Detracking In Context Beth Rubin Summary

In Beth Rubin’s article, “Detracking in Context: How Local Constructions of Ability Complicate Equity-Geared Reform”, it shows that teacher teach depending on how they see their students. It can have both positive and negative repercussions on students. If the students are viewed in a negative light, teachers generally have a lower standard of what students are capable of. It also usually shows up in the classroom. Teachers with those lower standards don’t feels as though students are able to handle rigorous curriculum. In this article it shows a wide spectrum of teachers. On one hand you have Mr. Bartlett, a very capable teacher but he teachers in a bad neighborhood. Mostly all of his students have been approached at one point by gang members.(pg.
660) He feels that he is unable to go into depth with topics because students “...lacked all the right things: knowledge, persistence, good behavior, and academic skills”.(pg. 659) On the other hand you have educators like Mr. Carey at Elmtown High School. While it is a diverse school adults see the teachers as “active, opinionated, sophisticated and, above all, varied”(pg 677). This view point of the teachers shows in the how the teachers interact with the students, giving them a higher educational value.

I like this article because it gives in depth standpoints for teachers and students, at multiple schools.
It shows how the teachers interact with students, and how students react with the teachers. In that meager setting at Oakcity High School with Mr. Bartlett, he doesn’t cater to students needs. He does things in a strict basic formatted setting because “...on any job they get outside of school, there’s going to be a certain formats they must follow to be successful on the job. McDonald’s, there’s a certain way of frying French fries. There’s a certain was of customer service. They have to learn that format”.(pg. 661) He feels as though his students are unable to comprehend those in depth discussions. He teaches basic ideals and principals, then tests students on them. He also feels that all of his students are “somewhat on the same level”(pg. 661). His basic teaching format of “read a section, complete the section handout, take section quiz, repeat daily for five days, take chapter test Friday”(pg. 662) is completely unacceptable and demoralizes students. One student, Monique says “I want to go to college, but... if this is boring here I’m going to be bored in college”. This apathy towards students highly affects them
negatively. Strongly contrasting Oakcity High School and Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Carey at Elmtown High School truly cares about his students. He knows his students varied in backgrounds and what students naturally excel at, but he also believed that if his students worked, they can learn and it was his job to promote learning and keep his students engaged. He also turned down the opportunity to teach AP classes because the thought “AP kids in general are already going to college... But these kids [struggling students], especially special ed. students, their learning curve is huge. He want’s all his students to have the exact same opportunities and helps those kids that are struggling as much as one human can. He knows his students, not by grades, but by how they contribute to the class. He is giving all his students the same playing field. That in itself gives the students confidence in themselves.

As educators we can not fall into the trap that students are as good as the communities they come from. All students are capable of great things and we have to nurture every facet of the student. As a music teacher, I’ve always made students not only learn about music, but write about it. It’s a way to encompass multiple subjects into my lesson. Giving them practice in not only what I want them to learn, but making them think about it and write a paper about it, just like they would do in any of their academic classes. Connect with your students and they will respect you and listen to you. Teach them everything you can, after all, you spend the same about of time with the students as they spend with their own parents.