Quiz: Belonging Uncertainty and Its Consequences
In any given classroom, students arrive with a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences that shape how they interpret day-to-day events. As a result, different situations will impact each students’ belonging-related interpretation process differently. It’s important to note, however, that the consequences of non-belonging often look similar: lower engagement, heightened anxiety, and lower performance. And these consequences can occur even if the student isn’t fully aware of their anxiety.
Below, match the student experience to its corresponding consequence listed in the right columnat the bottom of the page. Fill in your guesses and see how many you got right.
Experience
I'm a Black student at a school where most of my teachers are White, and I’m not sure if the critical feedback I get on my essay is a sign that my teacher wants me to improve, or if it’s a sign that she shares a racial bias that I know exists in our society. |
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I am a White athlete and I worry that I might confirm a stereotype that white men aren’t naturally athletic. |
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I am a Spanish and English-speaking student in an English-speaking school and I worry that people will think I can’t speak English or that I’m not smart when they hear my accent. |
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I am a woman in a math course. I worry that other people think women aren’t very good at math, so I really want to perform well on my first test. |
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I’m a student of color at a majority white school, and I worry that I don’t really fit in with my peers. |
Consequence
(A): I worry so much about it that I’m distracted during my game and miss my jumpshot.
(B): I worry that I might not be treated fairly by my teacher, so I don't do the revisions.
(C): I worry so much about it that I can’t focus on the test and I fail it. I start to think that I don’t belong in a math career.
(D): I worry so much that I start feeling unsure about what to make of certain events, like not getting invited to a party, even though I didn’t know the person very well. I start to feel disconnected and unengaged at school.
(E): I worry so much about my accent, that I stop speaking up and participating in class.