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!) This is a difficult situation to be in especially when your administrator is not in support of the journals. I like the idea of your dialogue journals, and I believe you should continue them. I would suggest providing specific journal prompts for your students to respond to that are related to lessons being taught. As you feel that students are ready to journal freely I would transition to more open-ended dialogue journal activity. I would also address Gloria and Warren individually to discuss the issues at hand. The counselor should also be contacted concerning Gloria's comment. I also suggest defending the dialogue journals to your principal by showing him positive outcomes that have occurred from them.