- In your books and publications, you discuss the importance of appreciating diversity in its many connotations. Based on your experience, how can teachers ensure that they consider cultural, language, and learning differences when working with students that engage in maladaptive and/or disruptive behaviors?
To ensure that all students in our classes are appreciated and honored for who they are we need to set up a non-competitive nurturing classroom community so that all members feel safe to be who they are and who they are becoming. Appreciating diversity is not about designating a special month for this or that culture but about giving voice to the personal story of each student and teacher. Therefore, in my classrooms Langston Hughes poetry permeates the curriculum all year-not just in February. We study Jose Marti, Nikki Giovanni, Toni Morrison over the year as students are enabled to make choices to connect to a variety of authors. I also encourage and enable (through library, museum visits, guest speakers, etc) my students and families to share aspects of their cultures so that we continue classroom and cultural connections throughout the year.
Curriculum decisions also honor diversity. For example, when students have some choice about their reading material, writing topics, long term projects, and response to material covered we continue to learn about who they are and what they care about. Indeed, we begin to know each other and what better way to show honor but to know and deeply care about each individual heart.
