celebrate our individual differences
Copyright © 2005 by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Experts are waiting 24/7 to provide step-by-step solutions in as fast as 30 minutes! We need to do so not only because it's “the right thing” to do, which it certainly is, but also because doing so is no longer an option. They also learn about the history and the culture that went into creating this cemetery. At one point, a black board member asked, “This is all well and good that we value diversity, but what message would I receive if I were in the school at midnight? Their feedback about the activity was equally positive. Diversity Training - Understanding how our differences may effect or influence our relationships at work (peers, subordinate, boss, and customers - intentionally or unintentionally). We were given an hour and 15 minutes to debrief what we saw and felt and to speculate about the implications for us as educators. After 15 to 20 minutes of that discussion, someone asked, “This conversation is great, but how will we know if we are successful?” One of my wisest board members responded, “We've just heard from a black parent who was uncomfortable with how our school looks, and it is clear that we have been remiss.” He paused for emphasis. Diversity should be addressed throughout our curriculum as we seek to promote an understanding and awareness of one another. Equally powerful messages emanate from the informal curriculum. There are gay and lesbian members of my religious community. To understand other’s perspectives, to broaden our own, and to fully experience and educate ourselves. It also set the stage for us to talk about our backgrounds and characteristics, both the salient and the hidden, and their possible influence on us as individuals and as educators. Don’t shy away from hard answers. Being judgemental and not appreciating just how vital diversity is in your life should be a thing of the past. At New City School, this group helps frame the inservice activities that support diversity (planning the social identifiers activity, for example), talks about issues of diversity and how our school can improve, and often supports a diversity book club. We sorted ourselves by comfortable categories like hand dominance and birth order; we also addressed tougher issues such as religion, the socioeconomic status into which we were born, and the socioeconomic status in which we currently place ourselves. ~Angie. Progress will at times come slowly and painfully, but it will come. But just as every teacher takes it as a personal responsibility to teach the scholastic skills and understandings that students need, each teacher needs to recognize the responsibility to help students understand and appreciate others who are different from themselves. Report cards reflect progress made with the formal curriculum. We have learned that posting students' work does not suffice, however rich it may be; we must also offer an explanation. There were some awkward silences, but they led to productive interactions. I remember thinking that I really wanted to talk with someone about what was happening. Check out a sample Q&A here. 2:15. Subscribe to ASCD Express, our free email newsletter, to have practical, actionable strategies and information delivered to your email inbox twice a month. Because of our positions, we set the tone and we are the role models. Invite a friend and cook traditional food. They need to know that an understanding and appreciation of human diversity is important. 1703 North Beauregard St.
They must work to help all the adults in a school community become more comfortable with and appreciative of one another. Want to see this answer and more? Nick Furry. Half of the students wrote from the perspective of the deer and half from that of the deer hunter. The mural was created by our students under the direction of our art teacher, and it portrays people who have overcome discrimination of various sorts. Your differences can compliment each other, and you don't have to worry about being in competition. We need to consciously include all staff members in holiday parties, showers, birthday celebrations, and the like. When she’s not writing, she’s planning outdoor adventures with her husband and two children. This person could be the principal, of course, but there is something to be gained from having another faculty member live and breathe the school's diversity issues. An article by Forbes, Being The Odd One Out – Survival Tips To Being Different, said: “The mega-successful don’t play by the rules. In addition, sometimes such efforts meet opposition from the faculty because “That is not what we're here for” or “We don't have time for these kinds of games” or “My job is to teach children how to ...” As school leaders, however, we cannot let this reluctance deter us from our goal. These titles were also noted in Chapter 2 when I discussed forming a book group as a tool to pursue collegiality. When applied to race, this is not the case. Here are a few book suggestions to read with your children that help teach compassion and celebrate differences: We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street) by, Bobbi Kates Accept and Value Each Person by Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed. I don't mean to overestimate this activity; after all, it was but a couple of hours during one inservice session. The ability to deal successfully with issues of diversity is enhanced when a school's students and staff are diverse. Solutions often do not come easily for issues that intersect with diversity, so it is of the utmost importance