Socialization Blog

After viewing Jane Elliots Blue-eyed Brown-eyed experiment, it was

clear to me how much power is given when value is given to
minimal cues of differences. This value in differences led to acts of
discrimination within her third grade class. What amazed me was
how something so simple like the difference in eye color caused
students to go from good students to kids who displayed hatred for
kids with brown or blue eyes. As students began to turn on one
another the roles were then reversed giving power to the students
who previously had none. What astonished me was that when the
roles were revised there was no reconciliation from those who were
once inferior. Instead, the students retaliated against those who
treated them horribly the day before. It was clear to me that when
there is an emphasis on certain characteristics students will
succumb to them fulfilling the prophecy you as a teacher have set
out for them. What I was able to take away from this was how much
of an influence we can be within our classroom and with our
students. It is important to celebrate the neurodiversity of each
student and accept their differences with open arms.