Standard 4: Diversity

Education occurs through a variety of modes of communication and it is essential for me to communicate in a variety of ways to accommodate the needs of all my students. I have taught in urban and rural environments and did not have the professional skills or knowledge that would have enabled me to equitably teach all of my students. Instead I was a bystander, along with the marginalized students, watching others participate in classroom activities that were not structured to support everyone. I didn’t understand how essential it is to learn about families or different cultures; I didn’t understand the different levels of literacy one could find in a single classroom and that there are options for those students to participate; I didn’t understand that lessons and activities could be differentiated for each learner; I didn’t understand how much of an influence social anxieties could have on a student and that there were ways to alleviate student stress. Diversity is exhibited as more than just race or ethnicity but encompasses the innumerable directions from which students develop. In my years as an educator, I have taught to a variety of audiences but it was not until I studied at Ithaca College where I learned to teach more effectively to these students.

Student learning can be affected by culture, socio-economic status, language, or mental and physical health. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory demonstrates that a person cannot learn until basic needs are met. This includes feeling safe and welcome in a classroom. A student who has special needs or who is an English as a New Language student has a right to learn in the same classroom as their peers but needs to know that they are welcome and included in all aspects of classroom life.

Addressing the needs of all students in a classroom starts at getting to know students. This can be done in a variety of ways, including a student survey or learning inventory, but is necessary to maintain a flow of communication between myself and my students every day. Once I understand a student’s background, I can then demonstrate I care about them by following up on those student surveys and talk to students candidly about their interests and their lives. By doing this, I can incorporate more relevant material into my lessons and increase student motivation. This can also increase my teaching repertoire as I learn about new content or techniques to use in my lessons.

I will consistently set high expectation in my classroom. Paul Gorski demonstrated that setting high, clear but attainable expectations is key to creating a classroom for all learners and is crucial in closing the opportunity gap. Setting high expectations give students goals to work toward and sets a purpose for their education. Gorski also echoes Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystem theory and demonstrates the importance of getting to know the community, neighborhoods, families, and other support systems of your students. High expectations can be set for all students but I will need to provide the appropriate support systems to make sure all students have the ability to reach them. Understanding the ecosystems of my students will allow me to better create the appropriate supports.