1.
Diversity In the Classroom:
How can I make a difference?

2.
“Diversity: The art of thinking
independently together. “
Malcolm Forbes
Pre-Service Survey

3.
There exists an inequality of the educational
opportunities provided to children who live
within the inner city.
Many teachers who are raised in suburban
communities, are not properly cultivated to
work in urban schools with children of color.

4.
The Inequality in Schools
What makes the difference, when the school is
underfunded?
www.youtube.com
Inequality In Schools- Oprah Winfrey

5.
We as educators must be able to provide the
quality education needed to prepare our
students for the future.
When we fail:
The students become victims and are ill-suited
to compete in a global society.

6.
A teacher must prepare themselves to receive
whatever may enter his or her classroom in
the form of a child.
Unless, one is willing to concede that in
today's society, racism and prejudice still exist
in the hearts and minds of many teachers, the
judgments concerning poverty, ghetto culture
and people of color are forever embedded in
the forefront of their thoughts.
(
(Irving, 2006)

7.
I Have A Dream
“My four little children will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their
character”
www.youtube.com
Short Version I Have a Dream – Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.

8.
The lack of knowledge concerning students
who live in urban communities also play a
contributing factor in the inequality of
education provided to them.
There are several unacceptable beliefs as to
why the juncture of circumstances differs from
the opportunities afforded to middle and upper
class society.

9.
Ladson-Billings in her book
'Yes, But How Do We Do It?'
writes of two terms which describe the
assumptions often concluded by
teachers concerning urban children.

10.
 Culturally Relevant
 The assumption which leads teachers to believe
that an unsymmetrical relationship exists
between urban children and society.
 These types of teachers feel that his or her purpose
has become preparing students to fight injustice by
actually being highly qualified and captiously vigilant.
Students who are in classrooms with this type of
teacher, will sit in the class everyday and be viewed as
a child who will exist in a continual battle of hardships.
Having knowledge of these students circumstances is
needed, but should not be used as an excuse to
disregard the pedagogy connected with learning the
core subject skills needed to succeed academically.

11.
 School Dependent
 Describes students who are thriving in school
notwithstanding, the lack of funds to provide
resources to fully educate a student.
 Students who are school dependent will most certainly
fail in a school where there are a lack of funds and
resources, if it were not for an excellent teacher.
These students look to their education as their only
way out of poverty and despair. Where there is a
lack of funds, highly qualified teachers, who truly
desire to see the success of their students without
prejudice are needed.

12.
“Diversity may be the hardest thing for a
society to live with, and perhaps the most
dangerous thing for a society to live
without.”
William Sloane Coffin, Jr.

13.
Prejudice
To injure or damage by some judgment or action.
 When we see the color, not the child!
 When we see the behavior, not the need!
 When we see the lack of knowledge, not
the desire to learn!
 When we see the culture, not the intestinal
fortitude
When we see 'a' child, not 'our' child!

14.
Classism
Prejudice or discrimination based on class
 When we look at where the student lives,
not what he or she had to endure while
attempting to get to school!
 When we look at what their parents do for a
living, rather than, are they still alive, in
prison, or addicted to drugs! The parents
may have a job but are still considered
poverty stricken.
When we look at where they come from,
and not where they are going!

15.
Discussion: How would you
respond?
SCENARIO #1
 STUDENT INFORMS TEACHER OF SITUATION AT HOME. FATHER WAS JUST
ARRESTED AND MOM WAS GETTING HIGH ALL NIGHT. STUDENT IS SLEEPY
FROM WATCHING SIBLINGS AND PREPARING THEM FOR SCHOOL AS WELL AS
HERSELF
 STUDENT INFORMS YOU SHE HAS BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BEING
JUMPED (INITIATED) INTO A GANG.
 STUDENT INFORMS YOU MOM HAD A DRUG PARTY LAST NIGHT AND WAS
AFRAID TO GO TO SLEEP AFRAID SOMEONE MAY COME IN AND HURT HER.

16.
All About Color
wingclips.com
All About Color-Freedom
Writers

17.
It is only when the stereotypical myths
concerning children who live in urban
communities have been exposed and
extinguished, will society begin to see the
need for one person who can make a
difference in a child's life.

18.
LIST KNOWN STEREOTYPES

19.
Theory of Cultural Discontinuity
Gail Thompson
 A theory that contends there is a conflict
between the home culture of students of
color and the culture of a school.
 Students are measured or compared to the
middle-class society. If students of color do not
speak or carry themselves according to a
certain standard, they face discrimination and
cultural misunderstanding.

20.
HARLEM
Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream
deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the
sun?
Or Fester like a sore, and then
run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over like a
syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy
load.
Or does it explode?

21.
There are diverse negative cultures that
exist within various cultures.
 The street life-theory of survival
 Drug life – the desire to make and have
money.
 Single parent home life
 Sexual promiscuity
In the past children developed their attributes and
character from traditional community institutions,
such as churches, community youth programs and
school.

