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!) Providing the opportunity to write about whatever the students want to write about is a very common for journal entries. If a student is writing that she has suicidal thoughts, she need to immediately see the counselor. If teaching multicultural education is not part of the required curriculum, and it is causes conflicts within the classroom, and the principal has told you to stop then that is what you need to do, stop. If a teacher is teaching something that is not part of the required curriculum and it causes conflicts, then that will also cause problem for the learning environment and the students will begin not to learn what they are actually in that class to learn. Doing that would be hurting the students because when it comes time for state testing they may not know the material. If the teacher really wants to continue to try to incorporate multicultural education into their lessons, then the teacher needs to come up with a different approach in doing this.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I agree that if this young girl is writing suicidal thoughts, the counselor and her parents should be notified. The curriculum should be taught but if this is not part of the curriculum then the teacher maybe should pull back a little. Diversity and other perspectives should be taught to students in a way that will reach all students and provide a better understanding. Rated On: June 11, 2014 11:58 pm Rated By: Kimberly Rahn                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I think you have some good points, but I do think he should work to get this approved. I think it should be taught to the students. It will help them later on in life. So yes he should do what he was told to do, but I think he should work to get it approved. Rated On: June 11, 2015 3:12 pm Rated By: TyhyMa                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: If I were in this situation, I would exactly do this. Rated On: April 3, 2023 3:34 am Rated By: uPanaS