For too many years teachers and administrators of predominantly European-American decent, have viewed the cultural differences in the ways students of decidedly non-European-American decent communicate, and approach tasks, as unacceptable and have subsequently punished these students. (Misbehavior or Misinterpretation? Closing the Discipline Gap through Cultural Synchronization by Carla R. Monroe) For generations, the institution that is our Public Educational System has placed much of the blame for 'problem' students on the students themselves. I do not advocate shirking responsibility or giving students a 'free pass' to behave poorly, however study after study has shown that we often set our students up for failure by asking them all to conform to the same cookie-cutter mold for behavior.

In my classroom, I will scrutinize and reflect on my own biases and expectations to ensure that I am being culturally responsive in my interactions with not only my students, but all who come into my classroom or who I meet in the course of my day. Respecting my students, and appreciating their differences, their giftedness, their uniquenesses, is an essential part of the puzzle of my Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan. To do any less devalues them, their beliefs, their heritage and can cause irreparable damage to the positive relationship I am trying to cultivate.

Bottom line: When students do not feel valued or are caused to question the validity of their contributions to the community, they no longer feel connected and are less likely to work to build a positive learning environment, in fact, they may deliberately work against those efforts in retaliation. That is why fostering an environment that welcomes diversity is key to my Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan.

Click here to view a visual representation of how Diversity and Content are inextricably intertwined.
(this was a project that Jeanne Weber, Aeyola Williams and Jennifer Jacubowicz completed for our Intermediate Literacy course.)