Diversity Reflection
The areas that I define as my strong points or strengths include those proficiencies
that I marked 4; that is, I strongly agree. These include the following: I have the awareness of
the issues and needs that relate to English language learners and I am actually conversant in
the strategies for supporting their learning; and I fashion a learning community wherein
individual dissimilarities are respected. Moreover, it includes the proficiency that I utilize
educational approaches which are sensitive to the many experiences of learners and which
address dissimilar learning and performance styles.
DIVERSITY REFLECTION 2
The areas that I define as needing improvements are basically those ones which I
agree with, albeit not strongly; that is, areas which I marked 3. These include the proficiency
that I have a thorough understanding of uniqueness in learning; I appreciate and could
recognize dissimilarities in approaches to learning and performance, including dissimilar
performance modes and styles of learning, and I am able to facilitate instruction which helps
utilize the strengths of students as the starting point for growth. Other areas in which I need
improvement include the following proficiencies: I understand the way in which the learning
of students is influenced by individual experiences, prior learning, talents, in addition to
culture, language, community and family values. I identify, design, and support instruction
appropriate to the learners’ development stages, styles of learning, needs and strengths; and
that I know how and when to access suitable resources or services to meet exceptional
learning needs.
Effective educators have the responsibility of meeting the educational needs of a more
and more diverse student population. My dispositions, attitudes, and values have been
changed as regards equitability and the belief that every student is able to learn in that I now
hold a mindset in which I believe that instructional design, behaviours, interaction patterns,
activities, as well as expectations should be equitable and fair for every learner. Regarding
the classroom climate, the class should be inviting and its decorations must actually reflect
the images of every learner (Chamberlain, 2011). The focus has to be on active participation
of the learners. Learning activities reflect the commitment of the educator to providing
equitable access for all learners to the opportunity to achieve academically, vocationally, and
socially. In a classroom with students from diverse populations, the educator has high
positive expectations for every learner.
Educators should strive to meet the individual learning needs of every child. During
the lessons, educators should remember the many ways that kids learn. Therefore, daily
DIVERSITY REFLECTION 3
activities and presentations should provide all learners with opportunities of receiving
instruction in dissimilar modalities. Each child should be given opportunities for
demonstrating their understanding in ways which let them to utilize their strengths whilst
working to improve their weak points (Blanchett & Shealey, 2013). In a diverse classroom,
assessment is invariable and is helpful to both the educator and the learner. It tells both of
them what is actually needed in order to make the next instruction responsive and meaningful
to the needs of the learner.
Furthermore, in a diverse classroom: learners are assessed in many ways; achievement
of learners is defined by individual growth and not on reliance on one, preset goal; the role of
the educator is one of a facilitator, mentor, coach and fellow learner since the classroom is
student-centred; and several resources are employed besides textbooks (Obiakor & Rotatori,
2014). Additionally, syllabus is developed around skill mastery as well as authentic,
thoughtful problems to solve. The instruction provided is guided by an understanding of
several kinds of intelligence; and every learner is encouraged to see himself/herself as a
capable learner and is held answerable to that responsibility and belief. This would be carried
out within a climate which values learning diversity whilst continuing to improve every
student’s ability to learn. In a class with a varied student population, learners are provided
with a lot of opportunity for using metacognition as a tool for improving their capacity to
learn, and educators do not utilize lecture as their main teaching method since the teaching is
just occasionally student passive/teacher active (Smith-Collins, 2011).
In addition, this has impacted the social, intellectual, engagement, motivation as well
as personal development of my students in that they are active, and not passive and are
equally responsible for acquiring their education. For example, the learners are actively
involved in the learning and they share in classroom decision-making process and have a
choice and voice in their educational environment. Moreover, more of their learning needs
DIVERSITY REFLECTION 4
are met, and they have been able to see how satisfying learning can really be. They have also
been inspired to be better than they were. Furthermore, the students are beginning to acquire
the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills which they would require to be successful in the
interdependent and pluralistic world wherein they would live and work as adults. Specific
examples of these competencies include being cross-culturally competent and multilingual.
To continue to grow and improve in reaching every student, several action items
would be put into practice to ensure that every learner receives equitable opportunities to
achieve. These are illustrated in the table below:
Action step Monitoring progress
1 Ensure active participation of students by involving
them in classroom decision-making by December
12, 2015
Set milestones to reach by a particular
date
2 Provide instructional design, interaction patterns,
activities, as well as expectations that are equitable
and fair for every learner by December 15, 2016
Set milestones to reach by a particular
date
3 Provide many resources in the classroom besides
textbook by January 20, 2016
Set milestones to reach by a particular
date
4 Create a learning environment which supports
positive interracial contact by January 20, 2016
Set milestones to reach by a particular
date
5 Create a curriculum which is varied in pedagogy
and multicultural in content by February 10, 2016
Set milestones to reach by a particular
date
6 Design instruction which is appropriate to students’
phases of development, learning styles, needs and
strengths by March 1, 2016
Set milestones to reach by a particular
date
DIVERSITY REFLECTION 5
References
Blanchett, W. J., & Shealey, M. W. (2013). Responding to the Needs of Ethnically and
Culturally Diverse Learners with Exceptionalities and Their Families. Multiple
Voices For Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, 13(2), 1-3.
Chamberlain, S. P. (2011). Recognizing and Responding to Cultural Differences in the
Education of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners. Intervention In School
& Clinic, 40(4), 195-211.
DIVERSITY REFLECTION 6
Obiakor, F. E., & Rotatori, A. F. (2014). Multicultural Education for Learners with Special
Needs in the Twenty-first Century. Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age
Publishing.
Smith-Collins, S. (2011). An Agenda for Equity: Responding to the Needs of Diverse
Learners. Rowman & Littlefield Education.