22.
The rules that apply in educational institutions are totally
different from the rules that exist on the street, and
often times the home.
The many strategies that are provided to help students
understand school rules and abide by them while in the
building should also be presented in a way that will
allow those students to utilize the same strategies to
avoid problems that may be detrimental in their
community.
While teaching conflict resolution, one must remember,
children who live in low income communities, abide by
the law, 'an eye for an eye!'
Self preservation has always been the first law of nature.

23.
LIST STRATEGIES THAT Are USED
IN SCHOOL THAT CAN BE USED
IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL

24.
Some teachers often believe that students who are not
doing well in school are hindered because he or she
does not have someone at home who care about their
performance in school.
 A sad misconception about most parents of
children who live in urban communities is
that they are ignorant and unlearned.
 Another false perception is that these
parents because they are unlearned or
uneducated is that they do not value
education.
There are many parents who desire to be
involved but are not able. Many parents work
crazy hours. Some may not have the resources
to aid in assignments sent home.

25.
There are many reasons why some parents who
desire to be involved, are not.
Many parents work crazy hours. Some may not have
the resources to aid in assignments sent home.
As an educator we should ask ourselves:
When a parent does show an interest in their child's
education, are they warmly greeted?
When parents request to volunteer in the classroom, are
they welcomed in?
When homework assignments are sent home, is the teacher
willing to explain to the parent as well as the student what
needs to be done, and how to do it?
We often complain about parents not being more involved in
their child's education, but they are not treated congenial upon
entering the school building!

26.
Discussion
AS A TEAM LIST IDEAS THAT CAN BE
USED TO MAKE A PARENT FEEL
COMFORTABLE ON CAMPUS AND
ALSO STRATEGIES TO GET PARENTS
INVOLVED IN THEIR CHILD’S
EDUCATION

27.
“Lukewarm acceptance is more
bewildering than outright
rejection.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

28.
PARENTAL SUPPORT
STRATEGIES
 Parent Communication. Communication between parents and
teachers should be two-way, frequent, and meaningful.
Communication should also invite parents to share ideas, help form
school goals and clarify institutional expectations. When
communication is frequent and high-quality, parents' evaluation of
their child’s teacher, level of comfort with their child’s school, and
involvement in school-based activities are all substantially higher.
 Support for Parenting. Decisions parents make about diet,
entertainment, healthcare, and discipline correlate with different
outcomes in terms of student learning. Many schools provide parent
education and support programs to help parents build more effective,
developmentally appropriate parenting skills.

29.
 Engaging Parents in Student Learning. When parents help teach their
child, the parents not only improve the child’s skills, but they also
increase their own feelings of competence, which, in turn, motivates
students to perform better still. When teachers send home strategies
and suggestions of ways parents could support learning, parents often
respond favorably. In general, the more schools engage parents in
specific student learning tasks, the more likely student achievement is
to improve. This includes parent involvement in homework tasks as well
as helping students adopt regular study and homework routines.
 Involving Parents in Volunteering. Engaging parents and caregivers in
school-based volunteer opportunities is usually one of the first ways
that parents and school personnel envision “parent involvement.” In
reality, parent volunteering is one kind of parent involvement that
demonstrates little impact on student learning, but volunteering can be
an important way to build linkages between parents and schools that
lead to more family engagement overall.
 Involving Parents in Making Decisions. Like volunteering, parent and
caregiver involvement in school decision-making impacts student
achievement largely because it builds relationships between caregivers
and schools that encourage adults to become involved in student
learning. For example, when student achievement in districts that
involved parents in decision-making to adopt a new reading program is
compared to student achievement in districts that did not involve
parents, the districts that involved parents and caregivers in decisions
about implementing the program and strategies for reinforcing the
program at home had significantly higher reading scores.8

30.
The Qualified Teacher
There are many studies that connect teacher
qualifications to student academic
achievement.
The quality of the teacher has a strong impact on the
quality of education provided to the students

31.
Qualified teachers in the classroom are one of the
most important
factors when addressing student achievement.
 Building strong relationships between
students and teachers
 Children can sense when an adult is being
genuine with them.
 Knowledgeable teachers, who are well prepared
to present a lesson to a student, who have
literally no emotional or personal relationship
with their students will never break through with
a child who has been let down by every adult in
his or her life.

32.
 Students work harder for teachers who show true
concern for them. Most students who live in urban
communities, must be able to recognize when
someone is sincere, solely for their own protection on
the street. Children from the ghetto find it very
difficult to openly and hurriedly place trust in others.

33.
 High Expectations, you as a teacher must
first believe the student can succeed.
 An educators expectations of his or her students
deeply affect the caliber of learning occasions
given to students.
 Teachers who have very little confidence
concerning his or her own teaching capabilities
are most likely to possess very low expectations
for their students.

34.
 All classrooms are filled with diversity. It is important
to know that there are no two people or students who
learn exactly the same. Recognizing the differences
in his or her own personal beliefs and that of their
students should lead a good teacher to know more
about the culture of the groups he or she is teaching,
and have high expectations for every student,
regardless of color or station in life.

