Diversity In Classroom

With societies ever increasing diversity, it is very important that educators understand their student’s cultures and implement strategies that create an inclusive learning environment. Throughout my studies I have learned about many different elements of diversity that can exist in my classroom, which have made me aware of areas that I still need some improvement on. As a future teacher my goal is to educate my students about different cultures and lifestyles to extinguish negative perceptions of others. One element of diversity is race. Every race has a different understanding of how people of color are treated in our society, but teachers must not have a singular perception. “When white teachers are unable to acknowledge the discrimination …show more content…
Teachers have a very influential role in society and can combat harmful results of stereotyping by teaching students acceptance and equality. In my understanding of diversity, gender is not confined to specific criteria and it should not be an excuse for judgment or negative behavior. A boy who likes to dance, sing, and play with the girls at recess may be considered outside of the “norm,” but that should not dismiss his rights to equality. In my future classroom I will make students aware that our classroom is a place that is free of harassment and bullying. I will be more aware of biases such as how I treat boys versus girls. Emphasizing the fact the world has endless possibilities for each and every person is very important because many children are raised to believe that they must stay confined to their gender …show more content…
When a teacher supports multicultural education to the fullest extent they are demonstrating respect and care for all of their students. By acknowledging the differences in the classroom the teacher can decide the appropriate teaching methods that challenge the students. “Caring teachers don’t give up on their students. They understand why students may not feel well on some days or may be having a difficult time outside of school. Nevertheless, these teachers do not accept failure” (Gollnick & Chinn, 2013, p. 363). This quote highlights that while it is important to be aware of the student’s obstacles the teacher should not let them become excuses to achieve less. This may be a concept that I struggle with when I become a teacher. I try to imagine how I would treat a student that was living in poverty and lacked an adequate diet and sleep. I would need to ensure that this knowledge would not affect the way that I treat students. In these situations I can see why it may be hard for teachers to set aside their emotions and hold high expectations for all children regardless of