Edmonds 1

MyPhilosophyofDiversity
I.Introduction
Mypersonaldefinitionofdiversityissimpleitisthedifferencesfoundineach
andeveryindividual.However,Ithinkthetermdiversityalsoreferstotheunderstanding
thateachpersonisunique,andtherespectofthesedifferentaspectsofeachperson.
Diversityisnotsimplypresentwhenthereareanumberofpeoplefromdifferenceraces,
backgrounds,ethnicities,orsocialclass,butitisformedwhenthesepeopleareableto
overcomethesedifferences,andunderstandorrespecteachotherasindividuals.Itis
importanttoconsiderthediversebackgroundsofstudentsinclassroompracticesbecause
therespectthatateachershowsforthesebackgroundswillalsofosteracommunityof
respectwithinthestudentsaswell.Foraneffectivelearningenvironmenttobeformed,it
isimportantthateachstudentfeelaccepted,andthateachstudentformsthecapacityto
acceptothersfortheirdifferences.Whenacommunityofdiversityispossible,students
andteachersalikeareabletolearnfromandgrowthroughtheirpeers.
II.GuidingFrameworkofCultureCompetence
Mymodelofculturalcompetencerevolvesaroundtheideaofdiversityasa
fosteringofrespectandacceptancewithinacommunity,likeaclassroom.Myfirstkey
componentinthismodelistheunderstandingthatdiversityisnotsimplydifferencesin
colorornationality,butthateachpersonholdstheirownuniquebackground.Allofthe
factorsofapersonslifemakeuptheirpersonalculturalidentity.TheSourcesof
CulturalKnowledgearethemanyfactorsthateachpersonusestoidentifythemselves,
suchasrace,sex,health,etc.(Cushner80).Thesesourcesarethenaffectedbysocializing

Edmonds 2
agentsthatmediatethesourcesofculturalidentityandgivethemaparticularcultural
spin(Cushner86).Allofthesemanyfactorsaffecteachperson.Inunderstandingthis
idea,studentswillbegintoseetheirpeersinadifferentview,withrespecttotheir
culturalidentity.
Asecondkeycomponentistheseekingofknowledgeofothercultures.Ibelieve
thatinordertocreateaculturallyresponsivelearningenvironment,studentsandpeople
ingeneralshouldbeexposedtooandhavetheopportunitytolearnaboutotherculturesor
backgroundstheymayencounterintheirlives.Thisresponsibilitylandsonteachers,as
theymustcreateclassroomsthatreflectthisknowledge,aswellasopportunitiesto
explorediversity.Onegreatexamplethatweexaminedthisyearwasacasestudyfrom
Chapter7,inwhichateacherallowedeachofhisstudentstosharetheirstorieswiththeir
classmates,andlocatetheirfamilyheritage.Thisexamplefosteredaglobalcommunity
insideoftheclassroom.
Thethirdcomponentofmymodelofculturalcompetenceistheabilitytoshow
vulnerabilityinadditiontoopennesswhendiscussingandlearningaboutdiversity.Arnd
Wachterpresentedthisideainatalkonthepowerofinterculturalfriendships,asan
exampleofthequalitiesneededtoapproachtheseinterculturalrelationships.Ifoundthis
ideaveryprofound,inthatitisnotenoughtosimplybeopentoothers,butonemustalso
bewillingtobevulnerableandopenaboutoneself.Thisappliesinaclassroomsetting,
becausetheteachermustbewillingtoapproachthesesometimesscarytopicsbybeing
vulnerableaswell,inorderforthestudentstoalsobeabletobevulnerableinsharing

