The Impact Of Social Identity On Education

I realized that accepting differences and valuing diversity is what helps me become a more dynamic and flexible as a future teacher. Especially when it comes to teach a diverse classroom, recognizing pluralism and divergent perspectives on educating students is the foundation of designing effective lessons and instructional practices for diverse students. (CSU San Marcos, 2017, p.4) If a child has a hard time to show his or her real identity, it will be misleading for teachers to design an appropriate instructional activates. The refusal to acknowledge differences often results in schools and teachers labeling children’s behaviors as “deficient” ( Nieto& Bode, 2008) I think my experience and my diverse

Currently, general education classrooms have increasingly become diverse with both disable students and students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In order for educators to ensure that they effectively teach these classrooms, meet the needs of each student both successfully and individually, effective research that is based on strategies need to be implemented. The U.S. Department of Education suggest that, the current school-age population is becoming more diverse as time passes, yet, majority of the teachers in these schools are white non-Hispanic women. According to another report by The Condition of Education in 2006, American schools are portraying increased diversity and growth. The report suggested that, forty two percent of students in public schools were ethnic or racial minorities in the year 2003; this increased from twenty two percent since 1972. Owing to these reasons, teachers in these schools are expected to educate a diversified class of students including those that come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Teachers are therefore, required to implement a number of key strategies that will ensure that every student in specific classroom feels that he or she belongs there (Worrell, 2010).

Classrooms are becoming more diverse than they were several decades ago because so many people are migrating from their country of origin to seek for better living opportunities, in search of a safe place and because the United States of America is a super power. Therefore political, economic, and social-cultural reasons are the causes of migration which results in families remaining in the country causing classrooms today to be more diverse than they were decades ago thereby rapidly changing the demography of the United States and its classroom (Vacca et al, 2014, p. 62). To confirm this point for instance, at my school, there are a total of 354 students and the percentage of Hispanics: 41.5%, Blacks: 40.1%, Whites: 13.6%, Multicultural: 3.7%, other: 1.2%, Asians: 0.9%. Students from these different cultural backgrounds have different values, attitudes and experiences.

America now is a very culturally diverse nation; most of the minority and immigrant population lives in cities, which indicates that the public school classrooms in urban areas are full of versatile cultural identities. According to the 2000 Census record, minority and immigrant populations has grown in increasing numbers, and most of those people live in urban areas and attend public high schools; also, the level of residential segregation still remains as high as in 1990, which proposes new problems for immigrants and minorities. Monocultural schools are very rare and the global society is very multicultural; it is very logical to prepare students in schools to enter this diverse society (Le Roux 48). Teachers are largely responsible

America’s schools are challenged to meet the academic and interpersonal needs of all students regardless of culture, race, or ethnic background. Hawley and Nieto (2010) claim that race and ethnicity significantly impacts students’ learning in their article, “Another Inconvenient Truth: Race and Ethnicity” (p. 66). They contended that educators should be “race and ethnicity -responsive” to effectively understand the challenges students from diverse races and cultures face (Hawley & Nieto, 2010, p. 66). Moreover, the article noted that schools should have practices in place that promote an inclusive, supportive, and enriching learning environment for all students including students from different races and ethnicities.

However previous to this discussion the classroom was a learning environment that was systematically equipped to assimilate. We as students fell into the curriculum but often times had difficulty identifying with the material presented. Essentially, the presence of diversity is useless if we do not dig deeper into each culture represented. Equally important, is the significance of each culture finding themselves within the curriculum. When topics such as racial tensions in America are presented in the classroom individuals from different cultural backgrounds and walks of life are not only present but seen vividly throughout the courses of society. This transition from a homogenous community to an imagined community can at times be

The topic of “race”, is one that Americans have to confront every single day, whether we choose to consciously acknowledge it or not. As an aspiring educator, I am aware that I will encounter many situations regarding as race and be on the frontlines of the issue. It is important to know that there are credible and reliable resources out there to gain insight, and guidance, on something that is so crucial to youth of Americans. I say this because educators are on the front lines of this issue. While many parents are working eight hours a day, their children are not just learning how to properly, add or subtract, read and write, or the history of the human race; they are learning how to “fit” into society, what makes them unique and special,

