Lindsey
Mattson
Blog
Post #4
Given
your understanding of intentional and unintentional racism both through
teacher-student interactions and curriculum development, how would you
encourage diversity in the classroom?
Diversity
implies both differences and change, two things most people don’t like. So, to encourage diversity in the classroom,
I would first highlight the differences between the students as a positive
thing. Whether it being race, gender, hair color, eye color, etc., making a
statement that difference in the classroom is good will encourage kids to
embrace their similarities and differences and better prepare them for the real
world. For example, in one of my classes I heard two students arguing about their
favorite colors. One student argued that red was a better color than blue,
while the other student argued the opposite.
Then they started arguing about other little things and calling each
other names. I told the students that both colors were great and the fact that
they liked different colors just made them more interesting people. I realize
looking back I could have explained myself more because I didn’t make a very
good argument to third graders. I would
like to have used that opportunity as a learning experience for the students
and asked them something like if they thought it would be more fun to have
friends that all liked all the same things or all looked and talked and walked
exactly the same. I have a feeling the students would have said no and maybe
something along the lines of “that would be so boring.” Although this is an
example using favorite colors and not race, I have heard some comments in the
classroom that I believe would not have been said if the students appreciated
diversity more. I think opening students’ eyes to all the things that make
their classrooms and friend groups diverse and making it a positive thing in
the classroom, at a young age, will definitely teach these students that
diversity is important and all part of the real world.
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