1

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

A Disposition for Diversity: Teaching in the 21st Century

Joi A. Raushan
Wesleyan College

Author Note
Joi A. Raushan, Department of Education, Wesleyan College.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Joi Raushan,
Department of Education, Wesleyan College, Macon, GA 31210. Contact:
jaraushan@wesleyancollege.edu

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

A Disposition for Diversity: Teaching in the 21st Century

As a future educator, I believe that it is my duty to be able to meet the needs of
each and every one of my students in order for them to reach their full potential. These
needs include: race, learning styles, physical and learning disabilities, language and
culture, sexual orientation, and socio-economic backgrounds. At a previous field
placement at the Academy for Classical Education (ACE), Mrs. Howell, my host teacher,
taught a very diverse class. She had black, white, and Asian children, a child with autism,
children whose first language was not English, and a child who comes from a lowincome household. I really admire her teaching methods and work ethic because she is
truly passionate about and good at what she does.
I have encountered many different types of people throughout my life. Along with
black, white, red, and yellow Americans, I have grown up with children from Mexico and
befriended many Wesleyan women from all over the world. English was not their first
language. I have learned in the same classroom with an autistic boy in elementary school
and children with ADD and ADHD in middle and high school. From kindergarten to 12th
grade, I have been in the same class with a girl who was unable to use her legs. I have
known people who identified themselves as homosexual and bisexual in high school and
college. At my church, I have encountered and talked to many people who live on
government assistance and are not as privileged as I am. All of this just shows that none
of these situations (racial, learning style, physical, cognitive and affective disabilities,
language, ethnicity and culture, sexual orientation and socio-economic) are new to me. I
have experienced and learned from people in these situations, and I am grateful. I am
grateful because it does not leave room for ignorance. Also, a part of being exposed to all

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

of these things already makes it simple to make accommodations for students that I may
encounter. The way I think is very open, too, meaning I am open to anything someone
says. I can change my perspective to see how someone else sees something. This is
important especially when teaching children.

How does a teacher show that she values and respects diversity in the classroom?
To show respect for different ethnicities and cultures, I think it is extremely
important to use stories and traditions while teaching. Mrs. Howell exposed the children
to Chinese culture by reading them the Chinese version of Cinderella. Afterwards, she
showed me their reading journals, which included various stories from different cultures
and religions. I found this to be tremendously critical in their curriculum because it
exposed the children to new things, not just American stories and traditions. I think
America has certainly plummeted as a nation because of this melting pot mentality.
America was built on diversity and the ability to accept everyone for their differences and
uniqueness. Now, Americans are looked down on and shunned for not being of he same
race or believing in the same god. It is beneficial for schools to have a diverse curriculum
because it eliminates the potential of ignorance that they would face otherwise.
When I was in the tenth grade, the election for President Obamas second term
was going on. In my history class, however, the whole class, except for the three black
students, including myself, that were in the class, supported Mitt Romney. Our support
for President Obama was overlooked and looked on as wrong because they did not agree
with our view. I thought that this was a horrible way to conduct class because it was a
total disregard for our feelings and opinions. And it did not make it any better since we

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

were the minority. In situations like these, I think that acceptance and optimism is the key
for differing opinions, especially those of children who are starting to form opinions of
their own. I am the type of person to try to see things from multiple points of view, not
just my own. I try to understand why people think the way they do and accept them for
who they are. What they believe is right or wrong should not affect the way I teach them
or view them in the classroom.
In the classroom, there is also the possibility of socio-economic diversity. Webb,
Metha, and Jordan (2010) stated that [i]n 2006 nearly 13 million children in the United
States were living in poverty, an increase of about 1 million from 2000. Of these, nearly
4 million lived in low-income households where neither parent had been employed
during the past year (p. 195). As these children get older, it is likely that they will want
to drop out of school to help bring in a source of income for their families. As an
educator, it is necessary to encourage every child to complete their education and even
further their education in college. Education is the key to success, and success will not be
achieved by dropping out of school.

What are the dynamics of a diverse classroom?

The dynamics of a diverse classroom will probably be very different than a
classroom with the same types of children. In a diverse classroom, there could be children
with different races, learning abilities, physical abilities, and socio-economic
backgrounds. There are plenty of stereotypes for each of these categories, but every
teacher needs to learn how to look past the stereotypes and accept each child for who they
are and what they are capable of. In a diverse classroom, it is critical to find out where

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

each child stands, meaning whether some are auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners.
Since one cannot single out every child to meet his or her needs, it is necessary to create a
learning exercise that consists of all three styles: pictures, speaking, and a hands-on
activity. Armstrong (1999) states in his book, Each intelligence is capable of being
symbolized. The theory of multiple intelligences suggests that the ability to symbolize
or depict ideas and experiences through representations like pictures, numbers, or words
is a hallmark of human intelligence (p. 13). Children learn differently, and for them to
reach their full potential, one must teach how they learn. So if that means going outside to
hug the trees to learn about plants, then I know that is what I have to do.
At ACE, Mrs. Howell used this exact strategy with the class. She explained what
they were doing and why it was important, she had an example of the activity already
completed, and then she showed the class how to do it step by step. I think that the
children really prospered from her teaching method because she was very patient with
them and corrected problems that occurred along the way. At another placement at Elam
Alexander Academy, Ms. Regan, my host teacher, has computers in the classroom and a
school issued iPad. Mrs. Howell also has computers in her classroom. In both classrooms,
if the students finish their work early, they can play on the electronics. Also in the
classrooms are reading corners, where the children can pick out a book and sit and read
quietly. This is important in a classroom because some children work at different speeds
than others. It gives them something to do while they wait, instead of distracting another
child, which is probably more likely to happen at Elam since it is a school for special
needs and behavior disorders.

