brianmodelski14-weuhz

By: Brian Modelski

Every first day of school, I get my roster, and I check Infinite Campus. I go through each student, and I check to see if there are any flags present. These flags represent student labels. The students can get flagged as an English Learner (EL), a 504 student, an IEP student, or even a behavioral student. These flags are correlated to the law and help me to identify the accommodations I will need to install in my classroom. 

Though I am thankful for these flags, I often reflect on the dangers of labelling our students and the negative connotations that can be associated with these flags. In sociology, labeling theory is the process of categorizing an individual as a specific “type” (Kim, 2024). In the years past, some of my students reflected on their learning process and have told me that they view themselves as a failure or “not as smart” because they have an IEP or a 504. These labels again are based on the law to provide equity to the student, but the students might get lost in the looking glass. Looking-Glass theory is the idea that students form their own personality and view themselves not in terms of their own point of view, but from the perspective of how others see them (Tiwari et al., 2022). Students are viewing themselves as other students might view them, which could make them feel different since their peers might not be labeled with a “flag”. 

One of the biggest issues of this labeling theory is English Learners. EL students are at times victims of the self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the notion that when people are categorized as a negative “type”, then there is a greater probability that the individual will fulfill that prophecy (Berglund & Sterin, 2025). Oftentimes, I encounter students who have been long-term ELs. At a young age, they were told they were different and given a label that placed them in a class that would provide the proper language and academic support. However, my students informed me they had gotten used to these classes, and for the first couple of years, they would try to exit. After a while, their peers became familiar, and the EL sheltered classroom became comfortable. They worked hard to break out of being labeled as an EL, but soon they realized they couldn’t run away from it. These students accepted their label. 

To combat this labeling theory, I believe schools just need more professional development on student emotion and evaluating the power of positivity. I will write letters of recommendation for my English Learners and express how being an EL is one of the greatest strengths of the students themselves, as they were able to succeed in both the content and in an unfamiliar language. On the other hand, teachers must be careful not to pressure labels. Students labeled as AP or “gifted” might feel remorse if their academic grades do not live up to that label. We are defined by our own actions and not by the words of others.

References:

Berglund, N. R., & Sterin, M. (2025). Do auditors and clients respond to the expected self-fulfilling prophecy effect of going concern opinions? Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148558×251358521. 

Kim, Joonggon  (2024). Unveiling the developmental dynamics of labeling theory: within-Individual effects of perceived informal labeling on deviant self-concept in the Korean Context. Child & Youth Care Forum, 53(6), 1271–1289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-024-09798-5. 

Tiwari, M., Narula, S., & Mathur, G. (2022). Looking‐glass‐self: Tale of happiness, self‐esteem, and satisfaction with life among transgender from Kinner community. Journal of Public Affairs (14723891), 22(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2519.