Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         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!) Like you, the elementary school that I teach at right now used to be all white just 10 years ago, but now we are one of the most diverse schools in the county. The different make up of the class has made me even more aware of the importance of multicultural education. I most definitely would not give up the dialog journals. These journals provide your students with a safe, non-threatening place to share their inner most thoughts and feelings. When I read what Warren Jackson said about feeling uncomfortable when you place emphasis on his culture, I begin to wonder why? Does it have something to do with you and your teaching methods, or is it more about the way his family feels about topics you are discussing in the classroom. Something to keep in mind was stated in Joel Spring's text, The Intersection of Cultures, "Schools can promote the welfare of humanity by helping children learn to adjust to and understand a world undergoing rapid cultural changes as a result of globalization" (p.305). Make sure your multicultural education is embedded in your everyday teaching, and that way it wouldn't be so obvious to Warren if and when you are referring to his culture. Black History Month and other "specific times" allocated to focus on certain cultures could quite possible bring feelings of insecurity to some cultures. The situation with Gail Smith is very concerning. Not only is she is teenage girl that is experiencing all different kinds of feelings and emotions solely because of puberty, but now she is even more emotionally disturbed because of her parents' reaction to her affection she has to an African American male. First and foremost, the counselor must be notified. The Code of Ethics requires you to report any talk of suicide. There could possibly be much deeper issues here that need to be addressed and discussed. The times are changing. Our world is more diverse than ever. It is more important than ever to explicitly teach about racism, discrimination, feminism, etc. at an early age. Children must be told because they have the power to make a difference as they get older. Adults are much more challenging to alter their thoughts and feelings on subjects. This is probable why Gail feels like she can't speak to her parents. Thankfully, you had the dialog journals, otherwise Gail may not have been heard in her "cry for help." I would request a meeting with your principal, and share with him your reasoning for using the journals in your classroom. I would also share with him the importance of including multicultural education in the classroom each and every day. Otherwise, these prejudices, discrimination, etc. could and will continue for years.