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Case: De-emphasize Differences. I was recently assigned to the middle school in the Warren School District. The district serves a community that had once been an all-white middle-class enclave, but has recently become more diverse in its ethnic makeup. I am very interested in multicultural education. I instituted the use of dialog journals in my adviser group, telling the students that they can write anything they want. Some journal entries cause me concern. Warren Jackson, an African American, complains that my emphasis on African American culture embarrasses him. Gail Smith, a white girl, writes that her parents object strongly to her affection for Warren Jackson and that she is considering suicide. My problems come to a head in my first meeting with the principal. The principal suggests that I decrease his use of small groups, that I abandon my dialogue journals, and that I de-emphasize the multicultural aspects of my classes. He suggests that I emphasize similarities, not differences. I don't know what to do. I do think that my methods have some value but I cannot go against my principal. Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I think the dialog journals are a great idea but you should be ready for whatever answers you might get in an open forum such as this one. You are a mandated reporter for suicide threats so that student should be taken to a guidance counselor immediately and cannot be left alone until the guidance counselor is notified. The student who is embarrassed because of your references to African American culture is giving you feedback on your teaching. You can choose whether or not to use this information or not but that is just his opinion. It also would not be a bad idea to focus on similarities instead of differences. |
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