Summary: Diversity In The Classroom

The diversities of learners with in a class room include gender, cultural, language, family, religious, and socioeconomic diversities. Along with these differences, students also have varying learning styles and some may have exceptionalities (Powell, 2015, pp.42-66). All of these factors lead to a diverse learning community. As a teacher it is important to be able to identify and address these diversities, in order to give students the best education possible. Diversity within the classroom provides students will a glimpse of the real world. I grew up in a school that was predominantly white and Christian, therefore when I moved off to college the diversity of the university came as a surprise. Luckily, my parents prepared me to become …show more content…
I had learned about the theory of multiple intelligences and learning styles before, but had never applied them to a classroom setting. Previously, I was under the assumption that the teacher taught and the students adjusted to their teaching style. After viewing each of these topics in a different light, I realized that it is the teacher’s job to do be the flexible one, and I now aspire to be an educator who teaches to all learning styles. I will give opportunities for my auditory learners to talk and listen, my visual learners to pair images with the information, my kinesthetic learners to demonstrate the information, and my tactile learners to use manipulatives to learn important concepts (Powell, 2015, pp. 57-59). Most importantly, I now understand that diversity is as important in my teaching style as it is in the demographics of my classroom. Diversifying my teaching style will not be problematic for me, because I enjoy trying various techniques. This will keep my learners engaged and excited for the next lesson. On the other hand, I will have difficulty relating to the socioeconomic and language diversity that might exist within my classroom. I have not had much experience working with people who are struggling financially or that speak another language than I do. After this semester I feel more prepared to work with these students, but I recognize I have …show more content…
For instant, this could be done through volunteering to tutor under privileged children. I would enjoy working with a program such as Project RISE to help homeless children stay in school and on the right track. Tutoring English-language learners would also help me to close this gap and would be rewarding. In the fall, I began working at the Polsky Tutoring Labs as a math tutor. I work with many students who are learning English as their second language. Assisting these students is a great experience which is helping me to close the gap in my knowledge of diversity. Furthermore, I need to research these particular diversities and what aid is available to these students. Above all, closing this gap in my understanding will give me the ability to better help all of my students reach their full