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!) In my opinion, I do not believe the principal is in the right in this situation and I would encourage the teacher to have a productive and factual conversation with him. I do not believe the teacher should have to stop using dialogue journals. I believe these are proving to be a great strategy to open the students up and share their feelings with the teacher. This shows trust and helps build relationships. Also, I do not think the teacher should only focus on the similarities between different races and cultures. When the differences are ignored, the students will begin to feel like they are bad and a negative thing. They shouldn't be led to feel this way. Differences should be encouraged and embraced, but if you pretend that they aren't there they will be viewed as something negative. I believe the teacher should continue to embrace and discuss differences within the classroom.