Part A
As America continues to be more ethnically and culturally diverse so are the learning institutions. According to Hall, Quinn, and Gollnick (2014), teachers may now find themselves educating learners who are different from them in terms of race, socioeconomic background, culture, religion, physical abilities, and sexuality. The educators will find that the classrooms are filled with culturally diverse, disabled, gifted, and English learning students. Being part of one group may affect the way the teacher thinks about another group. For example, the way that the teacher will deal with someone from a different racial group is not the same way that he or she may interact with a learner from the same racial group with regards to language, ideologies, concepts, appropriate behavior, etc.
Despite the vast range of differences that I encounter as a pre-school teacher in the classroom, I am still expected to assist the students to attain similar standards and goals. For the minimal time that I have been teaching, I have encountered children who are English learners, different gender, low income, and from various ethnicities such as African Americans, Whites, Hispanic, and Asians. I am yet to encounter learners with disabilities, but I hope to acquire a chance to interact and teach students from the group. The experience will broaden my skills and expertise as an educator to handle diverse situations and classroom setups.
The encounter with the disabled learners will also give me a chance to assist the students by providing them with adequate attention and materials. I am well aware that disabled learners often get overlooked by the teachers resulting in poor performances compared to the abled students. The interaction with them will give me the insight to develop inclusive lessons for the English learners, low income, those from different races, and genders. Inclusive classes eliminate biases and stereotypes amongst students and parents with various beliefs and backgrounds. They formulate a forum for the diverse pupils to interact in a controlled and suitable setup (Durden, Escalante & Blitch, 2015).
Part B
It is vital to acknowledge diversity in a pre-school classroom to educate the learners right from an early age to accommodate different views and traits. The young children will grow up not even realizing that they are different from their fellow classmates until at a later time in their lives when their knowledge depth increases. However, with an inclusive and accommodating foundation, they will be in a better position to accept the differences between them and other individuals. Also, appreciating diversity will enable me to enhance my professional skills to eliminate any social or academic differences amongst the learners. Occasionally, there are long-held perceptions regarding the performances of children from particular groups. For instance, the disabled or English learners may appear to lag behind in academic achievements (Yates & Marcelo, 2014). My aim will be to bring them at a constant level with the abled learners and native English speakers respectively by using my professional skills and giving them adequate attention.
Part C
The education sector in the country has entrusted me with the development and learning of children. The aspect of diversity makes me realize that regardless of ethnic, economic, or cultural variations, the education system still expects me to relay the academic knowledge to the learners. I should thus go out of my way to assist the children to understand the basics of pre-school education, life challenges, problem-solving skills, the need for fairness, and a good learning environment (Durden, Escalante & Blitch, 2015). The pupils greatly influence the way that I will teach. Hence, I will ensure that I comprehend their innate skills and abilities and develop them to best of my capability. Also, I will respect the learners even though they are not from a similar racial, gender, or cultural group. All these efforts will assist me in proving that great educators are the cornerstone of exceptional learning.
References
Durden, T. R., Escalante, E., & Blitch, K. (2015). Start with us! Culturally relevant pedagogy in the preschool classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(3), 223-232.
Hall, G.E., Quinn, L.F., & Gollnick, D.M. (2014). Introduction to teaching: Making a difference in student learning. Los Angeles: Sage Publishing.
Yates, T. M., & Marcelo, A. K. (2014). Through race-colored glasses: Preschoolers’ pretend play and teachers’ ratings of preschooler adjustment. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(1), 1-11.
