DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

Segregation Amongst Adolescents

Caliandra Burchett
Course 251, Sec 1
Evelyn Waite
4-8-2014

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

Developmental Standards Paper

"The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities
that support their intellectual, social and personal development" ~ InTASC2

In this paper I hope to thoroughly explain how segregation in all forms can have a great
affect on adolescent learning and their developmental processes in my classroom. Dealing with
segregation in the classroom can immensely impact my students on an intellectual, social, and
personal level. Each developmental concept is used in relation to the problem of segregation
among adolescents and shows my comprehension of the topic. The developmental concepts help
in distinguishing the different opportunities to understand and assess the segregation issues
within the classroom.
Segregation is a part of the everyday life of adolescents where they are placed into
various categories because of the prejudices made against them. These students suffer continuous
harassment because of such differences, both by their peers and their teachers (Benner &
Graham, 2013). The students that suffer this type of treatment against them from their peers or
even their authority figures can expect to have possible problems academically, psychologically,
and socially. From the research, one can see that these segregation problems in schools are a part
of a bigger issue that comes from beliefs within family households and a students class status in
society. Breaking down these barriers in the school setting has an even greater importance for the
life of the students in and outside of the classroom, and for their success in the future.
In my own classroom regarding segregation, I will make sure that students will be able to
recognize the problem and I will make sure that each of them knows how to work well with
different types of people. Name-calling and racial slurs are not to be allowed in my classroom,

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

and a harsh punishment will follow. Each person is equal when they step into my classroom, and
everyone will be treated with the same amount of respect (SS1.4). I hope the students will grow
to overcome the norm and see each other as peers rather than the opposite, and set an example
for fellow classmates in school.
Self-Esteem
Secondary school plays a huge role in the self-esteem of adolescents, due to the fact that
this is the time period where they are developing into themselves and they are going through
physical, cognitive, emotional and social changes (Morin, Maano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz,
2013). Self-esteem is how one views themselves and the confidence that they have; usually a
measure of ones self worth. Self-esteem plays a major role in the developmental functions of the
adolescent. Each adolescent has developmental needs that need to be met and experiences social
activities among peers. While attending secondary school many changes are occurring. If the
student does not feel like they are getting their needs met, this could be cause for low selfesteem. It is also noted that there is generally a high amount of low self-esteem among
adolescents going into secondary school overall (Morin, Maano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz,
2013). Having the need to be accepted among peers and teachers, students have a tendency to
group together, and purposely segregate. Adolescents in particular often find themselves
becoming friends with people like them. Having a niche where they feel safe comforts them
when they are placed in an environment where they do not always feel safe, or feel like they
cannot be themselves.
As a teacher of young adolescents, it is important to recognize that this is a period of
increased low self-esteem among my students. Knowing this ahead of time allows me to try and
meet my students needs best as I can, while forming positive outlooks for their future, and

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

academics as a whole. Students form groups in and outside of the classroom. My classroom will
be different, and we will all be accepting of each others differences. My classroom will be a safe
haven for everyone, and each student will hopefully grow to appreciate the differences in each
other and become more comfortable (SS5.1). If the setting in the classroom is hostile, it is almost
impossible to teach context that matters to the students. To implement these differences in my
classroom, we will always have open discussion. I will also form my class in a circle so that the
environment feels more open and warm. A huge percent of an adolescents self-esteem is due to
how the teacher responds to them, therefore I will be welcoming, open-minded, and help anyone
who needs it after school.
Family Environment
Every adolescent has a family or home environment in which they are brought up around.
This environment is a key factor in how these adolescents are going react in social situations at
school, and throughout their academics. Some of the positive outcomes that the family
environment has on the adolescent are well-being, controlled emotions, academic achievement
and independence (Syed & Krenke, 2013). During development, adolescents want to establish
who they are as an independent person separate from their parents. This in turn creates stressful
situations for the parents, figuring out how to deal with the newfound autonomy amongst their
children (Gutman & Eccles, 2007). The family environment is different for every adolescent
depending on ethnic race, social class, and how the parents choose to address these changes. It is
found that if a high-risk adolescent is raised in an environment where they have more of a chance
to make decisions for themselves, negative outcomes can result. These are the adolescents that
are typically raised in poorer areas, have low academic achievement, and less parental guidance
(Gutman & Eccles, 2007). When these types of students are placed into a school with other