35.
 Teachers must understand, when a child grows up in
the ghetto, life experiences can also be a lesson to
them. The expectations a teacher sets in the
classroom can determine whether a student
succeeds or fails. One can not simply allow a student
to just sit and do nothing. An educator has the
obligation of making sure each of their students
perform at their best.

36.
 Many urban students who can not conform to the
aspirations of the educator's pedagogies, are
often labeled at-risk. Once labeled, students are
often referred for special education services, or
have various interventions presented to them.
 When one looks in to the criteria for students to
be considered at-risk, it is determined that the
standards in which one may be labeled has hardly
anything to do with the student's cognition, but
rather his or her socioeconomic backgrounds.

37.
 All students can learn, some at different
paces, some by using various strategies.
 It is the teacher's responsibility to identify
what strategies work best for each
individual student.

38.
“Human diversity makes tolerance
more than a virtue; it makes it a
requirement for survival.”
Rene Dubos

39.
 What expectations do you set in your classroom?
 Are you teaching enough to make the lower income
student a minimal employee or are you preparing
them to become major employers?
 Are you giving the underachiever the permission to
settle for whatever life presents or are you
challenging them to design their own destiny?
The respect and expectations of a student from his
or her classroom teacher can encourage that
student so much that their classroom experience
will take precedence over what society says that
student's future should be!

40.
 Teachers should be encouraged to not
close their minds to the obvious reality of
life in the poverty. And one should not
spend a great deal of time looking for
answers to why things are what they are,
but rather spend time focusing on what you,
as an educator can do to make the life of a
struggling child better.

41.
 Neglect, abuse, homelessness, hunger and
fear are what some people face daily, and
not just children of color, but every
race.
Teachers only need to be there for them,
approaching them with a positive outlook, and a
smiling face filled with compassion and concern,
but never pity.

42.
Classroom Management
Much research has been done pertaining to
classroom discipline and management,
however, the most effective program in my
opinion is “Capturing Kids’ Hearts”
Building relationships with children are vital to
educating them. Getting to know who they
are through personal relationships go much
farther than constantly sending to the office
or even suspension.

43.
Classroom Management
“Capturing Kids Hearts”
 "If you have a child’s heart, you have his
head."™ - Flip Flippen
 Truly remarkable outcomes are possible in a classroom where trust,
respect, and caring relationships flourish. But creating such an
environment is a tremendous challenge. Capturing Kids’ Hearts is a
learning experience that provides tools for administrators, faculty and
staff to build positive, productive, trusting relationships- among
themselves and with their students. These processes can transform the
classroom and campus environment, paving the way for high
performance.

44.
PITY IS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE!
AS A TEACHER YOU HAVE THE ABILITY
TO GERNERATE HOPE IN EVERY
STUDENT'S LIFE, BECAUSE YOU HOLD
THE KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS,
AND THAT KEY IS
EDUCATION!

45.
I AM HOME
FREEDOM WRITERS
wingclips.com
I Am Home-Freedom
Writers

46.
References
 Anderson-Moore, K. (2006). Defining the Term “At-Risk”, Research-to Brief Results. Child
Trends, 1-3.
 Dalzin, V. A. (2010, February). Cultivating an Academic Image. In My Opinion. Principal
Leadership, 64-67.
 Garrison-Wade, D., Lewis, C. W. (2006). Tips for School Principals and Teachers, Helping Black
Students Achieve. In J. Landsman, C. W. Lewis (Eds.), White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms (pp.
150-161). Sterling, Virginia. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
 Goldhaber, D., Hannaway, J. (n. d.). Creating a New Teaching Profession. UI Press. Retrieved
from http://www.urban.org/books/newteachinprofession/chapter1.cfm
 Norman, A. J. (2003). Disaggregating the High-Risk Youth Category: Toward a Definition of
Proven-Risk Youth. Project Footprints. Retrieved from
http://www.projectfootprints.com/portfolio/writ-provenriskdefined.html
 Payne, R. K. (1996). A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Highlands, TX. Aha!
 Process, Inc.
 Payne, R. K. (2009). How the Environment of Poverty (Having Fewer Resources) Impacts Cognition
and Learning. Aha! Process, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.ahaprocess.com
 Payne, R. K. (2009). Ten Dynamics of Poverty That Undermine School Success and What Schools
Can Do About Those Barriers. Aha! Process, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.ahaprocess.com
 Riddile, M. (2010, January). The Best Things May Be Free. Principal Leadership, 64-66.
Copyright 2011 Mia L Clark

47.
References cont.
 Toppo, G. (2003, July). The face of the American teacher, White and female, while her
students are ethnically diverse. USA Today. Retrieved from
http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/eduaction/articles/20030706.htm
 Vannick, A. (n.d.). White Teachers in Minority Schools: Understanding Their Own Racism
as A Prerequisite. Retrieved from
http://www.macalester.edu/educationreform/publicinterllectualessay.ellossay.pdf