Chapter 2: Exploring Diversity In The Classroom

Diversity is something described between the differences of two individuals. Diversity means that all individuals showed be respected and valued, therefore you must be aware of the individual’s differences and must not barricade the way they have been cared for. It is you knowing and looking after an individual with full understanding of the difference in their personal characteristics. It is also when you encourage those differences and use them in different cohesive communities and in an effective work force. It is important that you recognise that each

Diversity is about recognising, valuing and taking account of people's different backgrounds, knowledge, skills, and experiences, and encouraging and using those differences to create a productive and effective educational community and workforce.

Poverty is a serious issue which our society and children faces every day. It is a constant struggle that shouldn’t be ignored. UNICEF states “The study of OECD countries in 2007, over fourteen percent of Australian children under the age of eighteen are currently living in households who are defined as poor or with incomes less than half of the median national income”. The increase in the number and percentage of children living in poverty within our society has contributed to making today's classrooms more diverse than ever it has been. This highlights and makes both teaching and learning more challenging. Diversity exists in the students who are living in poverty and the education assistant and teachers must provide the concept of diversity

Diversity means differences and variations, within in people for example different races, beliefs, physical appearances, age, capabilities, customs and gender and class.

What is Diversity? Diversity is the existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society. A great example of diversity is the International House at Jacksonville State University. Where 23 different nationalities, including the United States, live in a house and share day to day experiences and exchange cultures. Living at the international house is a great experience to mature and learn about the world. Diversity is a really strong word, it can be scary at first to experience it, but it actually fills you up with more knowledge than anyone. A person that has experienced diversity in any way has more chances to grow big and succeed in life. This is the people that think outside the box.

I believe that diversity is about embracing the differences that we all share as people and respecting the uniqueness that makes us who we are. Although some people may share many differences we need to respect and value them as an individual. Diversity within a classroom begins with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, a students most basic needs such as being in a safe welcoming environment need to be met before they can begin participate in the class room. This is why a diverse classroom allows all students to have a sense of belonging so they can embrace the rich individuality of each student (“Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,”n.d.).

Diversity means variety. It is the union of people with different backgrounds. These backgrounds can be composed of ethnicities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses, but also experiences, political beliefs, and physical or mental

Within the core of many educational institutions, diversity is a commercial tacit. While every institution cannot offer the same kind of diversity, the endorsement of such exists through various definitions. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges define diversity through the various classes: race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and age (“Statement on Diversity”)

Students have their own best way in effectively learning the lesson. With the diversity of students, the problem is each student has a preferred learning style. It becomes undeniably one of the reasons that make it difficult to achieve the best expected outcome out of teachers’ effort. However, teachers try to incorporate various teaching techniques to make every learning opportunity become productive, meaningful, and relevant for the learners.

Diversity is the complete range of differences and similarities that make each individual unique. According to a study conducted by Korn Ferry International, it classifies diversity into six buckets as below.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, diversity is the condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization. Growing up in southwest Atlanta, it was rare for me to experience a diverse culture. Everyone surrounding me was the same: a black child attending public school. Low standards brought lower test scores. With little to no academic expectations from the school board, it was difficult for students like myself to be motivated to than achieve more than mediocre. However, I refused to be another statistic. I refused to let myself slip through a school system that could not care less about me. This influenced me to not only encourage myself to aspire

As a child, I never liked the word "diversity". I always wanted to be apart of the majority and thought that being diverse as a child was "not cool". Back then; I believed that diversity was in regards to only your origin. Throughout elementary and middle school, I was always trying to be something I was not

Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students gaining a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably than a judgmental and prejudiced view.

Diversity in a classroom simply means recognizing all the students are unique in their own way. These differences could consist of their talents, cultural background, personality and religious beliefs. In our society it is very important to embrace this and make positive use of it. In this a classroom we have three groups.

Standard #1: Throughout the entire semester I realized how different each student learns and develops at different paces. When teaching my lesson plans or doing an activity with a student I would always have to gauge how I was going to work with each student because everyone works differently. Some learners are visual, some are hands on etc. So when I sat down to work on something with a student I would keep in mind their learning style and their ability. For example, some students were reading full length chapter books while other students were beginning to read intro chapter books. I think understanding the way a student learns is crucial in effective teaching and best practices.