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students that have a better family environment, segregation occurs. They have clashing lifestyles
and therefore make judgments about one another. This is difficult because not every one
adolescent is granted parents who care, or are able to go home to a supportive warm environment
(SS1.4).
Since I am the educator, in this situation as I stated before, I will have an open door
policy in my classroom. I will make sure it is during hours in which class is not in session, and
that I have plenty of room to do work. This support and comfort some students lack in their
home environment, is something that they will feel in school. Sometimes no one motivates these
kids, and they have so much potential. I will be a motivator and role model to them. Also, I think
that it is important that the students who do have better home lives support those who do not. I
will encourage afterschool activities for these specific students to become involved in, and
promote any extra educational support that they need. Also, identifying the academic differences
among my students is crucial in determining what level they are at with the context.
Acknowledging these differences, and needs is important as a teacher in order to figure out
lesson plans and strategies so that all students can learn to the fullest. In order to fulfill these
needs I will have the class participate in group projects, each presenting a different cultural
background to the class. This way the class can learn from their own classmates about different
cultures within and outside of the classroom, while also sharing their own personal experiences
(SS5.3). Although I am not their parent or guardian, when these kids are in my classroom I am
responsible for them. I know not all of them are going to succeed one-hundred percent, but
giving them the chance to try their best in doing so really makes a life-changing difference. I
want to be the difference.
Language and Culture Learning

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

There are more and more people arriving to the United States every single day. Our
country promotes equal opportunity to every individual. Unfortunately among adolescent
immigrants, segregation occurs immensely within schools. These students have a lack of
academic resources given to them, and they also have a lack of ESL language classes offered
(Surez-Orozco, Gaytn, Bang, Pakes, OConnor & Rhodes, 2010). This is placing a large
amount of students in America in a very poor position of not succeeding academically, and we as
a country have failed to give them this equal opportunity. Not only is this a time for
development in adolescents, but being immigrants in a new country calls for major changes. A
lot of immigrants find themselves secluded from the other American-born children as they are
often seen as different from them. These culturally diverse students born in the United States not
only have to keep their own culture and customs but learn new ones as well. Although these
students face a difficult adolescence because of these drastic changes they need to make, they
suffer less stress and anxiety in comparison to students not born in America (Abad & Sheldon,
2008). There are instances in 2nd generation students where there is a conflict of identity in
society because of the discrimination of their peers. There is low self-esteem in 2nd generation
students because of the lack of cultural identity they have within themselves. They do not know
whether to choose following the American norm, or still stand out based off of their own home
culture.
I believe that because the 1st generation students more or less have a better chance at
living in America because they strive to succeed academically. This is incredible that at the
adolescent age these students have a drive to learn a new culture, in a new country, along with a
different language. Having to still deal with all the developmental processes on top of figuring
out a whole new life is unfathomable to me. As an educator I will try to understand their culture

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

in turn teaching them about ours. Also, I will be able to help them learn the English language as
an ESL teacher and therefore promote better academic success (SS1.6). I do not think that these
students should be subjugated by the cultural norm, but embrace their own differences in the
process. Adolescents should not be confused about their identity because of discrimination and
segregation from their peers. In my classroom I will do a project where everyone has to analyze
their heritage and culture now so that they can better understand where they come from (SS2.4).
Also, this project could be used to point out similarities among cultures and ethnic groups,
because far to often we point out the differences.
Stereotypes
Stereotypes are the judgments made about others based on which categories they are
placed into in society. Stereotypes among adolescents are important when it comes to finding
ones identity, developing intellectually, and making ethical and rational decisions (Rowley,
Kurtz-Costes, Mistry & Feagan, 2007). Stereotypes in secondary education show discrimination
and segregation among several different groups of people. In order to make moral decisions and
judgments adolescents must be actively engaged in social interaction in order to better learn
about their peers. Stereotypes can range from gender, class status, race etc. Any category that
someone could be placed in has some sort of stereotype attached to it. Children grow up having
some understanding of these groups of people. One of the main concerns is the idea that negative
values and ideas transmit from parent to child; these stereotypes go on throughout generations
because of what they are taught (Barni, Alfieri, Marta & Rosnati, 2013). This widens the gap
between students in schools by not liking particular groups, or being associated with them in any
way. There are problems of superiority among the different groups whether race, or even athletic