that the principal be aware of the tensions and history that can accompany them. If teachers approach parents of students with the intention of wanting to help the child and learn, it could create a world of a difference in the classroom environment. TDP may from time to time publish articles and resources provided by independent content contributors – we (TDP) are not responsible for and do not necessarily hold the opinions expressed by these content contributors. When we speak only to race, we are ignoring all the people who are different from the majority in other ways and the implications that follow from their diversity. That broad brushstroke fails to recognize and appreciate the differences, both inherent and cultural, among us. Earlier in the chapter, I talked about the meeting in which the New City School board member asked what she would see if she were in the building at midnight. How did these people live? The Daily Positive is an education business focused on personal growth and positive living, led by Bernadette Logue, Transformation Life Coach. One result of our preference for similarity is that we inadvertently filter out … Faculty. ~Brian. Second, after the inservice day was over, this large piece of paper was posted in our front hall for our students' parents to see, with this explanation: “Last week's faculty inservice day dealt with homophobia. YOU BE YOU while I BE ME. ~Rich. Mahatma Gandhi is featured there, as is Helen Keller. Acknowledge the similarity bias. This realization led to a fascinating discussion on the need to ensure that our values were apparent in our building at any time of day or night. Monday through Friday
Want to see the step-by-step answer? Examples of categories that can be used in this exercise are found in Figure 10 on p. 150. With diversity issues, as with so many other areas, our staff members are crucial to our success. Would I know how much our school values diversity?” We were all silent for a moment, stunned by her questions. The formal curriculum must include an understanding of prejudice and discrimination, both historically and today. I like to know that a leader will look at all sides of an issue and will not be ruled by his or her emotions. Finally, although I have focused on curriculum, it is important to note that not only what we teach but also how we teach has implications for diversity. If we don't have enough time to be everywhere and greet everyone, do we make a point of ensuring that those we do talk with are not just the wealthiest or the most powerful or those who share our racial or demographic profile? “Would I know how much our school values diversity?” she asked. © 2021 - Made with ❤ by The Daily Positive - All Rights Reserved. They must ensure that diversity issues are an integral part of the formal and informal curriculum and are focused on throughout the year (not only in February, during Black History Month). Students were given three characters—a slave, a slave owner, and a free person who helped slaves—and were asked to write dialogue that depicted issues that they would have discussed and how they would have felt. Instead of fighting against differences, embrace them, be respectful of them and use the experience to learn and grow as a person. The content on The Daily Positive (TDP) is designed to provide general supportive ideas and resources for a positive life. It is generally accepted that some of this variation is due to differences in genes and some to “environment”—that is, to differences in people's experiences. Why was there a separate black cemetery? They set goals for where they want to go. Because this issue is so important and because the school leader's plate is so full, one consideration is to appoint a faculty member to be a Diversity Coordinator. How should we celebrate our individual differences? We began by indicating our experiences with gays and lesbians and then heard from a panel of New City School gay and lesbian parents. We may teach that the Holocaust was a terrible event, but does our school accept and support a range of religious beliefs? We can show our differences to the whole world because if we never show that we are different, the world will keep dividing into different groups, races, etc. Of these 20 people, 12 are faculty members. of diversity. 2:15. Once, a teacher with whom I had worked for years placed herself in a different racial category than I expected. Laraine Thames. Dale Hansen Unplugged Celebrating our differences. They do their own things –- in their own ways. It is not our differences that divide us. Diversity activities teach young children to respect and celebrate the differences in all people. However, numbers alone are not sufficient; it is not enough to have diverse students and staff, as important as that can be. We also shared how, occasionally, it was hard for us to do so. Similarly, when our 3rd graders study Native Americans, they do it from a much richer perspective than basic U.S. history. First, in order to celebrate individual differences we need to accept others for who they are and teach others how to tolerate individual differences. I could offer more examples from every one of our grades, and each would reinforce the same point. By treating all people as if they are the same, we respect no one's unique contributions. Last summer, the group chose The No. Despite the fact that we provide no transportation, we enroll students from 52 different zip codes. Yet if we look back and reflect upon the progress that has been made, it is clear that the gains will continue. Human diversity is often quoted but seldom internalized.