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Diversity Statement

Standard 3. A teacher teaches with respect for their individual and cultural characteristics.

We are becoming increasingly diverse. Cultural, linguistic, ethnic, racial and religious

diversity are expanding in the United States and therefore in the nation’s schools as well.

Maturational and cognitive diversity are slowly becoming valued as critical in curriculum and

lesson design. “An overall supportive climate, characterized by positive social relations and a

stimulating learning environment, has been associated with positive student outcomes, such as

psychological well-being and academic achievement (Thapa,Cohen,Guffey, & Higgins-

D’Alessandro, 2013; Wang & Degol, 2016).

It is critical that I continue to meet the needs of a diverse classroom and differentiation

can be a useful approach. The task of differentiating to support your learners on the edge of their

abilities may seem impossible. However, there is a distinct difference between differentiation

and individualization. “It is overwhelming to think that it might be the teacher’s job to

understand fully the needs of every single student, including those from a wide range of cultural

and language groups, who struggle to read or write, who grapple with behavior challenges, who

are advanced in performance, who come from oppressive home settings, and so on. Feasibility

suggests that classroom teachers can work to the benefit of many more students by implementing

patterns of instruction likely to serve multiple needs,” (Tomlison,McTighe, 2006, pg.19). The

objectives in the fourth grade science lesson plan accommodate more than one individual learner

by recognizing the patterns or groups of students that may have the same needs. The lesson

designed to give students a dynamic introduction to the food chain has a tiered assessment which

follows a pattern of instruction (Tomlinson,McTighe 2006) to serve multiple needs. It allows

maturational differentiation by encouraging the students to demonstrate what they know in a

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manner that considers their writing ability (emerging, developing, met) and cognitive ability

(depth of understanding).

The emergent writers will be able to connect their writing by illustrating their narrative

with a given list of foods which is cognitively appropriate to the learner. Students in this pattern

or cluster are able to stay engaged without being overwhelmed and discouraged.

The second tiered challenge allows the developing writer cluster to still illustrate, but are

asked to label in addition. They can further be challenged by choosing their own foods rather

than given a prescribed list of foods.

Finally, the third tiered cluster who demonstrate a stronger command of the content, are

given the opportunity to illustrate and label a food chain, but can be further challenged by

creating their own examples of Alaskan flora and fauna. These students are able to engage longer

in the task without boredom because there is further challenge.

This type of tiered differentiation keeps the diverse needs of all students engaged at the

edge of their abilities or their “zone of proximal development” which states that only activities

and instruction which falls into a child’s zone is effective (Sousa, Tomilson, 2011.) It is

important to create differentiated assessments to allow evidence of the transfer of content

knowledge in a format that best suits the learners’ expression.

I also practice to recognize more dynamic approaches to embedding diverse content into

the curriculum provided to my students. This can be done in any content area, in this case

embedded into the food chain lesson. Students are given the opportunity to create and journal

their own food chain for an Alaskan ecosystem. They can draw on prior knowledge (Gillani,

2003) to make connections to the science content delivered in the lesson, making this lesson

culturally appropriate. Culturally relevant instruction supports classroom diversity because it

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encourages students to become resident experts; to recognize and tap into their capability. This

practice empowers students to be meaningful contributers to the classroom community (Hertz,

Mraz, 2018). In this food chain lesson plan, students are encouraged to share with their

classroom community how they understand this specific scientific cycle of life through their own

experience in observing it outside of the walls of the classroom. Whether it be through the

Alaskan food chain, or just about what was in that students’ lunch box that day.

Institutional racism is becoming a recognized phenomenon and no doubt that it extends

into the classroom. I strive to be intentional by recognizing my own bias and perceptions so as

not to marginalize students through one-sided perspectives and avoid creating narrow objectives

and outcomes through culturally responsive lesson planning. I recognize that each child’s ability

to connect with content is directly related to that child’s schema and provide opportunities for

children to critically think and problem solve by providing activities that allow them to connect

content with prior knowledge (Gillani, 2003) as they draw upon their schema. I create tiered

assessments to meet the patterned needs of diverse learners. In these practices, students can be

comfortable taking brave academic chances knowing they have a strong safety net of intentional

practices where all students can connect and contribute to the learning experience.

Reference List

Gillani, B.B. 2003. Learning the theories and the design of e-learning environments.
Lanham, Md.: University Press of America

Hertz, Christine, Kristine Mraz. 2018. Kids 1st from day 1. Portsmouth , NH: Heinemann.

Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D’Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school
climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83, 357–385.
10.3102/0034654313483907

Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational Psychology (11 Edition). Johns Hopkins University.

th

Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Pearson

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Sousa, D. A., & Tomlinson, C. A. (2011). Differentiation and the brain: How neuroscience
supports the learner-friendly classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Wang, M.-T., & Degol, J. L. (2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement,
and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28, 315–352.
10.1007/s10648-015-9319-1