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

teams. Self-esteem and ego also take part in stereotyping amongst adolescents. Adolescents
associate themselves with a certain group, and that is how they identity themselves and others.
Being in these groups is a way to make them feel better about themselves, and in some instances
possibly worse. Stereotyping unfortunately happens on a daily basis, but because of these
prejudices held against people, separation amongst adolescents into cliques or clubs becomes
common.
The only way that I can think of to break the stereotypes in my classroom is to recognize
them. Having the class participate in an activity where they are telling others about the false
stereotypes they have heard about themselves. This way the students have a chance to interact in
a social environment which betters learning, and can see that stereotypes are not always true.
When teaching in a class filled with different types of students, this activity can become intense
but I think will bring students closer, and understand each other better.
Peers
Forming peers during the adolescent years is crucial in order to feel accepted especially
within the school setting. The desire to become independent from their parents brings them
closer to their peers. A peer group is formed around adolescents who share activities, are of
similar age, and have similar interests (Kran-esen, 2012). They gain support, learn to accept
individualistic characteristics of others, and learn how to maintain these complex relationships.
In attending a school with a high variety of students, these adolescents tend to look towards
people that are similar to them, whether this is in race, sexual orientation, gender etc. All these
different peer groups are ways in order for adolescents to feel safe and supported, hence why
they tend to become friends with people who share similar aspects of their own lives. Although

DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS

forming peer groups is a healthy social and psychological thing for every adolescent to take part
in, it can cause segregation within schools. It is a wonderful thing for adolescents to feel safe and
comfortable in school rather than the opposite, but at the same time there is a problem with the
lack of diversity within these peer groups. It is a double-edged sword situation where we as
educators want our students to feel accepted, and have this support from their friends but at the
same time through a diverse group of peers.
As an educator I really cannot force any one student to be friends with another. The only
way I would be able to get students of diverse backgrounds to possibly become friends with each
other is by implementing several different strategies in the classroom. For example, when I was a
high school student I had a class where there were four desks placed together. The four of us in
that group had to interact and form a social connection. We were all very different in several
different ways but we became friends because we needed to work together in order to complete
the tasks in the classroom. The seating chart is very important in promoting diverse social
relationships in and hopefully outside of the classroom. It is a way in order to break boundaries
to come together as one unit and succeed (5.1, 1.3). This is a lesson that every student needs to
learn in life because in the outside world one has to learn to be able to work with others who are
not always going to be like them.
Ethnic Identity
Ethnic identity is the idea that a person can understand their ethnicity, which plays a huge
role in figuring out ones personal identity within society. There are various outcomes of ethnic
identity amongst adolescents. For example, an adolescent who is more open to the idea of
figuring out and accepting their ethnic identity has a better chance of exploring their identity and

