Post written by Jessica DuBois-Maahs, a Medill School of Journalism candidate at Northwestern University concentrating in finance reporting and interactive publishing. Starting this month, she will be a business reporter for MediaTec Publishing in Chicago, Ill.
Yvette Jackson believes that the labeling of students and schools is a detriment to education. Having worked in schools labeled "underperforming" and with students labeled "underachieving," Jackson says that such negative constructs yield disastrous results for both teachers and students.
In her 2013 ASCD Annual Conference session, "Transforming Learning and Teaching through the Pedagogy of Confidence," Jackson, coauthor of Aim High, Achieve More: How to Transform Urban Schools Through Fearless Achievement, outlined how teachers can overcome labels and myths to unlock a student's confidence, which is the key to long-term growth and achievement.
Understanding the science behind a student's confidence or insecurity is essential in overcoming "the crime of squandered potential," according to Jackson. She said students who feel defeated and confused are
