Zsanelle Morel - Blog Post 4

Q: Given your understanding of intentional and unintentional racism through both teacher-student interactions and curriculum development, how would you encourage diversity in the classroom?

            First, I think that the way to address diversity in the classroom needs to include the fact that diversity can mean so many different things; it is not just racial. Of course, racial differences should be addressed and considered as well, however it is also important to remember that diversity can even include different learning styles and different ways to approach or solve a problem. Teachers need to be more conscious about using different approaches to teach their students. What works for one student or one group of students may not work for all of them.

In terms of racial differences in curriculum development, teachers and curriculum developers can encourage diversity by using more ethnic and cultural names and customs for math problems and using books that feature main characters of a minority race. This should be not only in schools where there is a minority presence but also in schools where students would otherwise never have to learn about other races and cultures. Then, if/when a student from one of the cultures that was studied does enter the school community, that student will not have to face so many microaggressions that come from a lack of understanding. In general, the approach for teaching should take cultural differences into consideration more often. When there was a standardized test question about a yacht, students who had never heard of the word “yacht” were already at a disadvantage. So either tests/curriculums should not be standardized or they should at least include a variety of culture-related terms that the students will have to learn about because it would not only encourage diversity but it would also increase understanding between different racial groups.

            In terms of intentional and unintentional racism in teacher-student interactions, I think teachers just need to take the time to examine their own approach towards students of color. If the teacher is disciplining a child, is her reasoning clearly justifiable? Would she treat any other student the same way if it were the same circumstances? And, if not, why? Could race possibly be a factor? Race is not always the reason for harsh or lenient punishment but teachers have to be able to be honest with themselves if it is a factor. The first step is to be aware of your own biases and truly examine your actions and reactions to people of different races who commit the same acts. So all teachers should take the Implicit Association Test so that they themselves can see it and be aware of their biases and administrators will be able to see it because people with strong racist beliefs and intentions should not be allowed to be teachers so that they cannot effectively spread racism amongst students.