Teaching Multicultural Education - Essay Example

? Education Unit Introduction Teaching multicultural education is a challenge for teachers, because they have torecognize the multiple identities of students as well as make their teaching responsive to students of diverse identity work. It is an approach to school reforms as well as movement for social justice, democracy and equity in education. According to, Broder & Chism (2002) teachers within multicultural education environment should emphasize on different cultural and components groups. However, there exist a degree of consensus in the field of education regarding its goals, concepts, and principles. The main goal of teaching multicultural education is to restructure the schools in order for students to acquire skills, attitudes and knowledge that are needed to function in a racial and ethnically diverse world. Additionally, it also seeks to ensure education equity for students with diverse cultural, racial, socioeconomic groups and ethnics. It also provides students with educational experiences which enable them to maintain their commitment to their cultures, in addition to acquiring skills, cultural capital and knowledge that is needed to function in the community. In this regard, this paper aims at expounding on the challenge of teachers in recognizing the multiple identities of students, and making their teaching responsive to students’ diverse identity in their work. The essay will also incorporate the definition of identity by Vygotsky and Erickson, as well as give examples of different identities through discourse, community, multiculturalism among others and lastly, explain some of the problems teachers face and their solutions. Some of the challenges the teachers face in recognizing the multiple identities of their students, in terms of making their teaching responsive to their student’s diverse identity in their work is the ability to incorporate knowledge and skills that will be of use to the multiple identities of the students. Coleman (1999) regards skills as democratic ability and living in order to function effectively within diverse groups as important goals of schooling. Student’s diversity in today’s classrooms underscores the importance of developing teaching strategies, policies and curricula in order to help every student in succeeding in school. However, an effort to affirm, welcome and understand all students as well as treat their linguistic and cultural background as equally important and valid is one of the problem teacher’s faces. This kind of approach is important when it comes to addressing literacy for a diverse student population. Effective instruction literacy is built upon the linguistic and cultural background, ways of building meaning and prior knowledge that all students bring in classrooms. Broder & Chism (2002) claims that such instructions helps acknowledge the importance of the role of every culture in literacy and language learning. Therefore, when teachers respect and understand the array of different languages and cultures represented in their classrooms it helps them adopt or come up with strategies for teaching, which will support and encourage their student’s achievement. There is rapid shifting demographics of school-aged children, as well as other projects for enrolling students who are linguistically and culturally different from what is referred to as the mainstream in United States culture continues to increase. Such students differ from the mainstream in terms of primary language, social class and ethnicity. Teachers, will help improve the academic achievement of diverse students who come from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds by responding and being sensitive to the wide cultures in their classrooms. This is because; children from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds do not experience high levels of academic success because their literacy is often unaddressed because such students were only encouraged to assimilate into the mainstream (Broder & Chism, 2002). Identity formation is defined by Vygotsky as the development of separate personality of individuals which are regarded as an entity in a specific stage of life by which characteristics of individuals are possessed as well as recognized. Such processes are said to define individuals to themselves and to others. Pieces of unit’s actual identity include a sense of uniqueness, affiliation and continuity. Additionally, the formation of identity leads to a number of issues like identity and personal identity where an individual has some sort of comprehension of himself as a discrete or separate body. This process may also occur through individuation where the individuals who are unique or undergoes other stages ends up becoming an indivisible whole, Coleman (1999). To add to this, communication styles, social expectations and cultural identity of diverse students often conflicts with beliefs, cultural assumptions and values of their teachers. Teachers should also implement equity pedagogy in order to practice cultural responsive teaching. By using instructional practices and materials which incorporates important aspects of community and family culture of their student teachers use their prior experiences, cultural knowledge, performance styles and frames of reference to make the learning process more effective and relevant to them (Coleman, 1999). Education theorists defines schools as a place where attitudes, knowledge and competencies which are transmitted to a new generation, in addition to family education that incorporates the transmission of moral and cultural ideals and norms. However, the main aim of personal identity goes unanalyzed because it has been accepted without its validity questioned. However, Ericksson also defines identity as a way or organizing experiences by a combination of being aware of one’s psychological traits and physiological traits which leads to an ego identity. He goes ahead and describes identity as awareness of an individuality style and sense of being capable of acting within a group effectively. Identity is therefore, a concept that refers to both group and individual characteristics, communalities