Diversity Statement

A multicultural perspective embraces the uniqueness of different cultures and

backgrounds. Here in California, it is particularly important for teachers to honor and
celebrate difference due to our increasingly diverse population. Because of my own
mixed Japanese and Swiss heritage, this perspective is close to my heart and comes
naturally to me. As a child I lived and attended school in Switzerland and Japan, both
ethnically homogenous countries. I remember the sense of being an outsider in a
foreign culture, and longing for the diversity of California. I also appreciate how these
experiences have broadened and enriched my perspective.

Art making is a deeply personal endeavor. It is essential that all students feel respected
and included in the classroom so they will take risks to express themselves. In the art
classroom, a fundamental rule needs to be that bullying is not tolerated, and that
students are to be respectful of their classmates art, opinions and backgrounds.

Art class is particularly well-suited to teaching about diversity and differences because
art education includes viewing and discussing art from a variety of heritages. This gives
students an opportunity to understand and appreciate art from cultures quite different
from their own. It is equally important to show artwork from all students traditions to
affirm their heritage. In my classroom, I make a conscious effort to show art that is

representative of my students background. For example, because my current seventh

grade art class is predominantly Hispanic, one of my lessons involves making ceramic
sculptures based on pre-Columbian sculpture. This gives my students the chance to
learn about the meaning and aesthetics of this exceptional part of their cultural heritage.

Art is also a subject in which students with special needs can excel, sometimes with
additional support. One of my current students has difficulties with processing language
and with her fine motor skills. My most recent assignment focused on the lifecycle of
salmon. Using oil pastels with a watercolor wash, my students created an underwater
scene of salmon and kelp in the ocean. This students gestural drawing and multicolored
painted ocean created a beautiful and energetic art piece that received a well-deserved
A+.

Students who do not learn well from lecture-style teaching can benefit greatly from the
tactile and visual modalities that are inherent in teaching art. For example, I have
developed vocabulary booklets specific to each of my lessons. I photocopy and fold a
sheet of paper to create an eight-page booklet with a vocabulary word and its definition
on each page. After the word is defined, students draw a quick sketch of the new
vocabulary word on the facing page. This gives the students the opportunity to illustrate
the definition in their own unique visual language. This way, the written definition
satisfies those who are more verbal, while students who are not verbally inclined
reinforce the definition through the act of drawing.

Because art celebrates the unique creative vision of each individual artist and the varied
aesthetic styles and approaches they choose to use, the art classroom is the perfect
environment for celebrating diversity. That perspective is in fact at the heart of creating
art and is one of arts truest values.