Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR BRANCHES AND SATELLITE
CAMPUSES SANTA ROSA CAMPUS

Understanding Diversity
Reflective Journal

Understanding diversity is very important especially to us as future educators

because we will be exposed in the teaching field with so many diverse learners in the
future, that is why I’m really looking forward to every discussion in this subject. The
presence of visual presentation which our professor showed us using video
advertisement emphasizes the topic of the lesson. It was a great initial move to
enlighten us about diversity as it vividly represents understanding despite being
diverse, we have easily related the short skit of the ad in a classroom setting
situation. The discussion was demonstrated with overwhelming knowledge both from
guided references, discourse interaction between us and the teacher, and personal
experiences as well. I believed that one of the many best ways to learn is through
experience, perhaps given the experiences of our teacher in her teaching career
helps us perceived more the importance of understanding and respecting diversity in
the society especially inside the classroom. I have learned so many things from the
discussion most specifically about the uniqueness of each individual and the
differences of people in so many ways and dimensions in which all of us must give
consideration and respect. Therefore, the discussion about understanding diversity
allowed me to learn more, be knowledgeable, aware, and prepared as future
educator so that once I’m in the field of teaching and in the presence of diverse
students and class, I would know how to handle it with outmost respect, validity, and
concern for each of the students along with loved and fairness despite their
differences.

In the real world of education, I am very aware that every student is diverse,
and they have their own strengths and weaknesses in certain things and ways. This
is the reality in the classroom setting that we as future teacher must need to address
because all the students have different coping and learning skills that is why it is very
important for teachers to profile all their learners. As goes by the saying of Gary L.
McIntosh, “One size doesn’t fit all”, teachers must acknowledge the diversity most
importantly in the teaching-learning process and this is where effective teaching
methodologies and strategies comes in. Hence, I will certainly apply Howard
Garner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences as an approach to effectively create and
utilize appropriate teaching competencies and strategies that is fitting for the diverse
learners. In this way, I can reinforce all types of intelligences that every student has
and take into consideration that there are different types of learners so that I can
incorporate diversity in the lesson plan as well. Understanding diversity affiliates
respect and acceptance and I would want to enforce that in the classroom
management to better create a friendly and safe environment or space for learning.
Therefore, I most likely to apply the Democratic Classroom Theory of John Dewey
and Alfie Kohn in classroom management which rules are based around fairness,
justice and mutual respect among everyone.

I personally think that being diverse doesn’t mean being different but instead
being unique, and I think its beautiful. Diversity for instance might be one of the
many reasons for lack of unity but for me, that’s what makes life balanced and
undoubtedly interesting. It promotes not just respect but also acceptance which
definitely resulted to unity, nonetheless we can’t deny the fact that it also caused
criticism and unfairness. However, we can’t change it that we are all not the same,
we have differences in many ways, and we lived in a diverse world. And in my own
opinion, it is a crucial work for educators to promote unity in diversity firstly in the four
corners of the classroom so that once the students are in the real world outside of
school, they’ll be the ones spreading it to the world. That is why it is very important
for teachers to understand diversity and acknowledge every difference among
culture, identity and personality of all individuals and learners. Furthermore, I would
want this kind of subject to be taught not just in the field of education but to any
courses so that we can get unity despite diversity in any field of profession and job,
especially in the whole society.