Jackie Gore
Educational Document
May 6, 2010
Celebrating Diversity Workshop Reflection
During this workshop, I learned many different things about all types of people throughout the world and nation. I have gained new insight on things that I had never really thought about before attending this workshop. In this paper, I will discuss my new insights and appreciations, also how my thinking has changed and how I can incorporate what I have learned in my teaching career.
First off, as far as my insights changing, I thought it was very interesting how we are not really a ‘melting pot’ but a ‘salad’ or ‘stir fry’, according to Barbara. I guess I had never really thought to challenge what everyone had always said and never knew that diversity was such a huge natural/national/organizational resource. This workshop really helped me to appreciate other identity groups and gain awareness of groups I never really paid much attention to before. This workshop also opened my eyes to different stereotypes that are existent in our nation; I never really took the time to think about how people view other people or view me. I was always very aware of how I viewed others, but never really paid much attention to the thought of how they might view me or people like me. It was interesting and very educational to learn about how this might happen or how it can affect different types of relationships.
Also because of this workshop, I heard many different stories of how others have been discriminated against, and that made me really think about how others feel and what they take personally that maybe I had overlooked in the past. This information and these types of stories can help me in the classroom, as a student and as a teacher, to help me empathetic with other students when others may make jokes or poke fun at them. With this type of information, we also learned different ways to stop prejudicial comments and jokes while maintaining relationships, which will also be very helpful when I am a classroom teacher.
Along with the previous examples I have given on different strategies to use in the classroom, we reiterated the fact that listening is so very important as a person, and as a teacher. Along with listening, asking open-ended questions and using a calm tone can also help others open up to you and work with you on being more tolerant, understanding, and welcoming to other people and their identity groups. This is very useful information to have as a classroom teacher, especially for elementary students. Young children don’t always necessarily understand what they are saying, they tend to repeat what they hear at home from their family members or people they are close to, and don’t fully understand how the things they say hurt other students’ feelings. By being able to understand these types of things myself, it will make it easier for me to explain it to my students and for me to help them move in a more positive direction.
Overall, I believe that this workshop was very helpful in understanding how others feel and their perspectives on different types of situations. What I see as a joke, others may take offensive, and this can put a strain on our relationship. As a future classroom teacher, I truly think that this is a workshop that everyone should take and gain knowledge from to help gain insight for their future classrooms.