Diversity Statement

I contextualize my approach to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in an educational environment by thinking about belonging and meaning-making. Acknowledging and making diverse and inclusive spaces comes down to making space for people to be their whole selves and incorporate the fullness of their identities into their workspace or classroom. In short, it is about making sure that they feel like they belong in their classroom, and that they belong as they are without compromising any aspect of their identity.

Coming out of my Teaching Philosophy, which claims that "a checklist isn't an education," belonging and meaning-making are essential parts of the educational process because they move us beyond the framework of a checklist. And, in turn, DEIA is an essential part of the educational process. Using a Constructionist approach, I argue that education is not just comprised of formal learning of content (checking items off a list to pass a course), but rather happens when students have the chance to build connections between what they are learning about and their own life and context (Vygotsky, 1978; Deane et al., 2015; Alvermann, Gillis, & Phelps, 2013). When this happens, students and teachers together define the purpose of the content as it relates to their careers, lives, and place in the world. Learning environments where students and instructors have a sense of belonging in the fullness of their identity are a key part of this process because they help bridge content with our immediate personal contexts to make meaning form our learning. If someone cannot safely express an aspect of their sexual orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, social class, etc. in the space of the classroom, then they have an immediate barrier to education and are forced into the framework of a "checklist."

Specific strategies that can help me prioritize diversity in my classroom focus on creating room for how students respond to the classroom environment. As Weinstein, Tomlison-Clarke, and Curran argue, “Culturally Responsive Classroom Management is a frame of mind, more than a set of strategies or practices” (2004, p. 27). In that sense, having a culturally responsive classroom for me involves examining my bias and gaining more background information about different cultures so that I am aware of how I may be focusing on some behaviors more than others. For instance, if I am more likely to notice when Black students are misbehaving, ribbing among Black students (a type of verbal sparring) is more likely to catch my attention than the same behavior among White students (Weinstein, Tomlison-Clarke, & Curran, 2004). Being aware of my implicit bias and that I have a misunderstanding about the cultural meaning behind this behavior can help ensure I am not immediately locking onto that behavior as a potential problem, something I might otherwise be tempted to do (Weinstein, Tomlison-Clarke, & Curran, 2004). This can help reduce referrals or disciplinary action for something that does not offer a barrier to learning or safety, even as I may still be focused on the behavior more than usual (Milner & Tenore, 2010).

Another important way that I can create space for students to respond in my classroom based on cultural differences is attention to opportunities for both individual and communal motivation and assignments (Weinstein, Tomlison-Clarke, & Curran, 2004). This particular cultural difference is extra important to me because it forms such a big divide between American individualistic culture and a range of other cultural experiences that focus on communal values. In that sense, it may become an area where students feel the greatest divide in their cultural experience and an American school system. I create opportunities for a more communal and collaborative atmosphere in the ways I arrange my desks in groups or clusters or by using a flipped classroom approach where students learn and teach one another about the material (Weinstein, Tomlison-Clarke, & Curran, 2008). Moreover, this reflects my philosophical emphasis on helping students create connections between the material and themselves because they are allowed to take ownership of the content as they prepare to teach it to each other. For instance, while reading Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” students may emphasize one part of his argument that I might otherwise overlook because it connects with their experience of the world. This brings their perspective into the classroom content so that they are able to make more realistic and personalized connections with our material.

References

Alvermann, D. E., Gillis, V. R., & Phelps, S. E. (2013). Content Area Reading and Literacy: Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classrooms (7th ed.). Pearson.

Deane, P., Sabanti, J., Feng, G., Sparks, J., Song, Y., Fowles, M., O’Reilly, T., Jueds, K., Krovetz, R. & Foley, C. (2015). Key Practices in the English Language Arts (ELA): Linking Theory, Assessment, and Instruction. ETS Research Report Series (2), 1–29.

Milnore, H. R., & Tenore, F. B. (2010). Classroom Management in Diverse Classrooms. Urban Education, 45(5), 560–603.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and Society: The Development of Higher Mental Processes. Harvard University Press.

Weinstein, C., Tomlison-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2008). Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Strategies. Metropolitan Center for Urban Education.

Weinstein, C., Tomlison-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2004). Toward a Conception of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management. Journal of Teacher Education, 55(1), 25–38.