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accepting who they are as an individual. In comparison, a student who is less adventurous in
exploring their ethnic identity has a higher risk of denial and shame within their ethnicity (Yip,
2014). Truly trying to figure out ones identity ethnically and being open to the idea of accepting
it helps academically. When a person denies who their true self is, and is ashamed of the ethnic
group in which they belong, they are not advancing psychologically in their stream of ego or
identity. Not understanding or accepting who you are is an underlying problem that can have
many consequences in society and individually. Within the school systems the students who are
more accepting of their ethnic identity are more accepting in learning about themselves and
being involved in other organizations or activities involving their ethnicity (Kip, 2014). This is
really important as an adolescent, and increasingly important in cultural understanding and
diversity within schools. It is first important to understand oneself before understanding others,
and realizing that your differences can be met with another ethnic groups differences is
necessary.
This idea is the opposite of how I see segregation in the classroom. Acceptance of
personal and ethnic identity is not a way of separating yourself from other various groups, but a
chance to learn and to teach others about it. As an educator my goal is to help those students
who are ashamed of ethnicity and find a way to show them that is it nothing to be ashamed of.
There are probably past events or peer influence in reasoning why these specific students feel the
way they do. In order for them to feel more comfortable in their own skin, I have to think of new
ways to change their order of thinking, and broaden their personal opinions on a wider spectrum.
To do this I will make each student keep an individual journal in my class. In these journals the
students will write about their interactions with other peers, family members, or just people in
society and how they felt people reacted to their ethnicity or to them personally. Was it in a

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positive or negative way? Did you feel uncomfortable? Why or why not? I want these students to
see if they themselves can solve their problems. After each week I plan on going over it in class
and allowing the students to freely speak about their experiences (if they want) and how they are
developing as in individual in their ethnicity and what changes they can make (SS 2.5).
School Performance
School performance among adolescents can vary based off of socioeconomic factors and
race (Bachman, Staff, OMalley & Freedman-Doan, 2013). School performance is not just
measured by academia but also through outside classroom activities and whether or not the
students are involved in school organizations. It is seen that students that come from a lowincome household have less of a chance to be actively involved in these types of school
organizations due to the fact that they cannot afford it, and may not have the means or
transportation to be able too. The students who come from a household income much higher had
an advantage over the kids that just do not have the means. Socioeconomic factors can also play
a role in social situations as well. There are some students who are not able to buy new clothes,
or even take a shower, whereas there are other students who can afford name brand clothes. In
these circumstances it is seen that the students from low-income households have more of a
chance to be made fun of, ridiculed, and separated from social groups deemed as cool. These
less wealthy students tend to have a risk of less motivation to do well in school because they
have a hard time seeing beyond the now and where they are placed within society.
As a future teacher I see this as an opportunity to really reach out to these students
knowing some of the situations that they are in. They might not have all the opportunities in the
world to have the best educational experience; I find that it is my duty to further make sure that

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they have the same equal opportunity to succeed in school and beyond the classroom. In order to
do this, in the beginning of the school year I want the students to tell me a little about themselves
and the things they like to do. Knowing more about the student helps me to gain a better
understanding of on how I should approach them as an educator and the types of learning
experiences I want them to have. For example if I know that a student has a hard time in a certain
area, I will offer to help them during homeroom or lunch if possible. Another thing I could do is
gear the learning processes towards my students interests so that they can become more actively
engage in the material. So, I would use examples about skateboards if Timmy like skateboards,
or jewelry if that interested Valerie (SS 2.8).
Bullying
Bullying is the act in which an adolescent harasses another adolescent whether verbally,
or physically in order to make themselves feel better. This is seen because bullies tend to have a
lower self-esteem than their peers, which can create many consequences for those around them.
Bullying occurs for multiple reasons; it could be because they are of a different race,
socioeconomic status, sexual orientation etc. There are many reasons why adolescents bully
these days and more often now than ever it is seen across many types of mediums. For example
through the use of technology and social media, bullying has become more evident especially
among adolescents. Any one student can go online and easily see that racism, sexism,
homophobia and other negative aspects of society do and still exist (Tynes, 2007). Cyberbullying is an issue that seems to be increasing, and the student getting bullied more or not end
up suffering psychologically and do not feel safe at school. This harassment and segregation in

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the schools is something that could be detrimental to a students mental health and development
as an adolescent (Yen, Yang, Wang, Lin, Liu, Wu, & Tang, 2014).
While teaching it may seem hard to understand what lies beyond the surface of the
students, although there are always markers that signal that a student is not behaving like
themselves. I will approach these students and simply ask if they are doing ok and if they ever
need to talk to a confidant that I am always here. Another thing I think is extremely necessary for
parents and educators is monitoring the use of technology at home and in the classroom. Lastly,
taking away an idea from Tynes is to have my students be active in role taking online and learn
about racial issues online. I think learning about racial issues through an online setting is a more
modern activity where the students can consult others via the Internet as well and form
interracial relationships. Once again I would be monitoring the students every move in assuring
that they are doing it correctly and safely (SS 5.4, 2.4). This way the students will be able to take
away what they learned about the online settings of race and how to improve these interracial
relationships in their own life such as in the classroom.

