Module Four: Leaner Diversity
Diversity is an asset to society, as are teachers. So, teaching a multicultural classroom is an important thing to learn in order to effectively teach a wide spectrum of diversity. Multicultural education “promotes equity in the schooling of all students” (Woolfolk 2014). I expect to encounter many forms of diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, and ability in regards to students and co-workers.
Teaching History from multiple perspectives is one way to include all of my students’ differences in the classroom. Being a part of the white majority, it’s important to be culturally aware of other students and sensitive to their unique experiences. I also think that personality characteristics play a huge role in how to organize the classroom, both physically and in regards to lesson plans.
The Power of Introverts TedTalk
I watched this Ted Talk in a Psychology class last year. She discusses how classrooms are often arranged in ways that support extroverted personalities, like having the desks arranged in tables facing each other. I can identify with the speaker in this sense because I hated having to face other students instead of the front of the room. I felt like I was never able to work individually, which is how I thrived in school.
I imagine arranging my classroom in a way that can promote both personality types: arranging the desks in sets of two with aisles in between. This way, students are easily able to work individually, with partners, or in small groups of four. Working by individually and in groups is important for students so that they can learn independence and team building skills. However, students also should feel comfortable in their learning enviroment in order for that learning to take place.
References
Cain, S. (2012, February). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts
Woolfolk, A. E. (2014). Educational Psychology for teachers (12th ed.). Pearson