My Reflection

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Recommended: The importance of diversity in the classroom

Every year we continue to see the same population trends. Chart after Chart demonstrates the diverse reality of the American classroom. Cultural diversity is the norm of a high percentage of schools in the United States. Today’s classrooms require teachers to educate students varying in culture, language, abilities, and many other characteristics (Gollnick & Chinn, 2002). This diversity poses a challenge for many teachers. Some teachers cannot see past struggling students that do not understand the language. They fail to recognized that those cultural differences offer and irreplaceable opportunity to enhance learning. As teachers, we ought to reflect in our own practices and believes to discover how we can influence our students in a positive way. “By honestly examining their attitudes and beliefs about themselves and others, teachers begin to discover why they are who they are, and can confront biases that have influenced their value system” (Villegas & Lucas, 2002). Once we have set biases aside, we can begin to integrate multicultural education practices that support all learners. My personal experience with culture and language has influenced my view on teaching immensely. I can relate first hand to how it feels to be a minority in the United States. Growing up as a Hispanic and bilingual student gave me the opportunity to understand the learning trials faced by the students in the classroom. Culturally, and linguistically diverse students had been my passion before I began this course. For this reason, I always nurture a relation of understanding and appreciation with my students. Furthermore, I strive to create a safe harbor in which my students feel guarded and respected. “Learning most easily takes place in a context of... ... middle of paper ... ... New York: Merrill. Kottler, J.A., Zehm, S. J., & Kottler, E. (2005). On being a teacher: The human dimension (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Characteristics of effective schools. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). ELL’s in todays classrooms. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson. Parrett, W., & Budge, K. (2009). Tough questions for tough times. Educational Leadership, 67(2), 22 Villegas, A. M., & Lucas, T. (2002). Preparing culturally responsive teachers: Rethinking the curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(13).

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