Edmonds 3
theirbackground.Itistheteachersresponsibilitytocreateanenvironmentthat
understandsandfostersthesevulnerabilities.
Thefinalguidingprincipalinthismodelistounderstandthatbeingdifferentdoes
notmeanbeingless.Overall,thisfinalcomponentisdrawnfromabasisofbeingopen
andunderstandinginthefaceofdiversity.Teachersespeciallymustseeintheirstudents
thepartsoftheiridentitythatmayholdthembackwithinatraditionalschool,suchas
languagebarriersorsocioeconomicissues.Thesedifferences,orsourcesofidentity,do
notmakethatstudenthaveanylesspotentialthananother.Itiscrucialthatteachersare
abletopinpointthesedifferences,andhelpstudentstoovercomeadversity.Forexample,
inthememoirLuckyChildbyLuongUng,LuongisgivenanAonanassignment
despiteithavingmanygrammaticalerrors.HerteacherdidnotseeanELLstudentthat
wascontinuingtostruggle,butinsteadsawherstrengthinportrayingherstory,and
rewardedherforherstrengths.ThisteacherunderstoodthatalthoughLuongwas
strugglingwiththeEnglishlanguage,shewasstillasmartindividualwithasmuch
potentialasthosestudentswhogrewupspeakingEnglish.
III.ExamplesofTeachingPractices
Imightbeginsettingupmyclassroomtohelprealizemyphilosophybycreatinga
safeenvironmentforallstudents.Thefirststeptoaculturallycompetentclassroomisa
teacherwhocanmodelthisbehaviorforallstudents.Withthis,theteacherisableto
fosterinterestinallstudents,nomattertheirbackground.Also,creatingaculturally
awareclassroomisveryimportant.Notonlystudyingthebackgroundsofstudentsinside
theclassroom,asseeninthecasestudy,butalsorecognizingdiversitiesincurriculum

Edmonds 4
studiesaswell.Forexample,discussingthebackgroundofanauthorbeforereadinghis
book,orstudyingthetimeperiodinwhichthebookwaswritten.Thisallowsstudentsto
seethedifferentdiversitiesthatmaynotbepresentinourownclassroom,andrecognize
thatthereareasmanydifferentdiversitiesastherearepeopleintheworld.Another
importantpartofaculturallyawareclassroomistopracticedifferentiation,orthe
changingofcertaincurriculumorteachingstylestocatertoallstudents,insteadofaone
styleapproach.Differentiationhelpsallstudentstosucceedbasedontheirdifferent
backgroundsandcultures.OnespecificquotethatIfoundtobeagreatexampleofthisis
fromJackieRoehlsarticle,EmbracingDiscomfort:SpeakingOutforCulture
Relevance.Shesays,Culturallyrelevantteachersdonotteachallstudentsthesame
wayinthenameofequality.Instead,theycreatelessonsinwhichstudents'experiences
arediscussedandinfusedinthelearning,andinwhichstudentshavetheopportunityto
learnbybuildingontheirpersonalbackgroundsandacademicstrengths.
IV.PersonalGoalsandProfessionalDevelopment
Inconclusion,Iplantocontinuemyownawarenessaboutdiversityinsocietyby
continuingtolearnandgrow,throughbothexperiencesandseekingeducation.Iwill
alwaysremembertobeopenandvulnerableinseekingexperienceswithpeopleofmany
differentbackgrounds,andrememberthatIalsohaveauniquebackgroundtoofferas
well.Thisunderstandingandconstantlearningwillhelpmetoconstantlyimprovemy
understandingsaboutthediverseneedsofmystudents,asIfeelthisisaprocessthat
neveractuallyends.Asateacher,Iwillonlycontinuetogrowalongwithmystudents.I
thinkthattheparticularlychallengingareaformewillbesimplytoalwaysrememberto

Edmonds 5
seekknowledgefromallofmyexperiences.Imustremembertoalwaystaketimeto
reflectandunderstandeveryexperienceasaculturalone.Anotherspecificquotethat
sumsupmyviewofdiversityisthatTeachingisanethicalactivity,andteachershave
anethicalobligationtohelpallstudentslearn(Villegas,Lucas32).Asteachers,this
shouldalwaysbeintheforefrontofourteaching,inordertofosterculturallycompetent
students.

Edmonds 6

WorksCited
ArndWchter,Arnd."CrossingtheBorder:ThePowerofInterculturalFriend."Hiner
Room,MemorialHall,Harrisonburg.10Nov.2014.Speech.

Cushner,Kenneth,AverilMcClelland,andPhilipL.Safford.HumanDiversityin
Education:AnInterculturalApproach.7thed.NewYork:McGrawHill,2012.
Print.

Roehl,Jackie."EmbracingDiscomfort:SpeakingOutForCulturalRelevance."
EducationWeek(2012):n.pag.10July2012.Web.29Aug.2014.

Ung,Loung.LuckyChild:ADaughterofCambodiaReunitesWiththeSisterSheLeft
Behind.NewYork:HarperCollins,2005.Print.

Villegas,AnaM.,andTamaraLucas."TheCulturallyResponsiveTeacher."Educational
Leadership(March2007):2833.Print.