Diversity is all around us; any where we go, there are individuals who come from different backgrounds and have their own way of living and learning. Working in a school, we have to be expected to teach, learn, and converse with others who have different beliefs than us, looks, and/or lifestyles. As teachers we have to be prepared for anything such as those who are enculturated, assimilated, or acculturated (Coleman, 2013, p. 154). Students may differ not only from where they come from but also in behavior, learning style, motivation, etc. Before doing anything, it is crucial to be sure to know our students and where they come from and then from there, we can incorporate activities to be sure to benefit all students and their learning needs.
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Every student learns differently no matter their race, knowledge, or culture. Teachers need to make sure to include strategies, activities and books that will benefit all the students in the classroom. I have had some experience with diversity in the past and especially this year. In the kindergarten class that I am working in, there are many students from African American and Indian backgrounds. There is also a student who has two mothers as parents and students who are adopted. One student who is now adopted was also part of a foster family which is “a household in which a child is a temporary member, with formal or informal guardianship passed to the new family” (Deman-Sparks & Edwards, 2013, p xii). She has recently been adopted from foster care so her home now is very new to her. It is important for the teacher to have known each students background before the school year begins in order to be sure not to offend or insult anyone and to completely understand where they come from; this will help her as a teacher to teach more effectively. It was a great experience to have met the families and students before the school year began because this gave us the chance to see and become aware of the different types of backgrounds and learning …show more content…
According to the text, “a culturally responsive teacher means being able to appreciate, understand, and work with children and families from different cultures” (Coleman, 2013, p. 177). In order to do so, we will need to learn more about them and where they come from and this can be done by research, or by simply asking them questions or meeting with their families. I think that books are a great way to start a conversation and allow the students to relate to others. When relating to a book or to others in the class, the students will become more comfortable and proud of who they are. Speaking about different backgrounds allows the students to see how everyone is unique and how we all have something special about us. I also believe in order to become a culturally responsive teacher, it is helpful to “become familiar with basic communication patterns” and ask the parents about their child and seeing how they are at home (Coleman, 2013, p 177). This way, the teacher can use that information to come up with different strategies to help that student effectively learn and cope in the
Every student learns differently no matter their race, knowledge, or culture. Teachers need to make sure to include strategies, activities and books that will benefit all the students in the classroom. I have had some experience with diversity in the past and especially this year. In the kindergarten class that I am working in, there are many students from African American and Indian backgrounds. There is also a student who has two mothers as parents and students who are adopted. One student who is now adopted was also part of a foster family which is “a household in which a child is a temporary member, with formal or informal guardianship passed to the new family” (Deman-Sparks & Edwards, 2013, p xii). She has recently been adopted from foster care so her home now is very new to her. It is important for the teacher to have known each students background before the school year begins in order to be sure not to offend or insult anyone and to completely understand where they come from; this will help her as a teacher to teach more effectively. It was a great experience to have met the families and students before the school year began because this gave us the chance to see and become aware of the different types of backgrounds and learning …show more content…
According to the text, “a culturally responsive teacher means being able to appreciate, understand, and work with children and families from different cultures” (Coleman, 2013, p. 177). In order to do so, we will need to learn more about them and where they come from and this can be done by research, or by simply asking them questions or meeting with their families. I think that books are a great way to start a conversation and allow the students to relate to others. When relating to a book or to others in the class, the students will become more comfortable and proud of who they are. Speaking about different backgrounds allows the students to see how everyone is unique and how we all have something special about us. I also believe in order to become a culturally responsive teacher, it is helpful to “become familiar with basic communication patterns” and ask the parents about their child and seeing how they are at home (Coleman, 2013, p 177). This way, the teacher can use that information to come up with different strategies to help that student effectively learn and cope in the