Diverse Education

"Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day."

-Author Unknown

Diversity is very prevalent in our school systems. Each year the classrooms become more and more diverse. As the diversity around us grows, we must grow with it as well. As educators, we have to recognize this diversity and incorporate it into our everyday lessons. We must embrace diversity and face all of the challenges that can come with it. It is a natural instinct for people to judge. How we act on that judgment can distinguish a good teacher from a great teacher.

My service learning teacher was an example of a great teacher who embraced diversity and incorporated it well into her everyday lessons. I was very impressed by her response to diversity.  She always worked well with the diverse group of students present in her classroom. She never once singled anyone out or made any one student feel different than another student. She interacted with each student in a very encouraging way and  made them understand that although we are all different, we can come together and learn new things from each other.

My service learning teacher would use the student's diversity as a way for the students to learn more about new things. For example, one week the students were studying a unit on China. During this unit she would ask the students she knew were of Chinese decent how to pronounce certain words or if they knew how to say different words in Chinese. This allowed the other students to learn words in a new language from their classmates. She also asked a few students if they had Chinese artifacts at home and the students would bring them in to show their classmates. This use of diversity allowed students to be involved and allowed the class to learn more about China. It allowed them to experience things that they may not have been able to experience without this diversity present in the class.


I had a great experience during my service learning and I learned a lot. My teacher's use of diversity made me realize that you can incorporate diversity without singling students out or making them feel indifferent. Diversity is a positive thing and should be incorporated into the classroom. The best way to learn new things is to learn from each other. There are many students from different backgrounds in each class and having them be able to share their experiences allows the students and the teacher to learn more about that student. Educators should embrace diversity and use it positively.

Sources Used:
Diversity Quotes. N.p., Google. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. http://thinkexist.com/quotations/diversity/.
Everett Education Association. Diversity. N.p., n.d. Google. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. http://www.everettea.org/diversity.