and differences, as well as ways an individual can learn to combine the characteristics into a consistent and stable whole. Examples of different identities through discourses, community, and multiculturalism are personal traits which and usually in conflict between other categories. Personal traits in the course of learning, constitutes of his central traits that makes a difference in the course of an individual life, as well as action-guiding and habit-forming social categories in which she reacts, interacts and acts. Such traits help distinguish the self-confidence and body awareness, psychological and individual temperament characteristics, ideals, ideal self image and norms. They can also have a less or more central position in terms of traits and most importantly, the trait centrality which is expressed in behaviors. Therefore, the role of ego is replaced by the hierarchy of traits (Coleman, 1999). The teachers expectations can be communicated in nonverbal and verbal ways, normally influences the children’s performance and behavior. In effect, students mirror the teacher’s expectations and therefore, when teacher’s expectations are negative, the response of the students will also be negative; therefore, the above explained problems can be solved by having a positive response towards the diverse students. Sexism or racism in the classroom affects the student’s ability to become successful because the energy to be used in learning will be drained off in order to defend themselves (Broder & Chism, 2002). Therefore, when teachers treat all their students as competent, they will demonstrate competence. Teachers who teach their students to the highest standards provide their students with academic challenges as well as encourage them to succeed and achieve. To add to this, teachers should have an in-depth knowledge for both their subject as well as their students. For their instructions to be successful, they should also spend time developing their literacy instruction in addition to becoming aware of their student’s experiences, backgrounds and cultures. They should also develop their awareness and understanding by acquiring specific information relating to their students in classroom (Broder & Chism, 2002). Broder & Chism (2002) explains that before teacher’s addresses the literacy and cultural needs of their students, they should first become aware of their culture. However, self knowledge is gained through inquiry so that teachers can discover the stereotypes and assumptions which create obstacles to responsive culturally teaching. They should also critique their own values that pertains dialects and languages and the role they can play as English teachers in the success of diverse cultures in school progress. Therefore, they can solve the problems by reflecting on their learning and self-knowledge, as well as respecting and acknowledging their student’s literacy, cultural ways, language and ways of knowing. Indeed, teachers should recognize any biases or stereo types that they may have absorbed. For example they should not discourage women to take up courses that require much work. They should also respect each student for who they are; this is because, each student has the same characteristics with others in form of race, gender, sociocultural group, and place of origin. They should also rectify any language pattern that should demean any students or groups as well as get a sense of student’s feelings about how they feel about the cultural climate in their classroom. The teachers should also not protect any group of students as well as refrain from criticizing the performance of any individual students in account to their gender or ethnicity. If a teacher attempts to protect or favor a given group of students undermines the self-esteem and their view of competence and their abilities. They should also recognize the accomplishment of all students instead of recognizing only a few. Coleman (1999) claims that the teachers should avoid possible readings and texts whose gender language is neutral and free of stereo types. To add to this, teachers should aim for a curriculum that is inclusive, which should reflect the experiences and perspectives of multiple identities of students. Conclusion The main goal of teaching multicultural education is to restructure the schools in order for the students to acquire skills, attitudes and knowledge that are needed to function in a racial and ethnically diverse world. Teacher’s experiences the challenges of recognizing the multiple identities of students, and making their teaching responsive to students’ diverse identity in their work in terms of recognizing the multiple identities of their students, as well as making their teaching responsive to their student’s diverse identity in their work is the ability to incorporate knowledge and skills that will be of use to the multiple identities of the students. Vygotsky defines identity as the development of separate personality of individuals which are regarded as entity in a specific stage of life by which characteristics of individuals are possessed as well as recognized. On the other hand, Ericksson defines identity as a way or organizing experiences by a combination of being aware of one’s psychological traits and physiological traits which leads to an ego identity. He also describes identity as awareness of an individuality style and sense of being capable of acting within a group effectively especially in learning process. However, teachers should solve the above explained problems by understanding the discrepancies among his students, incorporating relevant curriculum, respecting and understanding each student and most importantly, generating a sustained effort in terms of having both skills and knowledge that will engage all his students. References Broder.L& Chism.N (2002), The Future is Now: A Call For Action and List of Resources, Teaching for Diversity. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, San Francisco : Jessey-Bass Coleman,L, (1999), The Influence of Attitude, Feeling and Behavior Toward Diversity on Teaching and Learning: University of Colorado, Faculty Teaching Excellence Program. Read More