Positive And Negative Effects Of Labeling In Schools

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, labeling can best be defined as “a word or phrase that describes or identifies something or someone.” (Merriam-Webster, 2014). If we look at the world we live in today, we see that labels are very influential in our everyday lives. We see labels on the food we eat, the shoes we wear, and these labels help us know what to expect of a particular thing. However, labels are also used to describe people especially adolescents, and these labels though maybe thought as harmless, can affect a children positively and or negatively.
When we look specifically at the labeling towards students, we see an enormous list of labels used daily in the educational system. Although, there are three that I think really

I think that labels can have a positive and or negative affect especially on students with developmental disabilities. I feel that one positive affect of placing labels on students would be, that it allows teachers to understand each particular student better so that they can teach them at a more adequate level. However as it states in Special Education in Contemporary Society, “ Labels can be stigmatizing and may lead to stereotyping” (Gargiulo, 2012, pg.12). I conceive that stereotyping can be a huge negative influence of labeling students. I think it can be a lead way for other students to badger or bully them because of their specific

I do believe that some teachers do in fact criticize a student based on their label, and the consequences for that reflect in the child’s progress in their class. Take for instance if a child was labeled as lazy, and the student failed to turn homework in, and instead of asking if the student needed help understanding the work, they just looked the other way and let the student fail instead of trying to help motivate them. I honestly think Karl Subban said it best when he stated, “the problem is when in the school environment, is when we start teaching the label, instead of the child”(The Pros & Cons, 2010). I feel this is exactly right, teachers should teach the students not the label each student has. Yes, labels are beneficial at times, however a teacher shouldn’t base his or her expectations for any particular student based on that