Reflection
This project has allowed me to see the different sides of segregation from a psychological
viewpoint. Not only was I able to show my comprehension of the topic of segregation within
secondary education, but I also created solutions and opportunities to learn from this issue in the
classroom. This knowledge will further better me as an educator to a wide variety of students,
and help me overall as in individual.

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I would not be an educator if I did not in fact continue to learn myself. I will further my
interest in this topic in hopes to help adolescents learn and develop to the best of their abilities.
After finding research on the topic of segregation within schools, I noticed that our education
system has a long way to go in implementing better programs. I also believe that by attending
conferences such as the diversity symposium at Ball State University will help me as an educator
to understand diversity better in the classroom. Another goal I hope to accomplish is to attend
several different club organization meetings such as Spectrum, LSU etc. in order to gain a better
understanding of culture through different perspectives and groups of people.
This paper allowed me to seek more information out about segregation in different
contexts such as stereotypes, and involvement of the family environment. I learned that selfesteem amongst adolescent students is greatly affected by how the teacher perceives and treats
them. I think this helps me to better understand the significance of my job as an educator, and
how we truly do impact the development of the students.
Lastly, one of the ways that I would like to improve on as an educator is how to better
deal with the issue of segregation in the classroom, and even outside of the classroom such as at
school functions. I understand that it is a growing problem within our public schools and I think
that by attending multicultural and diversity conferences I can learn more that will help me in the
classroom. By attending these conferences I hope to reach my goal as a better educator and a
more knowledgeable one on the topic of segregation.

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References
Abad, N. S., & Sheldon, K. M. (2008). Parental autonomy support and ethnic culture
identification among second-generation immigrants. Journal Of Family
Psychology, 22(4), 652-657. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.3.652

Bachman, J. G., Staff, J., OMalley, P. M., & Freedman-Doan, P. (2013). Adolescent work
intensity, school performance, and substance use: Links vary by race/ethnicity and
socioeconomic status. Developmental Psychology, 49(11), 2125-2134.
doi:10.1037/a0031464

Barni, D., Alfieri, S., Marta, E., & Rosnati, R. (2013). Overall and unique similarities between
parents' values and adolescent or emerging adult children's values. Journal Of
Adolescence, 36(6), 1135-1141. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.09.002

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Benner, A. D., & Graham, S. (2013). The antecedents and consequences of racial/ethnic
discrimination during adolescence: Does the source of discrimination matter?.
Developmental Psychology, 49(8), 1602-1613. doi:10.1037/a0030557

Gutman, L., & Eccles, J. S. (2007). Stage-environment fit during adolescence: Trajectories of
family relations and adolescent outcomes. Developmental Psychology, 43(2), 522537. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.43.2.522
Kran-esen, B. (2012). Analyzing peer pressure and self-efficacy expectations among
adolescents. Social Behavior And Personality, 40(8), 1301-1310.
doi:10.2224/sbp.2012.40.8.1301

Morin, A. S., Maano, C., Marsh, H. W., Nagengast, B., & Janosz, M. (2013). School Life and
Adolescents' Self-Esteem Trajectories. Child Development, 84(6), 1967-1988.
doi:10.1111/cdev.12089

Rowley, S. J., Kurtz-Costes, B., Mistry, R., & Feagans, L. (2007). Social status as a predictor of
race and gender stereotypes in late childhood and early adolescence. Social
Development, 16(1), 150-168. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00376.x

Surez-Orozco, C., Gaytn, F. X., Bang, H., Pakes, J., O'Connor, E., & Rhodes, J. (2010).
Academic trajectories of newcomer immigrant youth. Developmental Psychology,
46(3), 602-618. doi:10.1037/a0018201

