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!) As a teacher I think it is very important to use journals because you are helping students talk about their feelings that they would not normally openly discuss with someone. It is very important that you report the student who talks about suicide to the school counselor so that they can intervene in the situation and get help to the student. Although I do agree that you can not go against your school principal I think that maybe students should write about a specific topic that you give them that is discussed in small group time. When you allow middle school students to freely write you are opening yourself to reading things that may shock you, but if you are allowing them to really express their feelings then you may have saved a life.