Chapter 5 Summary

Jacob H
Who Are Todays Students?

The world is changing, and as it does, schools

are changing as well. Schools are much different than
they were 50 years ago. There has been more of a
movement to recognize people of all ethnicities,
religion, and sexual orientation. In todays world,
students are made up of those from all over the world,
providing new and informative cultural knowledge.
There has been a significant rise in minority students over the years in schools. This
has much to do with immigration. This rise has not only affected what goes on inside schools,
but in communities as well. There has been a rise in community segregation. There are more
white people living in the same community and vice versa with minorities. This has set up a
problem with teachers who come from all white communities because they have no diverse
experiences within schools.
Many teachers have ELL students within their classroom. This means that teachers
need to teach at a slower pace, speak more clearly, and use gestures and facial expressions.
They also need to make sure they are using concrete materials and visuals.
Within classrooms, there are students of many different religions and sexual
orientations. As a teacher, it is important to be knowledgeable about each religion or sexual
orientation. It is the responsibility of the teacher to make other students knowledgeable about
these as well, in order to create a safe environment and to stop biases.

Lastly, this chapter also discusses at-risk students. Those are students who are low
income, do not live with parents, live in a homeless shelter, and are subject to frequent school
changes. It is important to know these things as a teacher so you are able to best help the
student.