The importance of diversity in the classroom

Unfortunately there are no universal solutions for responding to race, gender, socioeconomic class, religion, sexuality, disabilities, religion, and cultural diversity in the classroom. However, I do believe that it is important to treat each student as an individual, and respect each student for who he or she is. One step in assisting children in having a positive feeling about racial and cultural identity is by displaying diversity in the classroom setting. For example, at one time I worked in a child developmemt center that contained only white dolls and books reflecting one religious view. Children will notice when the only dolls there are to play with are not similar to their own appearance, which does not help children of color feel good about themselves. Books, toys, and images that relect physical, racial, and cultural diversity help all children feel positive about their differences; therefore, I will make it a personal goal of mine to remove materials and visuals that promote sterotypes and replace them with images of the children’s families in my classroom. If the group of student’s that I am teaching is not cultural diverse, I will display images of diversity from the community, different nations, or U.S. society.

Another experience that I had while volunteering in a first grade classroom demonstrated how the teacher was using the month of December to discuess Hanukkah. It was great to teach the children another religious view, but what a great opportunity it could have been to ask all the children in the classroom about their holiday traditions. This experience got me thinking how I would have done it differently if I could have taught the lesson. Charting the children’s response to their holiday practices whould show how different cultures express similar ideas. Furthermore, this idea could be expanded with a variety of topics; such as, the celebration of birthdays in other families, how love or time is demonastrated, the different names that are used for particular family members (grandparents, siblings, parents, ect.), or common music and dances from other cultures.

These are just a few examples of how flexible teachers must be in order to implement practices that efficiently meet the needs of each student to ensure personal and academic success.