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!) This a tough situation considering what your principal said. I would definitely stop the dialogue journals for regular use, but I would still use them at perhaps the beginning and ending of a unit. I feel this is an important way to get into the minds of students and their personal issues. This is an issue that many students probably face, and it certainly needs to be addressed. Without these dialogue journals, you would have never known there was anything going on. Gail and Warren need to speak to a counselor about what they are feeling and experiencing. Although, you definitely need to also consider Warren's request to stop talking about African-American culture too much. It is imperative for it to be discussed, but knowing how it makes Warren feel, I would definitely decrease the amount in class.