All stereotypes start from a kernel of truth--the problem is application of the stereotype to any and all individuals in a given group. Unfortunately stereotypes have a way of changing the way people behave. Most of my students, for example, say they believe poetry is "for" guys or girls. But a guy admitting he enjoys or writes poetry is socially risky. Most guys, in my opinion, are afraid of being labeled as feminine, wimpy, or soft--so they steer clear of poetry. And I understand that. Adolescence is already complicated--why add to the trials and difficulties of middle and high school. This is what I see in action: the vast majority of students who write poetry for fun are female.
It's easy to tell a teacher what he wants to hear, but it's another thing to shatter a stereotype. There was a time when female voices in literature were an extreme minority, but women have been shattering stereotypes for awhile. There are guys and girls discovering a joy in reading, writing, and poetry in spite of the fact that it's not necessarily "culturally cool" to read and write for enjoyment. (I find it almost vomit-inducing to hear some folks claim lack of literacy as "cool"). There are athletes killing the competition both in the classroom and on the field. Kids who are popular AND friendly to outsiders and the less fortunate. Snowboarders and skateboarders who don't do drugs, respect others, AND possess a functional vocabulary.
These anomalies are out there, and I think some of the walls are beginning to crumble in my own classroom.
Which stereotypes will you shatter?
Though not necessarily a stereotype, you Mr. Vega are one of the few male English teachers.
ReplyDeleteI should have known it would be this way when I walked into my first English Lit. class 9 years ago, and I was one of two gentlemen in the room.
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