My findings can be useful to implement new social policies to create a more diverse educational classroom setting. In the beginning of the year, school administration may not focus on the racial diversity in a classroom when choosing classes, but I believe this should also be another factor when dividing students, to create an equal diverse classroom. While creating diverse classrooms will aid in the ethnic knowledge of children, organizing school-wide ethnic cultural celebrations can also help expand and introduce different cultures and ethnicities to children who may not otherwise be introduced to a different ethnicity and race, other than the ones they are surrounded with. In relation to personal experience, I grew up in a social setting where my ethnicity was the majority, but when I started college at Dominican University, I was sectored as a minority since most students were white, but I was not affected by this cultural shock as I had a close connection to my ethnic roots and did not let the change of environment affect me. Growing up in an environment where you are the majority, but then radically being introduced to an environment where you become the minority can easily affect the cognitive state of a person, if that person was not well-prepared

No matter the grade level, discussing and acknowledging diversity can be one of the most beneficial experiences a student has within the classroom. Not only does it force them to address who they are as individuals, but it also brings forth curiosity for education based topics such as history and literature. However, when speaking with a classroom (especially a classroom of young students), diverse subject matter requires a careful and thoughtful approach. Examples of this approach, as well as proper facilitation, are both outlined by Barbra C. Cruz in her article, The Problem We Still Live With (2015).

I observed the 2nd-grade general classroom from the Navy Elementary School. Throughout of the observation, the classroom was very diverse, and the teacher had to work with each of diverse students within the lessons. In the United States, the schools are becoming increasingly diverse. Many teachers find the diversity and exceptional learners in their classrooms by English language Learners, special education and the students who are culturally diverse. Due to diverse learners, giving an appropriate instruction to students is very important. Based o what the students receive from the teacher, individual students will accomplish their tasks and perform academic success

Diversity incorporates different races, religions, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. It is the understanding that every individual is unique. The real world has a variety of different races, genders and cultures. According to data collected in 2010, there has been five U.S. States where the population is considered a majority-minority (U.S Census Bureau). The United States is leading to a more diverse future that is why it is so vital for people to learn to respect and tolerate different cultures and religions. Schools play a big part in embracing and introducing diversity to learning children. For this reason, I believe diversity in education should be supported by school administration and understood by children.

Our schools are full of a variety of children who are diverse in their own ways. What comes to mind when you hear the word diversity within schools? Many people think of race or culture, but diversity in our schools is more than that. Diversity can include race, religion, culture, and even learning styles in a classroom. In the past classrooms where not that diverse consisting of white protestant students. Currently diversity in classrooms is on the rise big time. Today’s classrooms are more effective in diversity, learning styles, and influences than past years.

As I was exploring the North Shore Elementary School (NSE) it dawned to me how truly divers the campus is. At NSE there are different ethnicities including African American, Hispanic, white, American Indian, and Asian. With students having such a rich and diverse cultures it is necessary that there are teachers present to help foster collaboration and community. There are also students with varying socio-economic status. Students also differ in the languages they use at home and school.

The three most pressing diversity issues in an educational setting or schools today are the race/ethnic background of a child affecting his or her education opportunities, professional development opportunity to train teachers on diversity, and allowing access to rich and rigorous curriculum and content aligned to the standards regardless of a student’s diversity. Each of these has impacted my school. The school I work for has taken step or set up new procedures to reduce the effects of these issues on our staff, teachers, students, and

Nowadays, teachers must learn to deal with and address the growing diversity in the classroom. According to Hoover (2017), diversity is defined to mean including individuals with observable differences (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender) as well as including individuals with less subtle internal differences (e.g., sexual identity, religious beliefs, personality traits). Diversity in the classroom is important because it contributes to childhood development and prepares students for the future. The benefits produced by diversity in the classroom include: a greater sense of belonging, student growth, career