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Diversity: A Critical Teaching Disposition for the 21st Century

By Linda Hillard

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Diversity exists in every aspect of our daily lives. It distinguishes one person from the
other from the way we look to how we hold our pencils when writing. Diversity exists in every
living entity on this earth from humans, insects, and animals. Just think about how the world
would be if we all looked alike or had the same characteristics. It would be pretty boring and I
imagine it to be much controversy because of the lack of variety. I personally think diversity
impacts everyone and gives people ideas on how to live their lives. Customs and traditions vary
among people depending on where they are from. For example; women of Islamic countries
wear their hair covered when they are out in public but American women are not bound by this
custom. There is no set dress code or way of life mandated by American women. They are very
diverse in the way they dress, wear their hair, style of clothing, etc. Most of the clothing
Americans wear are manufactured in other countries which indicate the way we dress are ideas
from other countries.
As babies grow up, they first experience diversity as they embrace the world around
them. They distinguish mother from father, brother from sister, and grandmother from
grandfather. When children enter daycare, it is important for parents to talk to their children
about race and how we as people have different skin colors. This is undoubtedly their real first
encounter of interacting with people of different races. It is easy and not uncommon for children
to start having some negative feelings about race due to what they may have been exposed to or
what they may have heard from their parents. Children should be taught to get along with their
peers regardless of their race by not looking at skin color but by looking at how they are being
treated. Racial and ethnic differences may be uncomfortable for some students and may respond

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by being silent, afraid to share their thoughts, or make provocative statements about race or
ethnicity (Percival (2000), p. 153).
It changed the world
Racial diversity sparked much controversy in Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of
Education where black children were not allowed to go to the same schools as white children
because of their race. This made blacks feel less than a person and caused them to have a dislike
against white people (Lee, (2010), p. 28). This type of behavior breeds racism and causes people
to hold grudges that are not easily erased. As an educator, it is important for children to
acknowledge that each one of them has something different to bring to the classroom. A teacher
should value and respect a diverse classroom because of the learning opportunities available to
the students as well as the teacher. For example, a Hispanic child can be helpful in teaching the
classroom how to say certain words in Spanish. This can be a teachable moment or incorporated
in the curriculum of teaching a particular subject or theme. The students are not only learning
something new but having fun learning as well.
Have It Your Way
As a student at Wesleyan, I have learned to adapt to several learning styles as well as
adapting to the teaching styles of many Professors. The subject at hand determines the method in
which I learn. For example, in biology because of the amount of material that has to be
memorized in a short period of time, I became a Visual and Auditory Learner in order to retain
the information. I would listen closely and write down everything the teacher said and created a
mental picture in my mind in order to remember the material. Unfortunately college is different
from Elementary school. In Elementary school it is the teachers responsibility to modify their

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teaching styles by recognizing how the children in her classroom learn. A teacher may have to
combine several learning styles in order to meet their individual needs (Sims, (1997), p. 46).
When a teacher unites the senses of all her students during a lesson, she is able to strengthen the
learning environment. The use of technology such as tape recorders, computers, etc is ideal for
auditory learners. Books or material written on the board is helpful for visual learners. Writers
theatre or movement activities are helpful for kinesthetic learners (Sims, (1997) p. 48-49).
Mind & Body
Diversity is just as important in physical, cognitive, and affective disabilities because
these children will obviously stand out from the other children. A teacher may experience
difficulty because the disruptions may interrupt the learning environment. As an Educator it is
important to be prepared to meet the needs of these students because it can cause a teacher to
burn out. A physical diversity could be a child that has Cerebral Palsy or Down syndrome. These
children are generally placed in a general classroom setting. A collaboration of special education
teachers and assessments serve as interventions to assist the students (Bacon, et al (2000) p. 170,
182). The Supreme Court case of Honig v. Doe (1988) was a very controversy court case that
protects children with disabilities so that they cannot be throwed out of school due to behavior.
Around The World
Language, ethnicity, and culture are diverse around the world. When a teacher has a
student from another country in the classroom, lessons can be adapted to incorporate a students
culture in a particular lesson. According to Lees (2010) article, a lesson involved the children
experiencing a taste of a Korean snack. The food was not so pleasing to all of the students
because they were not familiar with the smell. The Korean child became upset because the

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children were making bad comments about the smell of the snack. It is important for the teacher
to emphasize to students that regardless if they like it or not, they still have to be respectful of
other peoples culture and the Korean child has to be mindful that other cultures are not used to
the same foods. What a student experiences in life is distinct according to their ethnicity. For
example, an African American culture may not have the same experiences as a European Culture
because they havent been exposed to the same surroundings. There are many more advantages
for European Americans than African Americans.
Diverse language is a very important component in a classroom because it can be
expressed in so many ways. Children are naturally curious when there is a student in the
classroom that speaks another language or has an accent from another country. This opens up
opportunities for the teacher to be creative in her teaching methods. This can also be a fun time
for children to work on their pronunciation, grammar, and writing.
This Is Who I Am
We were all created equal therefore no one should be discriminated because of their
sexual orientation. Sexual orientation does not define how much a person knows or how well a
person can accomplish something. Ive come into contact with very professional individuals that
appeared to have distinct sexual orientations but I didnt judge them. It did not impact my
learning or they way I viewed them. It could be part of the persons genetic makeup. A person
should not be judged by whats on the outside but whats on the inside (Lee, (2010).
Where Do I Belong
A student should not be categorized according to their socio-economic state but
unfortunately they are. Many schools are ranked in terms of the poverty level of the students.

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Many schools that have a high level of disadvantaged students have a more challenging job of
meeting their educational needs (McEwan, (2009) p. 8).As an educator, my theory is all students
can learn and will learn regardless of their familys income and wealth. Some of the smartest
students come from low income families because it is doesnt matter how much money they
have, its about their child rearing and exposure.
The dynamics of a diverse classroom involves a teacher being sensitive and
knowledgeable about issues surrounding racial, learning styles, physical disabilities, cognitive
disabilities, language, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, and socio-economic diversity. This
will encourage students to feel comfortable around other students of different ethnicity or
culture. When a childs emotional and social skills are being nurtured it improves the way they
learn. The teacher will feel good about teaching an effective curriculum.
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References

Bacon, A., & Incorporated, (2000). Teaching students with special needs inclusive set. (3rd ed.).
Needham Heights, MA: A Pearson Education Company.

Lee, S. (2010). Reflect on your history: An early childhood education teacher examines her
biases. Multicultural Education, 17(4), 25-30. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/851541422?accountid=14961
McEwan, E. K. (2009). 10 traits of highly effective schools: Raising the achievement bar for all
students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwan Press.
Percival, J. J. (2000). A True and Continuing Story. Social Studies, 91(4), 151.

Sims, Pamela. (1997). Awakening brilliance, how to inspire children to become successful
learners. Bayhampton Publications.

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