Responding to Diversity
Responding to Diversity
“Schools and teachers must celebrate diversity; they must educate all students to their full potential regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, national origin, or membership in any other category.” (Morrison, 32) Diversity aims to recognize, respect and value people's differences to contribute and realize their full potential by promoting and inclusive culture for all staff and students. In dealing with diversity, it is important as future educators to be responsive to the needs of our students. We must establish a classroom atmosphere which reflects the diverse society here in the United States. “The United States still has a long way to go in establishing equity within public schools.” (Morrison, 115) Each student in our classroom is unique and that individuality needs to be reflected on the walls of the classroom. As each child has their own background, we must encourage them to share it with the class, free from ridicule or admonishment. This can be incorporated into many curricula such as history, english and math. A history lesson unique to individual backgrounds can be taught throughout the school year. Posters and projects can be created by students as they study their heritage. In order to learn about other students from different backgrounds, they can interview one another and find out more about the students with whom they share a not only a classroom, but likely a table. No matter their socioeconomic or other background, diversity can be overcome in the classroom while, I believe, helping students to really learn and understand more about one another. My hope as a teacher would be for this to potentially lead to the playground where diverse groups of students of different backgrounds, races, religions and cultures can interact with one another and no longer remain within their own individual “groups” consisting of the same race, ethnicity or gender. All too often,
“Schools and teachers must celebrate diversity; they must educate all students to their full potential regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, national origin, or membership in any other category.” (Morrison, 32) Diversity aims to recognize, respect and value people's differences to contribute and realize their full potential by promoting and inclusive culture for all staff and students. In dealing with diversity, it is important as future educators to be responsive to the needs of our students. We must establish a classroom atmosphere which reflects the diverse society here in the United States. “The United States still has a long way to go in establishing equity within public schools.” (Morrison, 115) Each student in our classroom is unique and that individuality needs to be reflected on the walls of the classroom. As each child has their own background, we must encourage them to share it with the class, free from ridicule or admonishment. This can be incorporated into many curricula such as history, english and math. A history lesson unique to individual backgrounds can be taught throughout the school year. Posters and projects can be created by students as they study their heritage. In order to learn about other students from different backgrounds, they can interview one another and find out more about the students with whom they share a not only a classroom, but likely a table. No matter their socioeconomic or other background, diversity can be overcome in the classroom while, I believe, helping students to really learn and understand more about one another. My hope as a teacher would be for this to potentially lead to the playground where diverse groups of students of different backgrounds, races, religions and cultures can interact with one another and no longer remain within their own individual “groups” consisting of the same race, ethnicity or gender. All too often,