A Teacher: A Reflection of Diversity

Growing up in a small suburb of Colorado, I was exposed to white people everywhere. My elementary school was an all white school, and whites made up most of the population of my town. As I got older and attended high school, I noticed people who were different than me, but there were still not many. The teachers did not have very diverse classrooms, so many of my teachers knew knew how the students behaved in the classroom. Until college, I never realized how diverse the place we live in really is. This tutoring experience has opened my eyes to the diversity in our classrooms, and the many different positions the teachers must fill. According to Johnson, the solution to eliminate fear of other races is to "champion diversity, promote tolerance, and celebrate difference." In order to be a culturally competent teacher, we must recognize diversity in our classrooms and adapt to it.

At ABC Elementary School, I noticed the classrooms in the school are composed mostly of African Americans and Hispanics. There are a few white children and a couple of Asians. There classrooms are very diverse, and this says much about the learning environment. Infoworks (www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/) reports that this elementary school is composed of 59% Hispanics, 31% African Americans, 6% White Americans, 3% Asians, and 1% Native Americans. 25% of those students are bilingual. Surprisingly enough, 90% of the students are eligible for reduced price lunch, and they also receive free breakfast. These statistics say a few things about cultural capital brought into the classrooms.

The children in these classrooms may seem like your typical kindergartners, but there is a lot more to these students. Some of the students sing rap songs and dance around like rappers they have seen on television. Others talk about scary movies they have seen. Some tell stories about their families, many of them are heartbreaking. How can some students not even know how to hold a book the proper way? Or that reading is done from left to right? They come from a completely different atmosphere than many people know. One can infer that these students are they way they are because of their parents. I mean, how do these students listen to rap? How do some of these precious 5 year olds watch the movie Chucky? What kind of person will these students become when they grow up in a family whose father has been in prison for years? Did their parents never read to them? But who can really say that these issues are a reflection of the parents? With society the way it is today, kids are growing up much quicker than ever before and there is no one person to blame. These many different factors that are brought to the classroom are a learning experience not only for our students, but for us teachers. besides the negative factors, there are so many positive assets that these children bring to the classroom. They have taught me that even a little bit of attention makes their day. They have taught me that when something is frustrating, keep trying and there will be a reward. Bottom line, they really are just kindergartners and they adore attention and praise. Regardless of what communities these students come from, they have so much to learn, and we are the ones who can make an impact on them. There are many different learning styles, and the ultimate goal of a culturally competent teacher is to be able to teach anything and everything in more than one way.

Some students in the classroom need much more attention and discipline than others, and I noticed that the teacher in the classroom has a great way of acknowledging this, and giving the students what they need. There are times when Mrs. Autumn will be cheerful and sing any and everything in the classroom, but 90% of the time, she is down to business. When I think of an elementary school teacher, I think of a sweet teacher who talks in a soft voice and calls them sweetie and hun every 5 seconds. In reality, that is not how they are. At least not at ABC Elementary School. Teachers need to have control over their students. Mrs. Autumn is such a kind woman, but she always used a very loud, Stern voice and commands the students "sit down please" rather than "will you please sit down?" As Delpit said, African American teachers and white teachers interact differently. White teachers tend to make a command into a question whereas African American teachers just give a the command. Mrs. Autumn is indeed white, but I think it is safe to say that after her many years of teaching at this elementary school, she know what the children will react to, and a command it is. I believe that inner city schools should not be the only ones with diverse classrooms. After all, whites are going to be a minority in the country sooner or later, and now is the time to expose ourselves to different cultures. I think that these children in this school will be much more accepting of other races than those who are secluded in their private schools. It is extremely important that children are exposed to different cultures at a young age so that diversity is instilled and they can receive a real view of what makes our country they way it is. A culturally competent teacher will "champion diversity, promote tolerance, and celebrate difference." By doing this, they are making themselves aware of the sociocultural distinctiveness in their classrooms and learning how to be a rounded teacher who can fill the many positions that are demanded.