Running head: FINAL REFLECTION

Final Reflection: Diversity in the Classroom

Jessica L. Conrad
Texas Womans University

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Final Reflection: Diversity in the Classroom

Over this past semester, I have learned more about diversity in our world than I have my
entire college education path. I come from somewhat of a sheltered life where I was never
immersed into cultures different from my own. This diversity in the classroom class has opened
my mind to new ideas, new experiences and has helped shape my mind and perception on
diversity in a whole different light. It has helped me mold my views of how I will create my
future classrooms and how to interact and approach my future students. Curriculum cannot be
created just on ones own cultural beliefs and norms; diversity has to be taken into consideration
when creating a curriculum and deciding on how to assess students. I feel that this class has
better prepared me for these aspects of my profession and I am extremely excited about applying
the information that I learned in this class in my future classrooms.
Personal Development from Coursework and Field Observation
When going into my fieldwork, I thought I knew what to expect of the classroom
environment and how I would present my own teaching style. By observing in the classroom and
getting a firsthand look at how the teachers introduced the material, it made me realize that there
were adjustments that I needed to make with my own teaching style to be able to accommodate
and reach all students in the classroom. This diversity in the classroom class has taught me to
look past my own beliefs and culture and allow myself to look at other cultures from their
perspective. It has given me effective tools to be able to not only communicate with students
from different cultures but has given me a whole new level of respect for these individuals. I feel
that I have not only personally grown from this class, but professionally grown as well. When
first coming into this class, I didnt think any of the information would apply to me because I

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wanted to teach in the area where I grew up. There was not much diversity in the schools here,
and I didnt think any of the information would apply. After going through by observations and
obtaining the knowledge from this class, that couldnt have been further from the truth. Even
though the school that I observed in was predominantly white, there was still diversity that I saw
all throughout the school. This class opened my eyes and has allowed me to break free from this
shielded life that I have lived in and explore the diverse world that we have.
I have learned from this class that not all students learn the same and it is our
responsibility as teachers to be able to present material in various ways to make sure that all
learning styles are being met, specifically with English language learners. Failure to meet the
needs of English language learners can directly affect their success in school (Barrera, HansenThomas & Anderson, 2012, p.142). I feel one of the most important things that I have learned in
this class is that to encourage these specific students, we must encourage their native language.
The level of development of childrens first language is a strong predictor of their secondlanguage development (Cushner, McClelland & Safford, 2012, p.280). We have to preserve this
minority groups linguistic and cultural heritage, otherwise, we will not be effective in assisting
these English language learners.
Creating a Diversity Affirmative, Culturally Inclusive Classroom
Appropriate textbooks that promote all groups of diversity, such as race, sex, gender,
class, religion and ability in a fair and equal way are necessary in helping create a culturally
inclusive learning community. Understanding prejudice among all diverse groups is important
for students to learn about, as most students tend to surround themselves with others just like
themselves (Cushner, McClelland & Safford, 2012, p.181). They become closed off to anyone

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different, and look at their own personal beliefs as normal. The long-term goal of a multicultural
education is for students to become more complex thinkers (Cushner, McClelland & Safford,
2012, p.183). Evaluating scenarios in different perspectives is integral in developing an
ehtnorelative view; but how will I introduce this culturally inclusive idea into my classrooms in
the future?
A comfort level needs to be reached not only with students on issues such as race, but
with parents as well. Students initial opinions on other cultures starts at home, so it is imperative
in my classroom that I strengthen the relationship between myself and my students parents.
Sharing knowledge about different diverse groups with my parents as well hopefully will
encourage a reduction in prejudice created at home. Students need to have the perception that
everyone is different, but equal. Group activities are a great way to promote diversity. Groups in
my classroom need to be selected by myself; otherwise, students are going to pair up with
individuals who are just like them. Forcing students, in a sense, to work and collaborate with
different individuals can help create a relationship that can help students enhance their own
knowledge of diversity. As a teacher, I need to have a nurturing and calming atmosphere for
students to feel at ease. Treating every student the same, and encouraging and emphasizing on
students strengths can help foster a feeling of pride and accomplishment in students which then
can come across in their intergroup relations. (Cushner, McClelland & Safford, 2012, p.189).
Respecting and Valuing Diversity
Students learn moral values such as respect from watching others and how they interact
with people. Teachers are role models to students and it is important that they model and uphold
certain values to instill those in their students. In my future classroom, I hope to instill value and

