Chapter 6: Affect and Resilience in Urban Females: An Emerging Paradigm

The standards-based reform that has swept the country has served to reach students in the cognitive domain. However, as a result, teaching in the affective domain has been put out of reach for many students, particularly those in high-risk urban centers. In particular, females, who have an inclination toward the affect, are being left out of this effective teaching practice. This chapter attempts to codify why teaching in the affect is so important and what 21st century skills are required for students to succeed in society. Further, this chapter will examine the role of teachers and administrators in cultivating another important characteristic: resilience. Hoerr (2012) suggests one way to achieve this is to have students learn what adversity is in life. The authors of this chapter posit that females in urban settings experience adversity in everyday life, and it is up to teachers and administrators to harness that adversity into a productive character trait, such as resilience.