25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them

66 Teacher–Student Relations
of the cognitive codeswitching that is
necessary when speaking two languages,
students must also cope with
the confusion of being punished for a
perfectly natural act (speaking in their
native language). The teacher may
have been well-meaning in his misguided
attempts to make sure that his
students become proficient in English,
a must if the students are to become
part of mainstream America. Unfor -
tunately, the English-only approach
focuses a “deficit” lens on speaking
Spanish that diminishes students’
sense of self-concept and self-worth.
Some theorists believe that the consequences
or adverse effects of total
immersion are short-lived and worth it
(Collier, 1992; Lindholm & Fairchild,
1990). However, I believe that if punishment
is used to enforce immersion,
the adverse effects live on, such as in
this scenario.
Astute teachers who are wellacquainted
with issues of diversity
know that each child is different and
that what works well for one child
may not work well for another. There
are a variety of approaches to help a
child become proficient in a second
language. Partial immersion allows
students to use their native language
about fifty percent of the time.
Research has shown that bilingual
education, where students receive
instruction in their native language as
they learn a second language, is more
effective and enhances students’ selfesteem
(Garcia, 1995; Moll & Diaz,
1985). Effective teachers will choose
the approach that best suits the learning
situation.
SCENARIO 10.4
The Transparent Mask of Prejudice
In second grade, I remember having a female teacher who seemed to be always upset
about my presence. She never would tell me what I did wrong but would use a tone of
voice that I knew she was upset at me. Once she sent me to the principal’s office and
I never knew why. The principal was never unkind to me and he sat down and showed
me a book and asked questions about the pictures. I was also sent back to the class and
I always wondered about that teacher. Even just a week ago, I started to remember
that teacher and how cold she really was with me, but now that I’m 38 years old, I
know the problem was that she was discriminating against me because I was the only
Mexican in her class. This happened during the sixties when prejudice was at a very
high rate.
The sting of prejudice is
painful for anyone, but it has
to be confusing and painful for a
child who is trying to understand
and trust the world. Although the
Mexican child in this scenario could
not identify the problem, she knew
some thing was wrong by the
teacher’s tone of voice and her reactions.
This teacher may not have
been aware of her prejudiced feelings
or that they could be so easily
detected by a child.
Teachers must become global personalities,
capable of teaching and
caring for every child, regardless of