LEARNING DIFFERENCES 1

Learning Differences

By Kathy Smith

Master’s Portfolio ED698

Dr. Elizabeth Hartley, Ph.D.

June 25, 2022

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Diversity Standards

This statement pertains to Standard #2: The teacher demonstrates an understanding of

individual differences and diverse cultures in their community to ensure inclusive learning

environments that enable each learner to meet high standards. The teacher interacts with parents

and local communities to identify resources that can be used to increase relevancy and learner

engagement. The teacher adapts instruction and uses modified materials, resources, tools, and

technology to address exceptional learner needs, including those associated with disabilities and

giftedness.

Diversity Frame

Throughout our careers as teachers, we will work with students with numerous

differences. Their differences might be academic, social, physical, emotional, cultural, racial,

gender, abilities, and disabilities. This is a unique, inspiring, challenging, and endearing position

in which we, as teachers, are privileged. We must recognize these differences and factor them

into our daily teaching. I begin each summer year by contacting my incoming students' families

and starting conversations with them regarding their children. This gives me insight into their

lives and often helps build the student’s excitement and interest in beginning a new school year. I

share with the parents the exciting things we’ll be doing and ask them about any details

regarding their child that might be good for me to know. This starts a foundation for our

relationships which I will continue to foster throughout the year.

This artifact is my final submission for the ED 680 Multicultural Education class; see

Appendix A. This reflection was written early in my teaching education. Looking back on this

assignment, I have learned that our differences are much more than cultural. As stated by Banks

& McGee-Banks (2013),

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“Multicultural education is an idea, an education reform movement, and a   process

whose major goal is to change the structure of educational institutions so that male and

female students, exceptional students, and students who are members of diverse racial,

ethnic, language and cultural groups will have an equal chance to achieve academically in

school” (p. 2).

My teaching pedagogy has developed in many ways, and diversity is a big part. I am

using somewhat of a constructivist approach that centers around the student’s knowledge,

experiences, and beliefs. In my classroom, I have students with different abilities, backgrounds,

genders, interests, etc. I address these differences informally daily. It might be during a holiday

when I have students of different beliefs, and we discuss everyone’s traditions at that time. We

might also have a celebration such as a Pot Latch honoring someone special; family members are

invited in. It might also be making food from a particular country for everyone to try.

Another way that I acknowledge the differences my students have is by addressing their

abilities. I work individually with them as much as possible; when doing different activities such

as reading or math, I group them with similar skills or in groups with a helper. An example

would be with a reading group; I may have my struggling readers in a small group. I make sure

that there is something specific each student can contribute. For instance, in class this year, one

student had more advanced reading abilities, one had a greater understanding of vocabulary, and

another had a skill for comprehension. As we read, I focused my questions on those areas so

they could feel confident and help each other. This is just one example of getting to know my

students and teaching to their differences. My teaching follows the words of Nancie Atwell

(2015) “I want to serve students as a listener and a teller, an observer and an actor, a collaborator

and a critic and a cheerleader” (p.16). In my classroom, I work hard to meet each student where
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they are academically and emotionally and help build them up from there. I use my ability to

connect and have positive relationships with my students to help encourage them to work hard

and gain the desire to want to learn.

As stated by Grant & Sleeter (2011).

Much dissatisfaction with teaching can be curtailed if teachers have a greater

understanding of life in different schools, their teaching self, and how their students’

identities and their own identity – including identities rooted in race, ethnicity, class,

gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability – influence teaching and classroom life

(p.5).

This statement has inspired me in my teaching to get to know my students well not only

academically but in addition to their personalities, families, religions, and lifestyles. The better I

can connect with them and their families, the better our success together will be. I was genuinely

inspired over this past 4th of July celebration as many of the students I taught during my first year

were on their senior float. I was hugged by several and received several graduation

announcements and words of thanks from their families. This reinforces that I am on the right

track by better understanding my students and their lives and growing strong relationships with

them.

While reading the book Rethinking Multicultural Education, the article Presidents and

Slaves, by Bob Peterson (2014, p. 323-331). is presented; During a lesson that he gave to his 5th-

grade students’ slavery was discussed. His students questioned if presidents also enslaved

people; their assignment quickly turned into the students researching to come up with the

answers and their conclusions as to if this was right or wrong. This article reinforces to me that

we as teachers can work with our students to make the curriculum that we are given more
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efficient for our students' learning abilities and interests. If we are given a curriculum based

mainly on the cultures of males, then we can ask our students questions that apply to the views

and perspectives of females. If we have a lesson solely based on the culture of one specific

country, we can then ask questions about how things may look from another culture's point of

view. If we approach our teaching in this way, we can find ways to approach every aspect of

cultural awareness in our classroom with the most dynamic and practical approach. Adjusting

our lessons as needed by our students is essential. I start my week and year with plans, but in all

honesty, rarely do the plans flow as intended. I find this to be a positive in my classroom. I

allow for deviation from the plan for my students to explore questions they might have. I adjust

my teaching to my student’s background knowledge, and if questions arise that need

investigating, we stop to study and learn together.

