Diversity in the Classroom Community,

Diversity in the Classroom

Community, Diversity and the Classroom

Diversity continues to increase in the classrooms indicating the need for educators to be prepared to work effectively with students from various backgrounds such as linguistic, cultural, or national origin (Keengwe, 2010). Diversity is more than just the differences in the color of a person's skin. Those teachers who understand real cultural competence understand that diversity must be addressed in terms of religion and socioeconomics, as well. In addition, the understanding and appreciation of diversity is important because of the need for students to acknowledge and thereby develop from early on, the ability to effectively communicate with and relate to others who represent different backgrounds (Shaw, 2009). The establishment of sound pedagogy that is rooted in cultural understand of the students, their needs, and the societal and social service barriers they may face is essential to providing racial, linguistic, and cultural integration to possibly increase academic success for all learners within the classroom setting (Smith, 2004).

What teachers believe about their students from various backgrounds, ability to learn and achieve academically, and the expectations they posit for different racial groups may intentionally or unintentionally influence the manner in which lessons are conducted (Sadker, Sadker, & Zittleman, 2008). Those educators with diminished expectations of their learners because of personal predisposition or belief in stereotypes, may in fact lead to lower student achievement (Burt, Ortlieb, & Cheek, 2009) particularly in situations where cultural discontinuity exists that proves influential on expectations and attitudes.

Community diversity

This educators' present community reflects variety in demographics in the following way. Significant portions of the population are Black, middle to upper middle class, representing two primary faiths; Islam and Christianity. Because of the large urban population and urban small, many of those living in the community are transplants from other cities across the United States as well as many international countries. For this subgroup, English is the primary language spoken.

Another subgroup within this educators' demographic are low to middle class White Americans. They have a propensity to reside on the fringes of the community in areas that are more rural and isolated or living in small sects. There is limited intermingling that occurs between the Blacks and Whites even though co-habitation exists in relatively close proximity. The last subgroup within the community is residents of Latin descent, who speak Spanish as the primary language. Much like their White counterparts, the Hispanic members of the community would be considered part of the lower socioeconomic strata. Conversely, instead of living on the fringes of the community the Hispanic members of the community tend to live in more densely populated areas in apartment style living with multiple, and multi-generation families residing together.

The type of diversity seen within the classroom is representative and proportionate of that found in the community at large. The classroom serves as a melting pot for the students representing the multiculturalism evidenced in the community. There is an appreciation for religious differences as the Muslim children in the classroom dress in traditional garb. There is appreciation for linguistics as children acknowledge that both English and Spanish are important tools for communication. There is also representation of the socioeconomic differences evidenced in the community, although the children tend not to articulate differences, it is noticed and acknowledge non-verbally and sometimes verbally in the manner in which the children dress, the kinds of gadgetry they have access to, and the kinds of discussions they have regarding the extracurricular and external activities they and their families participate in.

Community resources

There are a host of community resources as well as social services purported to be readily available within the community. Nonetheless, socioeconomics, in many ways, dictates who and the level of which these available resources and services are utilized. Even though the community is part and parcel to urban sprawl, there is a significant feel and association with suburban living as well as some rural living. As such, there is a number of community resources available to the children of the community associated with a suburban lifestyle, including soccer, equestrian classes, community-based football and basketball teams. Another factor that impacts the level of community resources offered is that many of the schools do not offer intramural activities for elementary school students. Participation in these group activities are most often children from middle to middle upper class families; due in part to cost and accessibility.

Those representing the lower socioeconomic strata tend to take greater advantage of the social services available within the community. Social services purported to be available including both state funded and privately funded organizations that offer basic services including food, clothing and shelter, as well as public welfare such as Temporary Assistance to Need Families, Social Security benefits, Medicaid and Medicare. The Department of Family and Children Services is a large provided of social services and serves as the gatekeeper to many of the private agencies that offer foster care, domestic violence counseling services, child welfare services, as well as many levels of counseling assistance to families.

A number of the social services available in the community are based on socioeconomics and the factors that impact a family's financial status. Many of the programs that are posited to be available to those in the community require a referral, frequently mitigated by some negative or adverse situation or circumstance that has occurred. As such, the institutional barriers that exist are due to services being need based as determined by financial situations or posited maltreatment to children.

Plan of Action

In order to have a culturally competent inclusive pedagogy that address resource inequalities impacted by socioeconomics, race and power relationships the plan of action must include culturally responsive practices and beliefs of the classroom; referral practices and early intervention services that are culturally responsive; individualized assessment of each child to determine what their strengths and areas of increase are, the school environment; literature utilized and information shared is representative of the various cultures not just reflected in the classroom but in greater society through various medium including the internet, positive behaviors are emphasized; and materials are translated for non-native English speaking students and families. The plan of action would also include greater inclusion of parents and students circle of influence into the children's education.