A Disposition for Diversity: Teaching in the 21st Century

Sydney Bohannon
Wesleyan College

Author Note
This paper was prepared for EDU 290 instructed by Dr. Pritchard

A Disposition for Diversity: Teaching in the 21st Century

As the twenty-first century advances and our world becomes smaller
than ever before through various technologies, it is critical for educators to
not only teach on the complex subject of diversity, but also model to
students how to respond to it effectively. Diversity is, in its simplest form,
defined as the state of being diverse, a variety, or a point of difference. By
that definition, we encounter diversity all around us. This simplistic definition
becomes more complex when it is applied to classrooms. It is the challenge
of every teacher, professor, and administrator to treat all of the children in
the school with equal fairness, respect, and present them with the same
opportunity to learn and be challenged by whatever means necessary. When
diversity is valued in this manner, classrooms, schools, and communities all
benefit by generating a respect for one another.
There are several diversities that a teacher must be not only aware of,
but also be equipped to deal with and respond to effectively. Additionally, the
teacher must take into consideration the age and maturity level of the
diverse students in order to create the most appropriate learning
environment. For example, a high school student who is homosexual and
bullied may warrant a conversation with the class on how they should treat
that student with respect and that the only difference between them is who
they choose to love. However, that situation would be severely inappropriate
in a Kindergarten class where a child is showing early signs of being
homosexual, such as a little boy loving to play in the house center or with

dolls. The conversation with the other classmates about that child would
need to be altered to be less blunt and in a way that their young minds can
comprehend.
One of the most historically and politically involved diversities in
America has been racial diversity. Schools were segregated until the 1954
court case Brown v. Board of Education, in which Chief Justice Warren ruled
that the formerly accepted doctrine of separate but equal schools were in
fact, unequal and illegal. Soon after this ruling, the Justices presented school
systems with a plan to desegregate which was to take place hastily. Even
with this plan, full desegregation took nearly a decade and repercussions are
still felt in schools today. A somewhat new form of integration and equality
between the races is becoming more prevalent, especially in communities
such as the one where I grew up where African-Americans are the majority in
the public school system. Black students, particularly from from lowerperforming schools, are bussed to majority-white schools so that populations
between the races are more equal. Teachers in schools where this occurs,
regardless of their own personal race, must be extremely cautious to not let
any racist feelings that are present be expressed. They also should be aware
of any racist attitudes or comments expressed by their students and be
prepared to deal with these kinds of situations. While black-white racism is
one of the most common, racism against Hispanic students is also becoming
more common as their population in America grows. While the race may

differ, the steps a teacher should take to combat any form of racism remains
the same.
In addition to racist attitudes, a teacher where Hispanic student
population is prevalent or on the rise must be sensitive to possible language
barriers and cultural differences. Programs such as English as a Second
Language, or ESL, help tremendously in the effective education of students
whose first language is not English. My host school for field experience this
semester has a large Hispanic population and several students participate in
their ESL program, so I have had the opportunity to personally observe first
hand how those students benefit by having time to be pulled aside to
understand the English language.
Children with disabilities represent likely the most obvious form of
diversity in education. The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, (2010) is
a federal law containing three titles that guarantee fair employment
opportunities, services by the state and local governments, and lastly certain
public accommodations for ease of access to disabled persons. Fair and
appropriate education pathways fall under Title II, as schools are governed
by individual states. Depending on the severity of the disability, it becomes
apparent very early in the childs student career that alternate forms of
instruction are necessary, weather that comes in a few adapted lessons in a
mainstream classroom or in a completely separate school dedicated solely to
educating students with special needs. The least restrictive environment, or
LRE, must be identified for all special needs children in order to have their

