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!) I do not think you need to go against your principal's decision. However, I would bring up the valuable information that you learn through the use of your dialogue journals. It might be a good idea to tell the students one day they will write a dialogue journal for the principal to read. He or she could learn valuable information that would help him or her make or change decisions. I would definitely keep the dialogue journals a part of your class. They have proven to be a good way to open the door of communication between student and teacher. I would check my lesson content to see why the African American feels embarrassed and conference with him about it. The student that wants to kill herself should immediately be taken to the school counselor along with her journal entry. We know of the negatives but I am sure if we knew the rest of the story, there would be more good out of this than bad.