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Syed, M., & Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2013). Personality development from adolescence to emerging
adulthood: Linking trajectories of ego development to the family context and
identity formation. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 104(2), 371384. doi:10.1037/a0030070

Tynes,B.M.(2007).Roletakinginonline'classrooms':Whatadolescentsarelearningabout
raceandethnicity.DevelopmentalPsychology,43(6),13121320.
doi:10.1037/00121649.43.6.1312

Walsemann, K. M., & Bell, B. A. (2010). Integrated Schools, Segregated Curriculum: Effects of
Within-School Segregation on Adolescent Health Behaviors and Educational
Aspirations. American Journal Of Public Health, 100(9), 1687-1695.
doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.179424

Yen, C., Yang, P., Wang, P., Lin, H., Liu, T., Wu, Y., & Tang, T. (2014). Association between
school bullying levels/types and mental health problems among taiwanese
adolescents. Comprehensive Psychiatry, doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.06.001

Yip, T. (2014), Ethnic Identity in Everyday Life: The Influence of Identity Development Status.
Child Development, 85: 205219. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12107

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Secondary Education Developmental Standards

Standard 1: Student Development and Diversity
Teachers at the secondary level have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student
development and diversity and demonstrate the ability to provide instruction that is
responsive to student differences and that promotes development and learning for all
students, including:
1.1 major concepts, theories, and processes related to the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional,
physical, and moral development of students in grades 512, and factors in the home, school,
community, and broader environment that influence the development of students at this level
1.2 knowledge of developmental characteristics and developmental variation for students in
grades 512, and the ability to use this knowledge to inform instructional decision making and
promote student success
1.3 typical developmental challenges for students in grades 512 (e.g., in relation to peer
interactions, identity formation, self-esteem, risk taking, and educational decision making), and
the ability to help students address these challenges
1.4 knowledge of types of student diversity (e.g., cultural, economic, and linguistic background;
gender; religion; family structure), and the ability to use this knowledge to promote learning and
development for students with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and needs

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Standard 2: Learning Processes

Teachers at the secondary level have a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning
processes and demonstrate the ability to facilitate student achievement, including:
2.1 knowledge of major theories and concepts related to the learning process, and the ability to
apply this knowledge
2.4 procedures for making instruction rigorous and relevant to students and for linking new
learning to students' experiences and prior knowledge, and the ability to use these procedures to
facilitate student learning
2.5 strategies for promoting students' independent thinking and learning, reflection, and higherorder thinking, and the ability to use these strategies to promote students' growth as learners
2.8 knowledge of how various individual factors (e.g., prior learning and experiences, interests,
talents) and factors in the home, school, and community influence learning processes, and the
ability to use this knowledge to improve teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes
6 Standard 5: Learning Environment
Teachers at the secondary level have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student
learning environments and demonstrate the ability to establish positive, productive, wellmanaged, and safe learning environments for all students, including:
5.1 the ability to apply skills and strategies for creating a safe, healthy, supportive, and inclusive
learning environment that encourages all students' engagement, collaboration, and sense of
belonging
5.2 the ability to apply skills and strategies for establishing a culture of learning that emphasizes
high expectations for all students, promotes self-motivation, and encourages students' sense of
responsibility for their own learning

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5.3 the ability to apply skills and strategies for planning and adapting learning environments that
reflect cultural competency; are responsive to the characteristics, strengths, experiences, and
needs of each student; and promote all students' development and learning
5.4 knowledge of the characteristics and benefits of virtual learning environments, online
environments, face-to-face environments, and hybrid environments, and the ability to work
effectively in different types of environments to ensure student learning and growth
5.5 knowledge of various classroom management approaches, including relationships between
specific management practices and student learning, attitudes, and behaviors, and the ability to
use this knowledge to create an organized and productive learning environment that maximizes
students' time on task; facilitates learning; and encourages student self-regulation, responsibility,
and accountability
5.6 the ability to apply skills and strategies for managing class schedules and transitions and for
organizing the physical environment to maximize student learning time and meet student
learning needs