Diversity in the Classroom

When I become a teacher, I believe that it will be very important to learn about the diversity in the classroom and get to know my students from multiple perspectives. The first thing that I need to do as a teacher is to assess all the ELL’s and determine which category they fall under. I believe it is very important to get to know your students so that you can use that knowledge to help construct your teaching lessons. Just like discussed in class, I believe the culture of a person determines how we think, believe, behave, teach, and learn. Additionally, the culture of a person is learned, shared, and continually changing. So, on the first day of class, I would do some kind of “get to know you activity”. For example, I could have the students go around the room and say three facts about themselves. Also, I can remember when I was younger, my teacher would create a worksheet that had facts, such as “I have a cat” or “I have a brother”. Then, we had to go around the room and find people who had these certain facts and they would sign their name. This was a good way for me to meet all my classmates, learn about their culture, and interact with them. Because I had such a good experience with this activity, I think I would use it in my future classroom. Also, I really like the “I Am From” Poems that we discussed in class this week. I think this is a great way for me as a teacher to learn about my students and their background. It allows the students to express themselves, while at the same time gives me the knowledge that I need to know about my students. Then, I could take that knowledge and find books, activities, or assignments that fit the interest of that specific student. All of these activities would benefit me as well as the students getting to know one another.

Also, after reading chapters from the Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning book by Pauline Gibbons, I learned that language learning is not a linear process, but involves learners in developing language in an increasing range of contexts. Additionally, Gibbons states that learning is essentially collaborative and social, and that both teacher and students are partners in this collaborative learning. So, in order to make an impact in my students learning I believe it is very important for me to learn about their specific culture. By doing this, I can build on what the student already knows and provide scaffolding that is responsive to the needs of students who do not know how to do a certain task. In order to achieve this I could use activities stated in the Lenski article, such as predictability logs or alternative assessments. Lastly, to learn more about the diversity in my classroom, I might do a unit on a specific culture. After completing the unit, I would have each student write a paper about their specific culture and then have them share it to the class. I believe that it is very important for children, as well as teachers, to be exposed and learn about many different cultures.