Diversity and the Classroom

The face of the classroom is changing today in the suburban school, whether it be private or public education. As the inner city of major metroplitans has experienced the increased diversity of the classroom for years, so now will the outer ring schools withstand the onslaught of urban sprawl. Name a city and there will be a recognized increase in the demographics that present a wide range of ethnic diversity in its suburban school system. This phenomena certainly needs to be recognized rather than feared.

In my high school, in Minnesota's twin cities - I prefer to respect their anonymity - I have experienced a great evolution of culture shock that truly fascinates me. A neighboring school remains drastically white in percentage, and we as teachers and educators look to our demographics with optimism. Where else may a child experience tradition outside of their own with guidance and respect sharing greater emphasis than in the classroom? Our efforts have become gradually focused upon celebrating diversity rather than supression. I believe that ought to be the natural course of thinking in all school districts. We have the responsibility to offer our students a clear message, that individuality can create and nurture positive outcomes, within shared experience, rather than negatiing the reality with close-mindedness and intolerance. However, another obstacle remains that prevents a smooth transition towards cultural awareness. A vision of change and acceptance can only occur with evident support from the homes of our children. The values that students bring into the classroom realize their starting points within the seemingly safe walls of home. That is where values and integrity are meant to prosper. My fear is that it is not occuring enough, and the views of long-term intolerance create a basis for learned behavior that will inevitably determine how Cherise or Jill, and Ahmed or Jorge become compatible in their formative years of education. Perhaps Dimitri can bring wonderful insight derived from his homeland that allows Robert to feel greater confidence; ideally that open-mindedness to see another person's perspective without categorizing race begins with learned values in the direct environment of the immediate family.

Recently, on the highway, a car swept past me with a bumper sticker that shouted, "Why do I have to press 1 for English?" with an American flag framing the message. My reaction was sadness and as I later came upon the driver I was able to get a look at the driver.My disappointment occurred when the individual appeared like anyone of us do on a given day, quietly going about their lives. Yet, the confusion I felt stemmed from the hidden agenda that exists behind the closed doors of today's society. Throughout the nation we are visualizing racism and discrimination at higher levels than we did in the turbulent sixties, when civil rights and Martin Luther King's freedom march begged the nation to begin to understand the meaning of diversity. Today, it's no longer the black nation that demands acknowledgement. Now the range of acceptance will be afforded to Somalians, Hispanics, Latinos, Russians, Czechs; the list could certainly be extended.

Society might ask that each family begin to pay attention to the needs of their children and practice expression that allows our world to evolve. We are not simply the United States. We are part of an inter-planetary cooperative, and with the now rooted merits of the internet, and affordable travel, opportunity to thrive and transition to our country from a less productive homeland, why not practice acceptance? Why not put the effort towards realizing the value of new ideas? Perhaps it is time to suggest that in our conception at birth to the end we all become human beings, that through the simple miracle of our mortality and a spiritually guided existence we are simply whom we are, nothing more unique than that. We all desire similar outcomes, to feel at peace and one with the world around us.

Our goals might be in the classroom to raise awareness and appreciation of each other's contributions rather than suggesting a quick judgement call that condones the violence and disconnect that haunts our daily existence. The world is a wonderful reality. The sun rises and sets in the same manner each day whether our environment is withstanding horrendous storms, or being bathed in sunshine. We cannot change that reality, so how is that we insist upon changing what is essential towards our purpose on earth; the appreciation and growth that will come with a dignified and supportive world believing in one outcome, the preservation and values that human lifet was meant to aspire. As a teacher, I have an opportunity that goes well beyond teaching to the test and standards that employ the concept of No Child Left Behind. That responsibility lies in a teacher and the parent's ability to help their child grow within the basic tenets of love and acceptance, sharing together the remarkable world we live in today.