Teacher's Role in a Classroom That Exists

Teacher's role in a classroom that exists in a multi-cultural society can be a very daunting and at times complex. However, there is a proper way to engage in teaching a class of that nature in a respectable yet effective way. However, there are certain things that should not be occurring, either from the students or the teacher him or herself, and those will be explained as well. What to Avoid The things that should avoided are perhaps the most important so they should be stated first.

First, any teachers or students that engage in racist, sexist or religiously insensitive ways need to be immediately coached and/or removed from the classroom if they cannot or will not refrain from such behavior. Examples of this would include a Muslim being mocked or taunted for wearing traditional Muslim garb (e.g. hijab, etc.) or a child from a foreign nation like India or China having their accent mocked.

Bullying and bigoted behavior is never a good thing in a young child's classroom and it should never be condoned or accepted to stand as is. It should be immediately halted to send the right message to everyone involved (UWW, 2013).

Second, teachers and administrators should not go out of their away to identify or classify someone as being a minority, whether it is based on religion or race and so forth, unless the topic is mundane to what is going on at the time or is really necessary in the first place.

For example, speaking very slowly and deliberately to a person of foreign origin when the person can understand English just fine at "normal" speeds should not be done as it could stigmatize or otherwise make the minority student feel unwelcome.

In other words, don't shun the person's differences from the class but at the same time do not draw them out and make a big thing out of them because there is a thin line between that and bullying and perceptions can vary widely, especially with the person who is a minority from a religious or ethnic/racial minority (UWW, 2013). Third, and finally, rules should be flexed when possible and practical based on situations that require or demand it.

For example, if there is a general policy that headwear is not allowed in the classroom, that rule should not be applied to someone that is wearing headwear for religious reasons. There should be a specific exception to the rule that is granted on a case-by-case basis for students that require it. For example, Jews and Muslims often wear head garb of one sort or another as do Sikhs and some Indians.

Some entire countries, like France, have either toyed with or enacted legislation that bans certain religious garb in public and that is simply wrong. A particular school that made all students wear religious garb as some sort of lesson should be told the same thing (Starnes, 2013)(Asthana, 2013). What Should Be Done As for what should be done, the teacher should inculcate the idea that everyone is different yet equal and that everyone should be an equal participant in the learning process.

Shunning or otherwise excluding people because they speak a bit differently should never be happening so the students should generally not be allowed to make their own groups and should instead be put into groups that are ethnically and religiously diverse. Allowing the students to make their own groups can often lead to cliques of students sticking together and students that are new, different or otherwise perceived as outcasts or outsiders will often get the short end of the stick (UWW, 2013).

Similarly, teachers should make sure that no student or group of students is dominating the discourse or the participation overall. Everyone should get an equal chance to say what they will and they should be encouraged to open up and share. If a student is gun-shy about sharing, they should not be forced or brow-beaten into saying what people want them to say. Rather, they should be gently urged and allowed to share what they like as they are willing and able to.

Allowing them to go at much their own pace but while still being prodded when necessary usually gets the student's words flowing and not much assistance may be needed after that (UWW, 2013). Lastly, teachers need to make sure that they are very careful with religious matters and discussions. For example, permitting a child to wear a hijab or other religious/ethnic garb is one thing but talking a lot about the Muslim faith (or any other faith) can rub many parents the wrong way and for a number of reasons.

Some of those reasons are bigoted and unreasonable but others are fair enough. After all, there is a difference between a school and a church and the functions they serve and school administrators need to be careful to not cross the line between educational and indoctrination, no matter what the intents are. For example, pushing a Catholic or otherwise Christian agenda, or the perception that one is going on, would almost.