Pedagogy of Confidence

If the sky were the limit for my research project in hopes of making a positive contribution, I would research the impact of adopting pedagogy of confidence for children of low socio-economic status (SES).  Given multiple classrooms across a city with children of the same SES, same age, and same support profile (or lack of), I would like to see the social, emotional and cognitive outcomes for children where teachers intentionally teach with positive affirmations versus classrooms where teachers do not reinforce children’s gifts and natural desire to learn.  Too often educators inadvertently adopt pedagogy of the oppressed or pedagogy of deficits. I believe this research already exists; however, many want to believe that something is different and special about children who succeed, and the children with the same SES and support profile do not succeed because they are poor and minority.  For example, some individuals on my NAACP Education Committee believe that poor Black children at one of our local charter schools are somehow different.  They believe that’s why the principal is able to get a 100% graduation rate and 97% college attendance, while the non-charter schools have a more difficult task because their students are poor and Black with disengaged parents. Actually the charter and non-charter children live in the same neighborhoods with the same level of parent disengagement.   It’s difficult to change emotions and perceptions.  My research would be designed to help professionals and community members to recognize pedagogy of confidence makes the difference, not more money, charter status, or a magic wand that made the charter students more studious.  Implementing research based and evidence based teaching practices is important too.