Multicultural and Gender Issues Reflection

This paper and presentation encouraged me to think of gender and multicultural issues within schools in a some new ways.  For example, the quiz that we took at the beginning of the presentation had me stumped and shocked in many instances and helped me to realize that I am not as aware of cultural and gender differences as I ought to be (even thought I consider myself an empathetic person!) I guess in truth, I never really considered just how many ways that these issues can present themselves within schools, and to the extent that they are often poorly dealt with.

The presenters made a good point in their paper when they noted that "many teachers are unaware of how to promote and celebrate [student differences] without singling out students and making them uncomfortable."  I feel that it is important to recognize that the issue isn't always the fact that the teacher is oblivious to his/her students' differences or that he/she discriminates against them, but that he/she may actually not know how to go about making all students feel valued and comfortable at the same time.  Along the same lines, teachers may not even realize when they are stereotyping students or making them feel targeted and/or singled out (ahem, Michael Scott in the Office's "Diversity Day" episode).  Therefore, it is incredibly important for teachers to be aware of their own pre-conceived ideas and actions and to learn how to empathize with their students.  As the group mentioned in their paper, it ought to be part of a teacher's job to learn about the different cultural backgrounds of each of his/her students as well as to take the time to reflect upon what they have learned and how they can better support their students based on what they learned.

Overall, after taking part in this presentation and reading the paper that this group put together, I feel that the biggest take-away message for me is to never overestimate myself as a teacher in terms of my understanding and awareness of the many differences that my students may bring to the classroom.  Because I want my students to feel safe, comfortable, respected, and valued, I will certainly put it upon myself to find ways to stay educated and up-to-date about current issues and misconceptions surrounding the cultural and gender issues that may find their way into my classroom.