educational goals met. LRE is defined by Deborah Smith (2007) as the

educational placement with as much inclusion in integration with typical
learners as possible and appropriate (p. 532). The LRE for a child with a
mild form of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, may be in a
mainstream classroom with a provision that the child may get up and walk
around whenever necessary. The LRE for a child with severe emotional or
behavioral disorders, or EBD, may be an alternative school that is equipped
with teachers and staff that are trained to be able to restrain the child if
necessary.
Socio-economic and Learning Style diversities are two that are often
overlooked by educators and administration, yet they require the same
amount of attention and accommodation as racial or special education.
Psychologist Howard Gardner was the first to identify that there are seven
distinct styles of learning- linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical,
bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and lastly, intrapersonal (Armstrong, 1999,
p. 9-12). Each student possesses their own learning style strengths and
weaknesses, and it is the challenge of an educator to plan lessons that
appeal and are modified to accommodate as many learning style strengths
as possible. For example, a music lesson could be planned to incorporate a
singing part for the linguistically intelligent, musical instruments for the
musically intelligent, and dancing for the bodily-kinesthetically intelligent.
While this example does not cover all of the learning styles, it still goes
beyond simply focusing solely on one intelligence and gives many more

children the opportunity to utilize their strengths as well as giving the

learners who are weak in these intelligences an opportunity to strengthen
them. Socio-economic diversity is another diversity that teachers must be
aware of and sensitive to, as it is often a main source of bullying. In the nonfiction work One Child (1981) by Torey Hayden, the new girl in the class,
Sheila, was bullied by her classmates who had a wide range of disabilities
due to the fact that she only owned one outfit and had a terrible odor
because she was extremely poor. Torey made it her mission to, at the very
least, make Sheila more hygienic and presentable. While most classroom
teachers may not have the opportunity to help disadvantaged children
practice sufficient personal hygiene, they still should be aware of students
who are targets of bullying due to inadequate monetary resources. At the
very least, teachers should find a way to politely address the situation with
the child and attempt to have the counselor find resources for them and their
family. Additionally, the teacher should be able to effectively combat
classmates who pick on disadvantaged children and let them know that
although they may wear the same outfit twice a week or have an unpleasant
smell that they do not deserve any mistreatment whatsoever.
This wide range of diversities means that educators, administrators,
and parents all must come together to not only identify but also effectively
adapt to each childs unique diversity- weather it be as simplistic as a
learning style that should be taught to more in the classroom or as radical as
a transfer to alternative or homeschooling. When this support team comes

together to achieve effective diversity management, there are no limits to

the things that our students can learn in their least restrictive environments!
As an elementary school student, I experienced diversity most
frequently as I was in the racial minority of my school system. Additionally, I
was tested for admission into the gifted program in the first grade. Most
teachers that I had allowed me to work at my own faster pace and in middle
and high school, I was placed into Honors courses that challenged me more
academically that a regular education would have.
My personal experiences with diversity have given me a great respect
for the teachers who pushed me to work harder and be the best that I can
be, the students who have a different skin color or socio-economic status
than I do, and the administration who allowed me to participate in advanced
curriculum programs and recognized my excellence through honor rolls and
awards. As a teacher, I intend to do my very best to identify ways that I can
effectively educate all of my students. The philosophy that some educators
hold of teaching to the middle will have absolutely no place in my room. In
fact, it is one of my utmost goals as an educator to teach in a way that gives
an appropriate level of challenge to both the lower and the higher
performers. I plan to create a learning environment wherein all of my
students know that they are special and that my classroom is a place where
their differences can be not only appreciated, but also celebrated and
respected!

References
Armstrong, T. (1999). 7 Kinds of Smart. New York, NY: Plume.
Hayden, T. (1981). One Child. New York, NY: Avon Books
Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to Special Education: Making a Difference Sixth Edition. Boston,
MA: Pearson Education Inc.
United States Courts. (n.d.) History of Brown v. Board of Education. Retrieved
from
http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/get-involved/federalcourtactivities/brown-board-education-re-enactment/history.aspx
United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. (2010). Information
and
Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Retrieved
from
http://www.ada.gov/index.html