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Running head: DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

A Disposition for Diversity in Education


Aaminah T. Durham
Wesleyan College

EDU 209
Professor Patrick Pritchard
October 1, 2015

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

A teacher, possibly more so than any other occupation, faces all facets of diversity. It is
essential that he or she knows how to address and accommodate to these diversities. The idea is
for teachers to abstain from discrimination. However, a teacher should not entirely shy away
from differences. Instead, an educator can take advantage of diversity and make it a learning
opportunity for both herself and her students. Proper handling of diversity, of course, does not
solely benefit the teacher but especially the students. A student should feel confident that their
teachers in the classroom respect their variances and can tend to the needs of his or her learning
style.
Perhaps the most common diversity is difference in learning styles. According to the
theory of multiples intelligences presented by Howard Gardner, there exist seven types of
thinkers: visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and
logical-mathematical. All humans possess all or most of these intelligences, but one of these
distinct intelligences can be stronger in some individuals. As Thomas Armstrong (1999) states it,
We have a few intelligences that stand out, some that seem average, and others that weve had
considerable difficulty within our lives. Typically, the educational system is constructed in such
a way that only allows a uniform way of teaching and learning usually linguistic and somewhat
logical.
I believe it is illogical and somewhat cruel to force all children to learn the same way.
Just as we have differences in other aspects of our life such as our personalities, appearances, or
lifestyles so it is with the way we learn. Accommodations must be carried out in the classroom to
appeal to learners of all types. Through the use of technology, music, visuals and bodily
movement as well as hands-on experience, the classroom can become a full-sensory field of
creative and therefore enjoyable learning. The results of this can only be positive. In my own

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

personal experience, I retain more information in an interpersonal classroom where I can respond
and interact freely with my teacher and classmates.
Another difference that is often found in the classroom is disabilities. The word disability
can cover a broad range of descriptions whether it be a mild speech impairment, ADD/ADHD,
an emotional disorder, or a severe physical disability. Whatever the case, there are some general
guidelines when dealing with these types of students in the classroom. First, I think that while
these students do display differences, they should not be regarded as helpless or incapable of
learning. Society plays a big role in how disabilities are perceived. Often, we dont fully
understand disabilities and we have fears about them, a reaction that has been historically
common. We tend to pay greater attention to what people cannot do rather than the things they
can actually achieve. We would rather keep these persons hidden and limited in their abilities.
Society as a whole holds a lot of power in this aspect and we could empower those with
disabilities if only perception and image were steered in the right direction.
This change could become immediately apparent in the scholastic system. According to
the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, all students are entitled to a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) within the least restrictive environment (LRE). In my
opinion, this means that you want to give a child the best education according to their individual
needs. This should not mean that the child is limited in what he or she is subjected to. Instead a
child should be offered information in a way that proves to be effective for their needs and meets
the standards of the state and curriculum. It should also be taught in an environment that best
suits them. This means smaller localized classrooms of their peers where the teacher can give
adequate time to each individual. If possible the child should be incorporated into a classroom
with peers without disabilities. The materials and technology of a special needs classroom ideally

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

should be adapted for the students use. These types of options should be available in every
school where it is needed and if that is not possible, a location should be made available for a
separate school that specializes in specific disabilities.
All of these aids I feel are not much help if the teacher of these classrooms is not highly
qualified. First, a teacher who teaches special education should actually want to be in that field
and not forced into it without having the disposition to teach special needs children. As with all
teachers, but especially a special education teacher, he or shes ideal character traits should be
dedication and patience and not someone who is there simply to collect a paycheck. The teacher
should care about the complete well-being of the child. Concern should be taken to ensure the
progress of a child and whether they meet their outlined goals. If they are not doing so the
teacher should be ready to look into what can be done or changed to better meet those goals.
We often overlook diverse features that are integrated into our very person such as race,
language, ethnicity, and culture. These differences are very obvious but are often the ones
capitalized on the most for discrimination. What is key is to recognize in the classroom is that
every human being is different and instead of bullying someone for their skin color, the way they
talk or their lifestyle, their differences should be recognized and accepted. Whenever a teacher is
dealing with a culturally diverse classroom he or she should make it an effort to establish this in
her classroom.
Race in education has been and remains a major issue in history. Starting with the Jim
Crow segregation of the post-Civil War era, students were often separated because of their being
black and white. Beginning with the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education (1954),
attempts were made to reverse segregation in schools to do undo the work of the case Plessy v.
Ferguson (1896) which stated that public services and institutions could remain legally separate

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

but equal when in reality conditions were far from equal. Brown v. Education made it clear that
segregation constituted a violation of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. However, it would
still take years before schools in the South would fully desegregate their schools. Today, nonwhite students make up the majority in public schools (Graham, 2014), but even after all the
tremendous progress that has been made, students of color or minorities often attend more
inferior schools than their white counterparts. They are usually located in low-income
neighborhoods with few resources and a high teacher to student ratio (Textbook, page 91).
Another critical issue is a diversity of teachers. Although non-white students are now the
majority, the percentage of teachers of color has decreased in the past 20 years from 26% to 18%
(Graham, 2014). It is essential that a child, white or non-white, see diversity in their classroom
among students and faculty. Our world itself is diverse so why not incorporate multiple
perspectives into the classroom so that students have the experience of different cultures and
races. In turn a teacher and the classroom should be culturally responsive meaning that
students are made to feel comfortable in their cultural differences.
First a teacher can help to ease tensions by encouraging students to get to know each
other and sharing information about themselves. Respect of one anothers difference should also
be a priority. A teacher must take it upon themselves to research into a childs ethnic background
as well, looking for things that could cause a cultural clash or conflict. Language is an especially
notable barrier. Students often come into the classroom with English not being their first
language. It is imperative that a teacher is sensitive to a student learning English and give special
attention to that student by encouraging mastery and understanding. Taking advantage of help
such as bilingual aids and using language adjustments benefits the child even more. In all cases,
establishing strong connections with parents can alleviate worries for the student and their family

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

and open them up for opportunities that may have otherwise gone unnoticed because of a cultural
barrier.
Diversity of all types in the classroom, in my opinion, is fundamental to a childs
development. It develops confidence of the student in themselves and enables them to view their
peers in a respectful light. They are most likely to go out into the world with a better
understanding and less judgmental stance than those that have preceded us in history. Differences
open the floor for learning opportunities as well. Teacher could connect better with their students
if they found a way to make lessons relatable to their specific differences. Research shows that
when students connect the learned material to a personal experience they commit it to memory
(Bernard, 2010).
Being a student at Wesleyan College, we are surrounded by diversity on a daily basis. My
roommate is Chinese whose first language is not English. I attend classes and have become
friends with people of various disabilities, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations.
These experiences have made me value the uniqueness within myself but more importantly
provide the ability to look at the world through others eyes. I may not fully understand what
they experience but in the future I feel confident I will be in a position to interact comfortably
and respectfully with those who are of various spectrums. I strongly believe that this experience
is one for all children should experience at some point in their educational journeys.

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

7
References

Armstrong, T. (1999). 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Multiple Intelligences.
New York: Plume.
Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Pub. L 94-142, 89 Stat 773-796.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896)
Graham E. (2014, May 16). NEA Report: Lack of Teacher Diversity Jeopardizes Student
Achievement. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2014/05/16/nea-report-lack-of-teacherdiversity-jeopardizes-student-achievement-2/.
Bernard, S. (2010, December 1). Science Shows Making Lessons Relevant Really Matters.
http://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-relevance-improvesengagement

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