Multicultural Education

Mrs. Dayanghirang, a teacher born and raised in the Visayas married a Tausug in Jolo,
Sulu. The marriage forced her to transfer to the place of her husband who is also a
teacher. Coming from different backgrounds in terms of religion, ethnic origin, and social
background, Mrs. Dayanghirang has to adjust to her present residence. She was
accepted in one of the elementary schools in the area where a mixture of different
ethnic groups is enrolled.

Reflection:
1. What teaching challenges will Mrs. Dayanghirang encounter with her diverse
students?
Ans. Life is nothing but a series of experience, each one of which makes us bigger.
Experiences make us more human than we are already. Mrs. Dayanghirang might encounter
difficulties in teaching with her diverse learners like different cultures, beliefs and traditions
but this should not hinder her mission to foster learning and mold students' minds. She might
be culture shocked but she should continue with her passion to encourage learners to develop
their hidden potentials and spark their fire from within. We know for a fact that it is very
hard to adapt one's culture and traditions but if you have an open mind, respect and tolerance
everything will be at ease.

Language and culture can be learned but the passion and determination to help students reach
their dreams cannot. It is true that teaching diverse learners is challenging but it is also
rewarding. There is so much beauty in diversity. Remember that different flowers make a
beautiful bouquet.

2. How would she address these challenges as a multicultural teacher?

Ans. Treating everyone equally no matter where they come from, no matter who they are and
what role they have, is a big key because you never know who you're talking to. So it just
make a lot of good sense to treat everyone the same and treat them well. Thus, multicultural
education opens a gateway for collaborative and safe environment for learning.

As a multicultural teacher, Mrs. Dayanghirang should first set aside her personal biases. She
should immerse herself to the new culture and tradition in the place where she is assigned.
Understand them well and respect them. Secondly, she should also find time to talk with the
parents of her students in order for her to better understand them. An open ear, an accepting
mind and a welcoming heart should be embodied by Mrs. Dayanghirang. A simple exchange
of words with the parents would be a great help towards making a concrete academic plan on
how she will handle her students and deliver her lessons well in the classroom.
Lastly, she should teach her lessons based on her students' needs. Acknowledge each other
uniqueness, understand them and help them help themselves to learn. No one should be left
behind. Strive for inclusivity. Everyone must take part and work collaboratively. For it is
only when we start to listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become
more inclusive and better as a whole.
3. What personal dilemmas will she encounter? If you were in her place, what will you
do?
Ans. It is hard to blend but it is harder to pretend. Mrs. Dayanghirang would likely to
experience hardships in embracing the new environment where she is being put into. New
culture, language and tradition are the factors that contributes Mrs. Dayanghirang's dilemma.
Acceptance is also a problem. There might be some hesitation whether she would be
accepted by the community or not. She might also find it hard to adjust with her diverse
students. These problems should not hinder her mission to teach young minds. She should
learn to take risks and never be afraid of trying something new because life get so boring
when used to doing the same thing you already know.
If I am on her shoes, I will work very hard to earn the trust of my students as well as their
parents. It is only when they trusted you that it is easy to work with them. I will also put in
mind that the students that I am teaching is uniquely different from each other. So I will
make sure that my mode of teaching suits well with their needs. Teach them in a
multicultural way. Help them develop their potentials but let their culture and tradition
remain uninfluenced and unchanged.
Finally, it is only when we start to acknowledge the differences of our learners that we start
to figure out how to walk through the world together in harmony. We should be one with the
student. Teach them to love and value their uniqueness. Let them feel valued and included. It
is not a matter of how much knowledge you taught them but on how much they value the
informations that they get from you. We should not be bothered by their differences. We
should continue to cultivate young minds. Water them with love and respect and let them
feel the warmth of your kindness and acceptance so that they will bloom and radiate
goodness and positivity.