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 believe that the dialogue journals are a wonderful idea. These students would not have told you the kinds of feelings they were having without these journals. Gail would have never come up to you and told you of her thoughts about suicide. These journals could have possibly saved this little girls life. As for Warren, I do not know how to respond because I do not know what you taught in the classroom. I would remind him it is important to embrace his culture background. After knowing his concerns, I would have the class do a presentation project on their culture backgrounds so that all students can share their beliefs with one another. This will take the spot light off of Warren. As for the principal, I would agree to what he asked me to do, considering it would be my job on the line. I would then work with the administration on how I should teach these students multicultural aspects without being to bold.