DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM Diversity can be used in higher education as a tool for faculty to become more equitable educators,

since they deal with a diverse student population on a daily basis. Valuing diversity in higher academia is just the first step in becoming culturally sensitive, or what the literature suggests, culturally competent. In education, cultural competence focuses on how effective a teacher is for those students who do not share the same personal characteristics or cultural background as that teacher. It is also the ability to effectively respond to students while valuing and preserving the dignity of cultural differences and similarities between individuals, families and communities (Delpit, 2006). Cultural competence requires an intentional examination of ones thoughts and behaviors in the classroom throughout ones career. Throughout my work experience, I have had the opportunity to interact with a diverse student population whose learning and social functioning levels cover a wide spectrum. During these interactions, I have come to the conclusion that individuals are complex entities with a set of values, attitudes, competencies, motivations and character traits that are shaped by the dynamics of their environmental setting. Lisa Delpit (2006) states that we all carry worlds in our heads, and those worlds are decidedly different. We, educators, set out to teach, but how can we reach the worlds of others when we do not even know they exist? Indeed, many of us do not even realize that our own worlds exist only in our heads and in the cultural institutions we have built to support them (Delpit, 2006). As a classroom facilitator and future leader in the Educational Psychology field, I expect to value, empower, and diversify students by looking first at my own cultural background and understanding how my personal biases, if any, may affect my interactions with students. When teachers have knowledge of their biases and accept different cultural qualities, it

is easier for them to recognize the creative ways that students use to express themselves. Being from a different country allows me instill the value of diversity in my classroom setting. At the beginning of each semester, I share personal information with my students as a means of allowing them to see issues related to race from a different perspective. Telling students that we all come in different shapes and colors and explaining the importance of avoiding hasty generalizations make a huge difference. For the last three semesters, I have incorporated service learning projects in my classes to assist my students in assimilating the concept of cultural diversity. By providing high-level, challenging, culturally relevant curriculum and instruction, I am making classroom participation and assessment more equitable and valid for all students. For example, students that are culturally sensitive can partner with those that feel hesitant to getting out of their comfort zone in becoming sound individuals by addressing the needs of a particular community, i.e., taking food to the Tulsa Day Center. In an effort to promote cultural awareness and diversity, I have helped Tulsa Community College coordinate several cultural fairs. Cultural fairs offer exposure to different cultures and ethnic groups. During these events, international students that attend the community college provide visual, auditory and/or interactive displays of various aspects of their culture such as dress, music, dance, food, language, art and traditions. The cultural fair is designed to draw maximum participation from the student body and involve, as much as possible, counseling staff, faculty, administration and people in the community. Given that diversity comes in different forms and shapes, I am coordinating a Community Resources Fair for students with disabilities on October 23, 2013. October is Disability Awareness Month and my Academic Strategies

students and I are putting this event together to educate the Tulsa community about different resources that provide services to students with disabilities and their families.

References:

Delpit, L. D. (2006). Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York: New Press.

Pacheco, M., & Trumbull, E. T. (2005). Leading with Diversity. Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/leading_diversity/lwd_entire.pdf

Miguel Llovera Da Corte