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  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!)
It is hard to be at a school that does not back you in your teaching. A school that embraces the different cultures allows for mroe learning to be taken place because students and staff are comfortable with one another and allow for learning from each other to guide the achievement. I would definitely put together research that shows how this helps inside the classroom. First business, Gail was able to open up and trust her teacher due to having the connection and learning of the different cultures in the classroom. This shows how having the journals allows for students to discuss topics that when brought up in conversation would be too tense and students hide behind these issues.