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respect of diversity with my students by emerging them into different cultures and their norms.
Learning about different cultures can give them the knowledge, but being immersed into other
cultures itself I believe would bring respect and value to a higher level. Inviting guest speakers
and having educational field trips to cultural based events can only heighten my students
knowledge and respect towards others. Interacting with different cultures I feel is one of the best
ways to build a foundation of respect and value for anothers heritage. Respect amongst all
students in the classroom though is essential as well. A classroom is going to have individuals
that come from all different backgrounds, and encouraging respect amongst one another is
important when introducing different culture knowledge. When working in groups, I would
specifically create the groups as diverse as I could for students to be able to interact with others
that they might not typically interact with. This not only will give students different perspectives
on certain issues, but allow them to converse and ask questions as to why individuals believe
what they do.
The article that we read in class, White Privilege, is something that I would introduce to
my own class. I feel that this document gives students a different perspective on thinking of
themselves as the majority. Even the dominant culture in a school can be at a disadvantage, and I
think it is important for students to realize this when learning about other cultures. Prejudice
occurs in all ethnicities, even white, and I think once students gain this understanding, the more
capable they are of understanding the perspective of other groups and learning to respect them.
Schools today give no training in this idea of an invisible backpack. It seems that white students
have this perception that we need to work to benefit others so they will become more like us
(McIntosh, 1988). Should us be considered normal? Encouraging and promoting different

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cultures and not allowing the white culture to dominate will only help my students become
more culturally aware and knowledgeable about the world around them.
Physical Arrangement of the Classroom
The arrangement of the classroom is one that has more of an impact on how the class will
run than I originally thought. There were several different strategies put in place in each of the
classes I observed in, but one similarity that was noticeable was that all classes had seating
charts. Not only is this a good strategy for memorization of students names, but it also allows us
to separate problem students and pair underachieving students with those who could help them
apply themselves further (Wong & Wong, 2009, p.121). When working on activities in the class,
it is important to utilize the seating to effectively promote open communication. When working
with the class as a whole, it might be beneficial to have all seats facing one another so every
student feels included. Working in groups, students desks should be placed in groups facing each
other. Seating is not the only important aspect of the physical arrangement of the class. The
teachers desk should be positioned in a way that is open and inviting to students.
Communication is key, and students should feel comfortable confronting the teacher with
questions. The physical environment of a classroom can create an effective learning area.
Pictures, posters and bulletin boards can excite students to learn and make them feel comfortable
to participate. Hanging such items on the wall is a good way to promote diversity in the
classroom. Pictures, posters and bulletin boards should be meticulously chosen to make sure that
several different ethnicities and cultures are being represented.
I picture my classroom as being a safe place for discussions and debate. I see my
classroom as having all the desks placed in a large circle for discussion only days. When leading

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the discussion, I would stand in the middle of the circle, which I feel would aide in participating
amongst the students. I feel that this would make them feel we are just communicating together
rather than being pressured into participating for a grade. On days where new material is being
presented, I would have the desks arranged where half the class is on one side of the room and
the other half is on the other side, facing each other. I think distractions is one of the most
detrimental things in a learning environment, so when students walk in, I would have them put
up their cell phones in wall hanger that I have provided to prevent temptation of pulling it out
during instructional time. The white board and projector would be at the front center of the room
where it easily viewable by all students.
Communication
Respect is the key to being able to communicate amongst each other. Not only respect for
each other, but respect for the diverse cultures that are represented in the classroom. Giving
students my expectations the first day of class hopefully will help them understand the
importance and make them realize there is a zero tolerance policy for any disrespect in the
classroom. I want my students to feel that they can communicate with me on an issue, regardless
of whether it is educational related or not. During a parental involvement webinar I took this
semester, one suggestion for communication not only between parents and teacher, but parents
and students, was a class Facebook page. I feel by creating a page like this for students to join, it
allows students to be able to communicate in a way that they are familiar and comfortable with.
With the advances in technology today, it only seems logical to me for students to provide their
email addresses as well for me to be able to communicate with them outside of school if
necessary, or to communicate to all of the students as a group. I want my students to feel safe
when communicating in class. In my mind, there is no dumb answer or question. Making sure