Every year of teaching will present me with a diverse group. Every year I will continue

to adjust my teaching by being responsive to their cultures and abilities, interests, lifestyles, and

ways they best engage in their learning. I will continue to help my students experience as many

lessons and ideas as possible to encourage them along their learning path.
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References

Atwell, N. (2015). In the middle: A lifetime of learning about writing, reading, and adolescents.
Heinemann.

Au, W. (2014). Rethinking multicultural education: Teaching for racial and cultural justice.

Rethinking Schools, Ltd.

Banks, J. A., & McGee-Banks, B. C. A. (2013). Multicultural education: Issues and

perspectives. Wiley.

Grant, C. A., & Sleeter, C. E. (2011). Doing multicultural education for achievement and equity.

Routledge.

Peterson, Bob. (2014). Presidents and slaves: Helping students find the truth. In W. Au,

Rethinking multicultural education: Teaching for racial and cultural justice (2nd Ed, pp.

323-331). Rethinking Schools.

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Appendix A

One Student at a Time

By Kathy Smith

ED 680 Multicultural Education

There is no magic syllabus, no one amazing lesson, no magical book that can be read, or

holiday activity that can teach our babies to accept each other; they just do. Judging by recent

acts of violence in our country, things need to change. We must start by leading by example, one

student at a time.

We must embrace our students and strive to get to know them, work to get them to know

each other, appreciate their similarities and embrace their differences to make a difference in our

future generations. Do we have to change our ways to match someone else’s cultural values?

No. But we do need to build communication, collaboration, and respect, and this is the avenue
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we should take within our schools. In his article, Mathew Lynch states, “Schools that

acknowledge the diversity of their student population understand the importance of promoting

cultural awareness” (2016). If all our schools take on this belief system, we will be headed in the

right direction.

Our job is to teach our students to look at our differences and similarities and gain

knowledge from them. Multicultural awareness means being aware of the different cultures

around us, striving to learn about them by understanding others’ beliefs, ideals, and general way

of life in a positive way. It is important to teach that not everyone’s cultural scenarios are the

same and we all have our history; however, we need to open our minds to understand why others

believe what they do, how it works for them, and try and find a way that we can be encouraging

and be favorable toward these different ideals. We must lead by example to help students find a

way to learn from their differences, not limit themselves because of their differences. As Banks

and McGee-Banks state (2013), “it will be a much greater limitation on your ability to teach well

if you assume you know more about different students than you actually know than if you

recognize whose lives are unfamiliar to you so that you can learn” (p. 46). I will build strong

relationships with each of my students to learn from them about their lifestyles and history. With

this knowledge, I will foster an inclusive cultural environment for my students. I will begin to

make a change one person at a time. Picca & Thompson-Miller (2013) commented, “Seldom do

people walk away from a conversation about race with a good feeling. Why is this? We must

look around and start changing this feeling one person at a time.”

In a teaching situation, it may be challenging to approach specific topics that are

uncomfortable for some students. Still, if we approach them in a way that gives them strength

and confidence regarding their beliefs, culture, and views, we will strengthen them and help
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build bridges with those around us. “Teachers need to realize that the assumptions they make

about their students may not always be correct, that things aren’t always the way they seem”

(Holbrook, 2006, p.249). We all need to decide what is best for the students we communicate

with, and by getting to know them closely and understanding their interests, we can best decide

how to teach what is most important.

By teachers engaging in this approach, along with the support of their administrators,

school boards, and parents to provide this inclusive cultural instruction, we will have more

success in changing the future. In this statement by Emdin in The Five New Approaches, he

articulates the support that is needed for this process,

“When teachers are treated like the intelligent professionals that they are and given the

flexibility to engage in approaches to teaching and learning that go beyond archaic

models that they are often bound to, students respond differently, and education is

improved.”

This issue of cultural awareness amongst our children can be improved upon, and our children

can become aware and excepting of others around them. We can change our future by doing this

one student at a time and continuing to teach these principles yearly.

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References:

Lynch, M. (2014, November 30). 6 Ways teachers can foster cultural awareness in the

classroom:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/2014/11/6_ways_teachers_can_foster_c

ultural_awareness_in_the_classroom.html

Banks, J.A. & McGree Banks, C.A. (2013) Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (8th

Ed.).

Picca, H., & Thompson-Miller, (2013). Backstage racism: Implications for teaching. In J.A.

Banks, & C.A. McGee Banks, Multicultural education; Issues and perspectives (8th Ed. pp.

201-216). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Holbrook, Carolyn L. “Low Expectations Are the Worst Form of Racism.” Teachers, Diverse

Classrooms: A Guide to Building Inclusive Schools, Promoting High Expectations, and

Eliminating Racism. Ed. Julie Landsman and Chance W. Lewis. Sterling, VA: Stylus

Pub.. 2006. 243-54. Print

Emdin, Chris (2014) 5 New Approaches to Teaching and Learning: The Next Frontier.

Retrieved 24 July 2016 from www.twitter.com/chrisemdin