Diversity Statement - Scott Jensen!

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America is often run, taught, led and dictated by a mostly white culture. As a

male, I surely add to this privilege of white as we discovered this semester. As I set off
to become an educator, I believe that having a multicultural perspective is important for
me a white male educator. It is vitally important because much of the education system
is constantly being viewed through a prism of white. My diversity begins white, a mostly
white private school in a wintery white world of Minnesota. However, inside of me was
always color. A colorful love of life. A desire to get along, to seek adventure, to seek out
laughter along with knowledge. I have lived my life as a white light exposed to a prism
and I have unleashed my spectrum of color. I have seen many slices of the world, I
travel wide in literature and I open myself constantly to art, music, food and other
aspects of cultures. I give back my time in a non white world and from this I gain so
much knowledge that I will apply in my teaching style.!!
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Despite having had the privilege of affluence I was taught not to flaunt it but was

guided to give back and use the privilege to better others and the world. My own
multicultural education truly began as I travelled the world on my own. I left to engage
with people from other countries with varied backgrounds and knowledge and then to
return forever changed. This world education was coupled with an amazing, loving and
supportive family allowing me to pursue first international finance and now teaching. I
believe this background knowledge has prepared me well for the multicultural
environment that is the the California classroom. !

I have emerged from decades in finance knowing part of my calling in life was to

give back and that teaching would fulfill that. I also knew that giving to those less
fortunate would always be my desire. My intense multicultural immersion this time
wasnt travel but began with a crisis. Like the true life story of survival and adventure
that led Shakespeare to write the Tempest, my last 18 months has been filled with
death, adventure, harrowing tales and survival. My own survival and shelter from my
personal storm happened in a multicultural setting. Marin City is a multicultural
environment that I spent much time in healing myself by giving of myself. I attended my
students events. I tutored students in the library. I volunteered at Bridge the Gap and
taught a summer class for five to eight year olds in reading and math program in
conjunction with the local camp at Marin City Community Center. The connections and
impacts I made in this multicultural environment contributed to my healing. I have done
many of my student observations at MLK School to the wonder of many of my after
school students who attend there. My deep connection to the children of Marin City has
fueled my multicultural educational knowledge, desire to incorporate multicultural
education into my teaching style and willingness to open my heart and mind before my
mouth. I have forever been changed and in the process I have become a better
educator, only knowing it now after completing my first semester at Dominican. !
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I have given back yet I have received so much more than I gave. To have

connected, to be asked for and wanted as a teacher is something that has moved me
more in life than I could have ever known. To be able to accomplish this in a
multicultural environment that is Marin City is something special to me. To gain the trust

and respect of my students in an urban multicultural student setting gives me great

confidence as I proceed in my teaching career.!
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I think that when you have a diverse student population you must also teach a

diverse number of ways. You must engage the students, empower them to lead
themselves and to help feel part of the overall class effort to succeed. I have taken from
my experience at Bridge the Gap how important it is to respect your students and who
they are. You must discover and communicate with them on their level. I have and will
carry this attitude into my classroom and apply it toward all students no matter their
background, culture, sexual orientation or beliefs. I am assured these are critical to be
a successful educator. !
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From these last two years volunteering, I have been recruited to tutor, asked to

volunteer elsewhere and just this weekend I received my invitation to 22nd Annual Heart
of Marin Awards Ceremony as a nominee for Volunteer of the Year for my work with
Bridge the Gap College Prep in Marin City. I have never received a paycheck like this
nor could I script a better proof that I truly make an effort and have impact within a
multicultural environment. I know the reason is simple. I respect each and every kid
and I believe in everyone of them. From this comes students trust which is critical to
education. I cant imagine teaching without this philosophy.!
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I know that respect and trust are the basis of every good relationship and I give

and expect it with my students. I always give my best effort, I encourage them and
demand much of them. I spend many hours asking them questions, listening to their
stories and interactions with their fellow students. I develop as much background
knowledge to help me discover the method that might work with each individual student.

What is the hook that I can land that will light their internal fire to learn? How can I gain
their trust. To respect the multicultural world is clearly part of my method and success.
The classroom has to be a place the students feel respected and their opinion trusted.
My classroom will allow students a voice. It will be full of diverse material, questions
and problems will based on cultural perspectives and will also incorporate multiple view
points of the student population. I will take much of what I have learned in my
Dominican classrooms, from my fellow Dominican students and from my own classroom
experiences to provide each student an equal opportunity to learn and feel respected in
the process. !