DSJL Assessment 2 Roger Lee 95444332

Personal reflection

It is important to understand that schools are a space that resemble society. The attitudes

that are shared as part of a school’s cultures can be reflected in students’ lives outside of school as

they mature into productive members of society. In order to inform students’ attitudes and beliefs,

we as teachers must exhibit the behaviours and attitudes that we wish to see mirrored within a

diverse and inclusive society. As Sever (2012) suggests that the classroom, and in fact education as a

whole provides the glue that keeps society stable (p. 652), it is therefore the role of the teacher to

inform students of how their attitudes can affect those around them. Sever (2012) continues to

elaborate on the links between teachers and the needs of society by saying that “teachers as agents

of this legitimate knowledge transmission, as well as moral models and moral beings for next

generations, should constrain themselves with teaching only for societal goods” (p. 652). Taking this

approach into my classroom can only help to harbour a society that values diversity.

Promoting ideals of diversity and social justice become an important part of any teacher’s

pedagogy. In order to promote the idea that “cultural difference is accepted as normal and

unremarkable” (Ho, 2011), I must first examine my own ideas about diversity. Incorporating a

teaching style that is inclusive and accepting of all Cultures, Races, Genders and Ethnicities can only

be achieved if I myself hold these ideals to be true. Differentiated instruction is one way to bridge

the gap between students, and to provide an equitable learning space for those students from other

cultures and backgrounds. Dividing my time between giving instructions to the whole class and to

individuals is one way to let students know that everyone is important, and therefore that every

student’s education is equally catered for.

 Including social justice perspectives into my teaching practices can take place in a variety of

ways. Ho (2011) reminds us that “officially, nurturing respect for cultural diversity is a key goal of the

Australian education system” (p. 605), and in doing so reminds us that social justice perspectives are

a necessary part of the lessons that our students must learn. This knowledge can however be passed

on through somewhat covert means. These sensitivities may not be included in our curriculum and

syllabus’ explicitly, but they can however be communicated through displaying our own attitudes

towards diversity in our everyday practice. It is therefore the responsibility of each teacher to

challenge our own, and our school’s views towards diversity. We can promote these ideas by

speaking up when we encounter behaviour that contravenes the official ‘nurturing respect’

approach towards cultural diversity. Watkins and Noble (2016) echo this approach by saying “it is

not enough for teachers to engage with these theoretical perspectives and to cast a critical eye on

the limitations of current conceptions of multiculturalism and multicultural education” (p. 43),

suggesting that action is also required in order to fulfil the goals of the Australian Education System.

I don’t anticipate this to be an easy task however. It is my intention to serve the education

system by working in remote areas across the state of New South Wales. I anticipate that some

areas of the education system, perhaps individual schools, may not be engaged in achieving the

goals stated above. Though it may (or may not) be difficult to shift the ideas of those in my school, or

department, it is my duty to be an example for others. By having a diverse and accepting approach

to my students and fellow teachers, I can hope that my attitudes are therefore visible to others.

Watkins and Noble (2016) put this very eloquently by saying that as teachers, we “need to engage

with these critical perspectives in order to move beyond them and towards a post-critical pedagogy

and curriculum relevant to contemporary schooling systems” (p. 43). This engagement is not just an

idea, but an action and a responsibility of all teachers. As we are responsible for the future of

education, and the ideals that our students carry with them through life.
 Our collective representations, or symbolic sphere is described by Kell (2004) as the ideals,

myths and legends contained within a society (p. 32). This “includes the currents of social life that

circulate around values, collective thinking and representation that are emerging which have not yet

been fully embraced and codified” (Kell, 2004. p. 32). Within this description of our collective

representation we can see that there is room for transition, growth and change surrounding the

ideals that are bound to a society at any given time. Teachers have an important role to play in

shifting the representations that have not yet been codified by promotion diverse and culturally

sensitive classrooms for our students. These students then become the custodians of the future

representations as they will inevitably follow the examples of their teachers, parents and cultural

elders.

I must, as a teacher give a strong sense of acceptance in embracing diversity in my classroom

if I am to give my students a collective representation that I wish to see mirrored by my students and

wider society in the future. I must draw upon the key themes that I have been taught in this unit,

and understand that an inclusive pedagogy is just the beginning for an inclusive and diverse future

school environment for my students, and that I must also be pro-active in establishing clear and

coherent values within myself and within my school. If the aforementioned goals of the education

system are to be met, I can play my part, and hope that a curriculum that mirrors these goals can be

established and progressed into the future to further promote diversity and social justice in schools,

and within our society.

REFERENCES

Kell, P. (2004). A teacher's tool kit: Sociology and social theory explaining the world. Sociology of

education: Possibilities and practices (pp.29-51). Southbank, Vic: Social Science Press.

Ho, C. (2011) Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday

Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32:6, 603-619, DOI:

10.1080/07256868.2011.618106

Sever, M. (2012). A critical look at the theories of sociology of education. International Journal of

Human Sciences [Online]. 9:1. Available: http://www.insanbilimleri.com/en

Watkins M. & Noble G. (2016) Thinking beyond recognition: Multiculturalism, cultural intelligence,

and the professional capacities of teachers, Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural

Studies, 38:1, 42-57, DOI: 10.1080/10714413.2016.1119642