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 think your principal should appreciate the effort you are putting in to trying to get your students to respect and appreciate each other's cultures. This sounds like it is something that your students have not done in the past, so they seem to be somewhat resistant to your ideas. Although you have good intentions with these activities, your students might not know you and your systems well enough to appreciate your plans. Maybe taking a step back from these activities for the minute and simply working on establishing a classroom environment that focuses on mutual respect for all would be a good start. Then, once you feel like your classroom has formed a community, and you better understand your students (and they better understand you), then you can start discussing some of the deeper issues that your students are probably carrying inside them. I would think that slowing down and taking baby steps would be a way for you and your principal to compromise in this situation.