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!) Although similarities among diverse groups should be highlighted and emphasized, it is both socially and academically irresponsible to ignore differences. Teachers share a moral obligation not only to teach content but to also build character. As a result of the journal exercises, dejected feelings from students have been brought to the forefront. While these sentiments would ordinarily be categorized as negative, these expressions unearth the true aim of cognitive challenge: to intelligently convey the raw issues with the aim of corrective insight. The teacher must consider a strategy to present to the principal that outlines the necessity of keeping the journals while also offering constructive and compassionate course of action for students. Whichever course of action is taken, the teacher must exercise judgement, discernment and sensitivity.