First Impressions - Visual Profiling and Discourse

AnalysisCatherine Bosco-Walker

EDUC 7718

Discussion Prompt #1How operational and meaningful is visual profiling in education settings? Please consider this personally from your own experience, but include commentary about the way it plays out among adults as well as among learners. Is there anything you could or should do to change any negative aspect of this?

Visual Profiling…Visual profiling is somewhat of a “necessary evil” among educators, parents, and students from diverse backgrounds. Instant judgements based on appearance, discourse and actions set the stage for learning communities. Through experiences with the community, it is impossible to not create initial judgements. Being able to work through these stereotypes is how you show growth and professionalism as an educator.

Professionally speaking...● Teachers, administrators, staff and students

are all judged primarily through initial visual encounters.

● Dress codes for teachers help create/maintain a professional environment within each school.

● Levels of professionalism correlate to how an individual “presents” to the public.

As a Classroom Teacher...● As teachers, students are judged based on

how they present themselves daily (mood, dress, hair, how they keep their notebooks).

● Our presentation (physical appearance and discourse) influences the students’ perception, behavior, and/or level of respect.

● Comfort levels of students dependent on how “visually accepting” a teacher is (relaxed or formal environment).

As a Student... As a learning community, especially adolescents, students will judge teachers by their appearance. Unfortunately, few students have developed an intuitiveness about how his or her teacher’s effectiveness plays into their role as becoming successful learners.

Attitude, tone and the physical environment are all indicators of initial judgements students may make on teachers.

Personal Commentary...

● My belief is that we all make judgements on initial meetings (seeing and speaking). We can create relationships with people (virtually or over the phone) where we develop connections. Is this an advantage?

● Do parents make eye contact or answer the phone abruptly? At times, we don’t get to meet parents in person, but develop relationships with them via email and over the phone. These three different types of communication (verbal, written and physical) create experiences in which one can not help but build judgements and profiling and are all equally important.

● Can avatars take away the implications of visual profiling? I think there needs to be a balance.

● Creating a positive school climate is the responsibility of all.

Influence of Discourse...First impressions are not just based on how

teachers present “visually.” Conversations between colleagues and staff are hugely impactful with profiling within a professional setting.

For example, the administrator who is visually acceptable (appearance and dress), however, is short and dismissive with responses may be viewed as unapproachable, uncaring or untrustworthy.

Influence of Discourse (con’t)...

● Colleagues that use a less formal “in” ending than “ing” on words may be viewed as “unpolished.”

● Using formal and informal variations aids in solidarity and bonding among speakers (Gee, 114).

● Teacher/Student discourse creates a certain classroom environment (stage set by teacher).

● Reading Workshop videos are representative of different styles of discourse/visual profiling and student response/environment.

Influence of Discourse (con’t)...

● Discourse, according to Gee, means “stretches of language which “hang together” so as to make sense to some community of people.” (p.112)

● Videos of Reader’s workshop have two varying degrees of instructors which may create differences in discourse and comfort levels of visual acceptance.

● Levels of comfort within student population correlates with teacher effectiveness.

Video Reflection…The two video clips were examples of different teaching styles/environments, but gave explicit information on the same topic. It was apparent that the class atmosphere was a reflection of the teaching style.

Rick● casual● animated● students shared

more freely● comfortable

working through thought process

Dana:● formal● monotone● students more

selective with responses

● more scripted

Changing the negatives of visual profiling...Teaching (as part of our daily practice):

● tolerance● diversity● acceptance● big ideas

Society plays an influential part on how we view and accept others. Parents, as well as teachers, need to be open-minded to who the students are and be fair and accepting of various teaching styles.

Discussion Prompt #2Many people say that one important purpose of public schooling in this country is to enculturate children into what it means to be American. What does it mean to be American?

What Does it Mean to be an American Citizen?

This clip from History.com shares the perspective of what it means to be an American citizen through the eyes of those who have worked to be a part of this country.

http://www.history.com/videos/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-american-citizen

In our schools…This answer is from students who created a brief video asking the question of students, teachers and administrators.

My answer… This was a difficult question, that amazingly enough, I did not feel comfortable answering on my own. What being an American means to me may have nothing to do with what it means to my student who just entered America from India. It also may mean something completely different for the girl from the Congo who was adopted and brought to America three years ago.

What being American means to me...

● Pledge of Allegiance● Maintaining

freedoms ○ speech○ religion○ petition○ assembly○ of the press

● Diversity● Choice● Respect● Compassion● Hard work● Tolerance

My Medium...I chose this medium for two specific reasons. The first is because I needed to familiarize myself with Google Presentations for an upcoming workshop I am providing at the Connecticut Reading Association Conference in October. Secondly, I lost my voice this week, and creating any type of media which included a voice-over was not in the cards.

Google Presentations...I feel as if this type of presentation worked well for the task presented. Formatting my responses in brief points was not as easy as being able to post my reactions in a traditional blog post. Creating responses outside of our comfort zone is one of the challenges of this course that I appreciate. I ask teachers to do things that are uncomfortable all the time. It is refreshing to be in that position. It is the only way I truly “learn.”

Resources Gee, James Paul. Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012. Print.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-reading-workshop-lesson

http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=2200

http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=2200