Throughout this program, I have been given the opportunity to work with diverse

students and learn about how to honor diversity, both within the classroom and throughout a

school community. One of the most beneficial opportunities within this program was learning

about how to teach English language learners (ELL). Before this program, I had very limited

knowledge about instructional strategies and theories that inform instructional choices when it

comes to teaching students who are English language learners. Being able to learn about those

theories and strategies, and then put them into practice through tutoring, helped with

understanding how to make reading approachable and fun for ELL students.

Another way that this program has helped with learning about diversity and how diversity

affects reading instruction is through the understanding of multicultural literature and it’s

importance in the classroom. Addressing and including diversity is important, especially as the

classroom continues to diversify, for a number of reasons. Multicultural literature is something

that can be used in any and every classroom in a multitude of ways that helps students gain

exposure to other cultures that they may have never had exposure to otherwise. This can be

integrated into the classroom in a multitude of ways, including in classroom libraries, read-

alouds, and author studies. Another reason that it is important to integrate multicultural literature

into classrooms is that it honors diversity by providing access points for all readers, as students

see stories who’s main characters reflect them, whether that’s in culture and/or experiences.

Overall, this program has helped me expand my abilities to understand diversity and

implement practices that include all students in my classroom or throughout the school. It has

also given me experience with implementing practices that celebrate diversity and integrate it

into instruction.