Diversity

 

 

Effective teachers respect and possess knowledge of diversity in its

many forms and know how to use this competence to develop

relationships, instruction, schools, classrooms, communities and

experiences that help all students achieve to their fullest potential

and function effectively and respectfully in a diverse world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Who are you?” At a young age, the answer to this question may appear simplistic. We respond with the name we were given at birth. As we age, who we are and what we represent becomes increasingly more complex.  Every experience we have is incorporated into a personal history that shapes how we perceive the world. As teachers, we must never forget that the children whom we teach probably come from a wide variety of social, ethnic, racial and economic backgrounds that have contributed to their own personal histories. We can never make blanket assumptions that apply to one and all.  It is incumbent upon each educator to make the effort to know and understand each child to make any student feel at home within the walls of our classroom. Intellectual and emotional “safety” (for lack of a better word) from peers and teachers can greatly influence the learning process for a child. If a child is not comfortable taking academic risks within the classroom environment, his or her social or cognitive growth will be adversely affected.

 

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend a semester abroad in Sweden studying multicultural education. I worked with students from Iranian, Romanian and African refugee camps, all of whom fled to Sweden in search of a better life. Many had been separated from their parents and other family members during this process. They had not only been separated from family, but from their culture and everything that was familiar to them. My interactions with these students were unique experiences; after all, I, too, was in a foreign culture, far away from my own family and friends. Through workshops with multicultural education professors and interviews with these students, it was evident that learning could not commence until safety was in place. Some students had witnessed tragic scenes of war and of family members who were violently beaten before their eyes. These students were afraid to express their cultural history in a world so foreign to them. Teachers of elementary students worked through art to learn about their history: students would draw pictures to represent their past and what they’ve seen. The results were both heartbreaking and eye-opening.

 

We all have a history. These experiences shape our perception of the world, our interactions with people, and how we approach challenges and obstacles. Our students are no different. Science is no different. Two scientists can view the same results of raw data, yet arrive at different conclusions due to differences in experiences and cultural persepectives. Our cultural identity is a large part of who we are as people. On the secondary level, adolescents struggle to find where they fit in high school. If they are cultural straddlers, this might add yet another degree of uncertainty as to how they choose to define themselves.

            

In my classroom, I work with my students to create shared experiences as a means of creating a more cohesive atmosphere. Science should be an ongoing puzzle, an investigation that never exhausts all questions. In order to engage a large classroom of diverse learners (in learning styles, special needs, culture, gender identification and historical past), creating shared experiences levels the playing field so that everyone will have an opportunity to contribute. Shared experiences set the stage for an enhanced sense of safety and a more relaxed learning environment. It is imperative for me, as their educator, to make certain my students feel safe to question, voice opinions, and respect the thoughts and ideas of others. These are imperative skills— not only for my classroom, but for their subsequent success as individuals in a challenging world.

          

My teaching experiences have spanned the multicultural schools of Sweden, to the rural communities of Upstate New York, to the urban schools of Harlem. I have worked hard at each placement by responding to the needs of my students, first and foremost. Every school, even if deemed by statistics as “homogenous”, is diverse. No two students will share the same prior learning experiences and opinions. Because of this, I consistently incorporate multiple methodologies throughout my lessons. You can expect to see students reading, analyzing informative videos, conducting scientific experiments, and working in groups. The world is not a static place—and neither is my classroom.

           

I feel very fortunate to have traveled extensively in my lifetime. These experiences, just like those of my students, continue to shape my interactions and perceptions of the people I meet and color how I embrace and view the world around me. Diversity, especially within a classroom, enriches every conversation, perspective, and analysis that is discussed. One of the greatest mistakes an educator can make is to assume that every child shares the same world view as his or her teacher. By giving these children a voice (as well as a safe place to speak their views), education can go both ways, for we, as teachers, have as much to learn from them, as they do from us.

           

All we have to do is listen.

 

Artifact 2.  Cornell University, Multicultural Education, EDUC3405 Final Paper

 

 

 

 

 

 

This final project, (for a multicultural education course at Conell University), highlighted the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy. I wrote this speech to highlight the importance of student backgrounds in an educational system that has the tendency to overlook them. This paper was written in May, 2012; however, the ideas that are interwoven throughout continue to influence and shape my practice. Researchers Sonia Nieto and Gloria Ladson-Billings have greatly impacted my pedagogical methods to become a more effective culturally responsive educator. Both of my student teaching placements were in distinct communities--rural and suburban. Understanding student life, and therefore home life, has provided me with the perspective needed to reach my students.