"THE ASSUMPTIONS WE MAKE ABOUT DIVERSITY IN SCHOOLS"

"Diversity in schools is not always visible, but it is always present. Just because your students appear relatively homogenous does not mean your class is not diverse. The latest issue of "Thriving in Academe" says that from gender and religion to social class and family background, all aspects of inclusion should be acknowledged and are integral to student learning. It’s all too easy to slip into the bad habit of making assumptions based on outward appearance. Students are diverse in more ways than we will probably ever know, but starting with the assumption of great diversity opens our classrooms up to exciting and constantly changing possibilities. One reason many teachers avoid talking about diversity is the idea that teaching "values" is not our job. But in reality, value-free teaching does not exist."

URL: http://www2.nea.org/he/advo-new/feature.html
Referred by: PEN Weekly NewsBlast