STIGMAS, LABELS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL TRAJECTORIES IN PRE-SCHOOL

Abstract

The article analyzes the pedagogical perceptions, expectations and interaction established in two
preschool classes in the Municipal Public Education of Rio de Janeiro (Rede Municipal de Educação do Rio
de Janeiro). The objective is demonstrating and analyzing the perceptions and expectations that teachers put upon children, their variations and the relationship between these perceptions and the social construction of school trajectories. The chosen methodology includes ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with the leading teachers. The study shows that teachers do not perceive children equally, which led us to dividing them, in analytical terms, into three groups of students: those who are perceived positively, negatively and those who receive mixed perceptions. We indicate that such perceptions guide the teacher’s actions focused on the class and on labelled or stigmatized children in particular.