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 you can incorporate multicultural issues just not so bluntly. Finding ways to use it in your advisory group to highlight and discuss difference but mainly similarities is one way to do that. Students in middle school are very judgmental yet very egocentric. By showing students that there are many things they have in common is one way to bring the group together. I understand you do not want to go against your principal but if you find other ways to use the journals and maybe even suggest that students bring in something that relates to their backgrounds can take the focus off you and maybe unite the group even more.