How can understanding demographics help us better understand teaching and learning?

During the last year I have been trying my hardest to understand teaching and learning. I have taken classes and studied examples only to find out that this process that I have been enduring since I can remember is actually a lot more complicated than I had ever imagined. I feel that as an educator in order to really understand and teach your students, you should have a grasp on the demographics of that particular group of students, as well as the surrounding area.

This type of information is beneficial in helping you distinguish an idea of what to except when you walk into a classroom, as well as possible the neighborhood you will be spending a lot of time in. If you take this into consideration it can help you better understand the different backgrounds that your students are coming from which will help you understand the way you will have to teach these children. By this I mean, if you are dealing with students that have come from a poverty stricken neighborhood, the demographics will help to understand this. Information like this can prepare the teacher by giving him/her an understanding of ways to teach these children. They may need extra help in certain areas, so going into a situation with background knowledge of your students is helpful.

Demographics and understanding learning is a bit of harder subject. I feel that learning will take place either way but if you know demographics you can better equipped yourself to understand the way that you students will need to learn. For example if you have children coming from diverse backgrounds you can try group activities to get them acquainted with each other and things of that nature.

Although I do believe that demographics are helpful as a teacher, I also fear that they could make a new teacher skeptical, which I think could be potentially harmful to the students. The statistical data that demographics provide can be helpful as long as it is not used to create a stereotype against students, because regardless of the background of a student or town, everyone deserves a fair chance learning.