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that students feel value in the questions that they have and comments or suggestions creates a
feeling of safeness which then encourages them to participate more frequently in the future.
Making sure that all students know that their words and voice have meaning is an effective way
to communicate with my students and effectively encourage participation in class.
Curriculum
Having a diverse curriculum is key when presenting different perspectives, not only on
culture, but learning techniques as well. Teachers have to believe all students can learn regardless
of their social class or ethnic background (Banks, 2008, p.41). A curriculum that reflects the
experience of a wide range of groups in the world is consistent with the public good and doesnt
reflect a special interest (Banks, 2008, p.46). Infusing diversity in everyday curriculum can be
difficult. I plan on incorporating some type of diversity every day in my classroom to promote
learning of what the real world is going to be about. We cannot shadow our students from the
diverse world that we live in. The more diverse we make our curriculum, the better prepared our
students will be for the workforce. A curriculum should be created to not only meet the state
standards, but created in a way that entices the students and allows them to develop their own
understanding of the material being presented. Teachers should teach for accomplishment of the
student, not just to cover the material. How will I do this in my own classroom?
In my future class, I plan on using structured assignments with clear objectives, group
work and projects to help my students flourish. Objectives give students focus and enable them
to check for their own understanding (Wong & Wong, 2009, p.265). I think one of the most
important resources that a teacher can use when creating their curriculum is other teachers.
Collaboration amongst other teachers is a necessity in any teaching position, as other colleagues

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can give you valuable tips and ideas to feed off of and develop into something even better. From
my textbook analysis, I learned that teachers cannot solely rely on the textbook to teach from.
Textbooks can be out of date and not relevant to material presented in class. I feel this is one of
the reasons it is so imperative to have a collaborative relationship with fellow teachers.
Cooperative learning, jigsaw activities and gallery walks are all learning activities that I will be
applying into my own classroom to help engage the students. Having a diverse curriculum I feel
is important for my class. It allows all learning styles to be met and helps students strengthen
their weak points in learning styles that might not be as strong.
Student Assessments
While testing is important to asses a students knowledge level, I dont feel it is the most
important aspect of assessing how a student is progressing. Students show their levels of success
in different ways, so assessments should take that into consideration. Students should be given
the opportunity to demonstrate what they know and are able to do in a variety of ways, such as a
completion of a project or performance of an authentic task (Boles, 2011, p.321). In my
classroom, I plan on assessing my students on a range of different items, which I would have
them put into a portfolio for me to review at the end of the semester to gauge how far they have
progressed. Not only will this give a variety of items to analyze, it will also give students a
greater sense of accomplishment by seeing a compilation of their work rather than just one grade
over one assessment (Boles, 2011, p.321). In addition to having a portfolio for my class, I also
plan on having periodic evaluations to be able to provide feedback to my students on areas that
need improvement and emphasize their strengths. This will allow them to develop the areas that
need development, but also give them a sense of accomplishment by having their strengths
pointed out. Authentic assessments are ones that I would use throughout the year to gauge how

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students apply their knowledge in real-life situations or settings. I feel that this is important as
students can get a false idea of what real-life is while in school.
Creating a diverse classroom is more than just presenting knowledge on different cultures
and ethnicities. It is about reaching students at a deeper level to think deeper and more complex.
Without introducing diversity to our students, we are doing them an injustice to understanding
how our world works. I feel an important goal of teachers is to help students move from the
ethnocentric side or reality to the ethnorelative side. Accepting and understanding diversity does
not mean you have to give up your own values and beliefs. Being able to gain a new perspective
on others beliefs and have an understanding that there is no norm and no judgment should be
passed is acceptance in its own. How a teacher creates the classroom environment, physically
and mentally, is essential in creating a diverse classroom. The tools that I have learned from this
class and my observations have helped better prepare me for my class of my own in the future,
that hopefully will be filled with knowledge of diversity, culture and acceptance of other groups.

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References
Banks, J. A. (2008). An introduction to multicultural education (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Barrera, P., Hansen-Thomas, H., & Anderson, G. (2012). Standard test performance:
Expectations of english language learners in texas. In M. T. Cowart & G. Anderson
(Eds.), English Language Learners in 21st Centruy Classrooms: Challenges and
Expectations (7th ed.). Denton: May King Enterprise, Co. Ltd.
Boles, P. (2011). School/law ethics and professional responsibilities. Boston: Pearson Learning
Solutions.
Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Safford, P. (2012).Human diversity in education: An
intercultural approach. (7th ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill.
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack:
http://online.twu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=
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%3D_86718_1%26url%3D
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher.
Mountain View: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.