which resulted in enhancing students’ performance and sense of belonging.  “In the bilingual environment of Lupero´ n High School, students found their Spanish speaking, reading and writing skills to be valued as resources to be developed along with their English skills, preventing them from feeling pressure to abandon parts of their identities connected to Spanish.” (Michael et la, 2007, p.186).  

• Think-Pair-Share.

 Give students time to think on a given topic and enable them to participate. Make sure to let students aware that what they can share whatever they think of and that they are not going to be judged.

• Design Identity book activity.

Let students create a book that talks about them. They can write their daily routines, their feeling, what happens to them at school, etc. doing this will allow them to practice writing and critical thinking. It will also make them explore their identities by using literacy.

   A space to reflect:
Based on what you have read on the blog so far, what are some ways we can use to promote students' identity in the classroom?

References: 

Jones, S. (2006). Girls, social class, and literacy: What teachers can do to make a difference. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Michael, A., Andrade, N., & Bartlett, L. (2007). Figuring “success” in a bilingual high school. The Urban Review, 39(2), 167-189.

Vetter, A. (2010). Positioning students as readers and writers through talk in a high school English classroom. English Education, 43(1), 33-64.