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

A diverse classroom also includes the ability to teach special needs children. In
the Supreme Court Case of the Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School
District v. Rowley in 1982, the decision was made to allow free appropriate public
education. The Acts obligation is fulfilled when the State provides personalized
instruction with sufficient support services to permit the handicapped child to benefit
educationally from that instruction (Supreme Court, 1982). There are many instances
where schools have programs made specially for children with special needs, but there
are also times when the students will participate in general education classes. This is
crucial for learning because it allows the children with special needs to interact with other
children and have the opportunity to do the same activities that they are doing.

How can diversity strengthen a learning environment?

A diverse learning environment is crucial for students because it exposes them to
new ideas and ways of thinking. For example, like I previously stated, Mrs. Howell had a
uniquely diverse classroom with many different children from different backgrounds. She
also exposed the students to new stories and methods of learning such as having a
number of the day. Every morning, the children would take out their math worksheet. The
number of the day corresponded with the date. Along with the date, the children stated
the month, day, and year. Afterwards, the children would complete their worksheet,
which consisted of tally marks, ten squares, and a place to make their own equation. I
found this to be a helpful tool for their math time because it got them into the routine of
things in the classroom, and it also helped them to learn the days of the week and the
months of the year.

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

Language and race can also affect the classroom in a positive way. In the
Introduction to Special Education: Making A Difference, Smith (2007) writes, In 1770,
the case v. of Diana v. State Board of Education found that using IQ tests to identify
Hispanic students as having mental retardation was discriminatory. In 1971, the case of
Larry P. v. Riles brought to the attention of the courts and schools the overrepresentation
of African American children in classes for students with mental retardation and possible
discrimination device testing (p. 78). The Hispanics did so poorly on the test because it
was in English, and the students knew little to no English. In this case in a classroom, it
could be an opportunity to learn Spanish myself and also teach the rest of the students the
language. Instead of jumping to conclusions of retardation because of low scores, one
must seek the root of the problem, which in this case was language. This search for
explanation also pertains to the second case mentioned. Stereotypically, blacks grow up
in rough neighborhoods, where they are exposed to very little education at home. Going
to school is the only chance they get, and once they get there, they are already five steps
behind the other students. Instead of assuming they have a mental disability, one should
start from the beginning to teach the child the basics that he or she never learned. Here,
everyone can get a chance to learn or review material that is being taught, and maybe
they will learn it in a new way.
In Fairfax County, Virginia, the public schools released a report recommending
changes to their family life curriculum for grades 7 through 12 (Starnes). The children
will learn the meanings of sexual orientation terms, and everyone will learn about
undergoing bodily and hormonal changes and avoiding discrimination. I do not think it is
right to learn about these things all throughout middle and high school. As a seventh

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

grader, I learned about the female body and its changes in sexual education. In ninth
grade, however, we learned about multiple topics including sexual orientation. It was
pointed out that some people like the opposite sex, the same sex, and both sexes. We
talked about how there is no right or wrong and everyone should be accepted. There was
no ongoing process of learning about sexual orientation. I do believe that teaching a
sexual orientation course could potentially fill the childs head with confusion and false
thoughts, especially as a middle school student. If repeated enough times, one can begin
to believe their lies. So, having this course taken over a period of time could possibly
cause a child to be confused. In a classroom, sexual education should be taught and it
should be made clear that whatever the students sexual orientation is should be accepted.

Conclusion
In order to teach a diverse classroom, I know that I must be accepting of my
students and their differences. As I have learned in previous classes and in life, I cannot
teach everyone the same because everyone does not learn the same. Of all the factors that
create a diverse classroom, I must know how to handle them all, which means being
sensitive to every childs needs and teaching them in the best possible way that I can.

A DISPOSITION FOR DIVERSITY

References
Armstrong, Thomas (1999). Seven Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your
Multiple Intelligences. New York: Plume.
Smith, Deborah Deutsch (2007). Introduction to Special Education: Making A
Difference. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Starnes, Todd (2015). Parents Furious Over Schools Plan To Teach Gender Spectrum,
Fluidity. Fox News. Retrieved from
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/05/15/call-it-gender-fluidity-schools-toteach-children-there-s-no-such-thing-as-boys-or-girls.html.
Webb, L.D., Metha, A., Jordan, K.F. 2010). Foundations of American Education. New
Jersey: Pearson.
Supreme Court (1982). Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District
v. Amy Rowley. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved from
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/458/176.