The Importance Of Diversity In The Classroom

Matthew Lynch is the author of “4 Reasons Why Classrooms Need Diversity Education”, his article addresses four key reasons that children need to be a part of a diverse classroom. Lynch states that to insure that all students get equal treatment by giving them equal chances to

As an inspired teacher of secondary education /special education, one of the ideas that most appealed to me was working with students of various ages and learning abilities. I’ve come to realize even more so now with the changing demographics in U.S. schools that we are becoming a very diverse population. Within my classroom student’s differences may consist of their academic level, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs, and the list goes on. Hence, in today’s classroom as a teacher it is important that I embrace, model the attitude to my students, and make positive use of diversity. When educators value diversity, we recognize and respect the fact that people are different and that these differences are generally a good thing. For example, when attempting to solve a problem, it is better to assemble a diverse team with many skills and many different ways of approaching the problem than it is to assemble a team that has all their strength concentrated in one area. If a student feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or not respected, then their chances of success in my class dramatically decrease. Therefore, as an educator I must provide students with an environment that is conducive to learning. I have a number of roles in my classroom; valuing diversity is one of the most important ones a teacher must fill.

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

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.

Jonathan Kozol, a Harvard University scholar, witnessed the travesty of racial segregation within the inner city public educational system. After many years of teaching and exposure to substandard classrooms with dilapidated furniture, a shortage of materials to engage a pupil’s mind and a disproportionate diversity ratio, he could no longer tolerate the conditions in which he was surrounded. Kozol’s frustration compelled him to become a staunch advocate for disadvantaged children so that they might receive equal rights to a quality education.

Miss Amber1 opened the classroom doors 15 minutes before the morning siren sounded. When the students entered the teacher addressed each child with a cheerful and welcoming greeting which started the day on a positive note. Also, if necessary the teacher would have discussions with the parents individually so that they were aware of what has been going on in the classroom and to let parents be aware of if students have been misbehaving or making progress in regard to their individual language development. Some students had a casual conversation with Miss Amber which created a positive environment when coming to school.

Teachers should understand the diversity spectrum that is in a classroom; there are cultures, races, languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds in classroom during the 21st century educational realm. Students need to acknowledge student’s diverse background specially when they arrive late in the school year.

Being a woman of color means I am inevitably silenced by the superior white male, yet being an activist eliminates my voice by the majority in all forms. My first year of college has been interesting, to say the very least. I’ve grown accustomed to the distinct differences and surprising similarities between myself and the hundreds, maybe thousands, of other students on campus, which I wasn’t familiar with among the fifty-two people in my high school graduating class.

This 1st grade math class has a diverse population of learners. Some were above grade skill knowledge, some were on grade level, some were below grade level and one had a learning disability in math. To help with this diverse group of learners, there were different instructional methods used: Team teaching/Whole group, Alternative teaching/small group. During whole group instruction, the concept was modeled and explained clearly. Whole group instruction allows the students to learn from their peers through their questions and answers. The class was divided into groups to practice the skill as well. I understood that I needed to closely observe my IEP students and a few more to make sure that they had an understanding of the skills. Small group

Race, religion, culture, language, and disability are a few of the many forms of diversity that we see in classrooms around us. Diversity, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is “the condition or quality of being diverse, different, or varied; difference, unlikeness” (OED, n.3.d.). Each student in the classroom is going to have varied abilities, needs, and interests. As the teacher, he or she will utilize multiple teaching methods in order to meet the needs of every individual in the classroom. Some faculty has reported that teachers are failing to make little or no changes in their classroom operations to handle issues concerning diversity (Pasque, Chesler, Charbeneau, & Carlson, 2013, p. 1). By following guidelines to accommodate each student in the classroom, it is imperative that the teacher designates different abilities, interests, and tasks to help the students succeed and achieve their goals.

The thought I have about teaching in a diversity classroom. Is it going to be a big challenging? Challenging in a classroom I see and deal with on an everyday basis sometimes but, dealing with a diversity classroom I have no idea. I believe in treating each of my students fair with unique strengths. I will like to create an open classroom that can value the experiences and perspectives of all students.

1. In the case study, diversity is portrayed through socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, work preferences, intellect, disabilities, student reading levels, prior knowledge, and if the students are analyzers or non-analyzers. The diversity that Abe is able to recognize socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, work preferences, intellect, and partially disabilities. On the other hand, he does not recognize diversity when it relates to student reading levels, prior knowledge, and if the students are analyzers or non-analyzers. 5.

Philosophies and practices that revolve in the home environment influence the learning capacities of young children. The factors that contribute include the social, cultural and economic. It is important for the family to collaborate these factors so as to enhance the knowledge of toddlers with special needs. The formation of their habits, cognition, emotions, communication and movement can be home trained by parents or other family members. Learning and development of young ones are centered by their families practice. Professional engagement enables to increase their ability and knowledge. Families require understanding the necessary support to assist in the education progress.

As of July 1, 2011, there are 36, 708, 083 people in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2017a). 1.2% higher than the population last year, which was 36, 264, 604 people of all ages and both sexes (Statistics Canada, 2017b). The growth of population in Canada, which in this case powered largely by immigration, increases not only the human capital, but the diversity in every province as well. Hence, as diversity expands, there is also a rampant growth in religion. In 2011, there are 108 religions observed in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2011) - Christianity, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu – to name a few. These demographics have connotations on how diversity in school is also evident.

One of the many beauties of being an educator is having the ability to appreciate the diversity of students and staff members you come in contact with. Espisito and Baez (2008) state “All bodies are marked by race, class, gender, and sexuality, as well as a host of other markings” (p. 120). Acknowledging the fact that there is something to learn from everyone’s markers you connect with is key when engaging with people that are different. In a test-driven educational society, it is hard to focus on anything other than improving test scores or increasing graduation rate or making Palmetto Gold. We often forget that our most significant reason for being in the field of education is the student. When asked the question “What do you teach?” how many educators actually respond by saying “Students!” The readings this week really stood out to me as they spoke to my own personal religious beliefs and values. The oppression that some of our students face as a result of the educational system or the communities in which they live, negates the purpose of our chosen career. Being an educator means that we welcome each individual’s strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, values, physical features, etc. because those differences are what makes our schools unique.