Diversity in the Classroom - Lindsey

I believe that it is extremely important to learn about the diversity present in any classroom I am a part of. I include race, culture, religion, languages spoken, family backgrounds and more in my understanding of diversity. Many or all of these factors can influence the way a child thinks and functions in his/her daily life, both in and out of school. It will make connecting or relating with students easier if I know more about where they are coming from, their beliefs, and what is most important to them.
I grew up in a very mono-cultural area for the most part. My high school was mostly white, middle class, and Christian. There were some divorces, but not too many. Most of the racial diversity came from several Lost Boys of Sudan, some adopted African-Americans and Asians, and a few Asian families. I do not recall any Hispanic students and there were very few multiple language speakers. I can remember about five practicing Jewish families. All of this resulted in very little classroom diversity, but I do remember teachers incorporating as much of it into their classrooms as they could. In fourth grade my teacher, Mrs. Peterson, had each student prepare a presentation about a holiday tradition that his/her family practiced. She videotaped each person, and showed the tape at parent-teacher conferences after the holiday break. She recognized that even though there were not many major cultural differences, it was important to recognize the differences that were there. I would like to use a similar idea for my own future classrooms\, and expand on it with other activities that incorporate other cultural differences. She helped to validate the fact that being different is ok.
In a classroom where there is more diversity, it is even more important to validate differences. It can be easy for students of a minority religion, race, etc. to feel isolated and alone. As teachers, it is part of our job to make our classroom a safe and comfortable learning and social environment. We cannot do that part of our job properly if we do not make the effort to learn about each of our students, and to incorporate each student and his/her background into the classroom environment and curriculum. This would help to create an ideologically ‘progressive’ classroom, in which the, “…learning is placed at the center of the educational process” (page 6).