Diversity in My Classroom

Diversity is something that should be embraced by everyone because everyone is different in so many ways. We have categorized people into groups by race, color, religion, sexual preference etc. because that is how our world operates. It creates a sense of belonging for many, but it has also been the reason for more bloodshed and hate than any other reason throughout history. My school community strives to create an understanding of diversity.

We run regular Town Meetings embracing the differences among us. What makes these Town Meetings particularly effective is the fact that the students create and run the meetings. They create skits, write poems, paint pictures and produce the PowerPoint slide show. For one Town Meeting my class presented Empathy. The students used the idea of understanding how new students feel when they join the school later in the school year. (We had this occur in several grades). One student spoke limited English, another student had physical disabilities. The students thought carefully about how this "newness" feels, and how it can feel to various people.

We celebrate diversity through our International Luncheon. The fifth graders complete a research project based on their country of origin. It is so interesting finding out how many of them originate from a number of different countries. We talk about how cultures can mix and create cultural diffusion. The students interview relatives, email children from other countries, and conduct online research abut their selected country. This leads to wonderful discussions about the nature of America as a nation with many cultures. We discuss the benefits of such a nation, the wealth of influences that we can draw from in our lives. I also introduce the negative feelings that can occur related to diverse cultures living together, and we discuss ways that we can help people become more tolerant and accepting of others. The research is presented to the class in the form of a speech. The children also create a dish that is representative of their culture and we all have an International luncheon, sampling the culinary delights of the world.

My school hosts the BOCES Exl class, and the Foundations of Learning class. Both contain students with learning and physical disabilities. Through programs such as Peer Tutoring, regular-ed students are afforded the opportunity to learn along side those with disabilities. True friendships are formed and differences are accepted and become a non-issue.

We still have a long way to go before diversity is accepted by all, but I feel that my school helps to create a strong foundation for the students.