Diversity Makes Us Stronger

Last week, my school had our Winter Concert. The music was wonderful and seeing all of our students performing with confidence in a variety of musical genres and singing in parts made me incredibly proud. So much to be proud of - but there was something that really inspired me in addition to the music. So many of the students on the stage spoke little or no English when they came to my school, and yet they were on the stage with every other child - grinning, proud, singing, doing the motions, and being included. Their parents, who speak Spanish, Arabic, Swahili, Kinyarwandan, Karen, or Chinese, beamed as they saw their children on stage performing - fully a part of the school community.

Why does this story matter today? Today is the day to share this story so that it can impact someone who has never been fortunate enough to experience the power of diversity.

According to the National Park Service, The Statue of Liberty has been referred to as "The Immigrant's Statue" since the late 1800's. Emma Lazarus' famous poem, which is engraved onto the pedestal of Lady Liberty, rings out with the words

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

For me, these words have always underscored a commitment. They are an invitation. They are the theme of our country. At least, that is what I have been taught and I have believed. 

A newly arrived immigrant family on Ellis Island, gazing across the bay at the Statue of Liberty from National Park Service

The current administration's decisions regarding immigrants and sanctuary cities is reactionary and panders to the uninformed, the privileged, and the afraid. Diversity in our schools, and in our country, makes us stronger. Learning from the stories of others strengthens our own story and shows us how we can be a better version of ourselves. As educators, we see the power of learning each and every day in our classrooms and in our schools. We know that a community must have diverse ideas in order to thrive. The time is now to use that power to make sure that children from Syria, from the Congo, from Burma, from Afghanistan, have the same opportunities that young Irish or Italian children had 100 years ago.

Celebrating Diversity

I grew up in a small town. Diversity was not a part of the fabric of our community. I grew up knowing that there was much about other cultures that I didn't understand or even know about, and I chose to move away from the community that I love and to relocate in a place where there was greater diversity.

It may sound like a sound bite, but diversity is our greatest strenth. It is truly amazing to think how different people from different cultural backgrounds have all found themselves drawn to the liberties, freedoms, and opportunities that this country offers its people. I am not hugely political or patriotic, however, I believe that people deserve the "certain unalienable rights" that our forefathers wrote about and I believe that the people referred to in the Declaration of Independence rmeans all people. 

Friday we celebrated International Day at my school. It was absolutely amazing to see students dressed in their traditional cultural dress. Parents and families brought in traditional dishes to share with students in the class so everyone could have a "taste" of the different cultures that we represent. Classes read stories, learned cultural dances, made different foods, played games, and shared history from around the world as they learned to truly celebrate the diversity that lives in my school. I was so proud to be the leader of a school where there is so much diversity and so many cultures represented.

Providing opportunities for students to share their stories is essential in giving them a voice. In this day and age when some people feel that their voice should matter more than others, it is important for us to remember that public education exists to provide access, opportunity, and a level playing field for all - that means that all people, from all kinds of diverse backgrounds. Look at these kids - don't they deserve the very best we can give them every, single day?

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners

I began my teaching career in a rural district in Upstate NY. To say that there was very little diversity might actually be an understatement. Although there were many challenges that faced rural schools - including servicing rural poverty, providing for a wide range of needs with limited resources, and designing instruction that would move students and the community towards a new future - everyone basically looked the same, had similar backgrounds, and had similar experiences.

I chose to become an urban educator because I wanted to experience diversity. I knew that there was more that I could do as an educator to learn and grow if there were different challenges in my classroom and in my school. Boy, was I right! My first teaching position in an urban district was in a school with a population that was 95% African American. It was the opposite of my previous teaching experience, which was rural and predominantly white, but it was still not diverse. Everyone in my first urban school was predominantly from the same neighborhood, similar backgrounds, and very little racial diversity.

My first experience with a significantly diverse population - where there are students and families from a variety of backgrounds, religions, with different languages, and from different countries all over the world was extremely eye opening for me. I was able to be an administrative intern at the school where I am now a principal, and that was my first true experience with significant diversity. We have 25% of our student population receiving ENL instruction. There are 20 languages spoken by students and families who attend my school. While 53% of our population is black or African-American, 47% is a rainbow of colors, backgrounds, languages, and belief structures. Teaching in such a diverse population has significant challenges. Leading such a diverse school community through school turnaround and receivership is unbelievably challenging.

I have classrooms with a wide range of learners in their classrooms. As I reviewed data from our initial running records administration, I saw classrooms with ranges from levels PA to V at 5th Grade. I have 1st and 2nd grade classrooms with 16, 17, 18, or 19 students receiving ENL services. So, differentiation is a hot topic in our feedback and planning discussions. We have been talking about defining differentiation as the place where our deep content knowledge and our understanding the needs of our students comes together. When we understand our content and our students' needs, we can make decisions about how we can individualize the way we will deliver the instruction to our students. Even in whole group instruction, we must be aware of the ways we deliver our instruction and provide opportunities for individual students to access the curriculum.

The Teaching Channel has partnered with the Oakland Unified School District to provide important video resources of key practices for differentiation - particularly for ENL students.  This overview is a key resource for teachers in diverse learning communities to gain insight into the ways that we can provide all of our children with access to proficiency with the new learning standards. In this video, supports for ENL students within the English Language Arts include a "talking rock" or a talking piece, which empowers students by providing them with the complete focus of the other students when it is their turn to talk. We have to remember that the curriculum does not tell us how to teach - it is not a script - it outlines what we need to teach in order for our students to be college and career ready. In our hectic and busy lives as educators (who are also trying to be spouses, parents, sons, daughters, friends, volunteers, and many other roles), we must keep learning as the focus. If we only think about teaching, we miss such an important opportunity to see our students in the driver's seat. Their learning, combined with our high expectations, is the key component. That is where the connection between our deep content knowledge and our knowledge of our individual students is the most vibrant: where our lessons reflect the kinds of differentiation that will ensure that all of our students succeed.

Here are some other resources that you might find helpful in your supports of diverse learners in your classroom:
http://www.casenex.com/casenet/pages/readings/differentiation/diffisisnot.htm

http://www.cdl.org/articles/differentiating-instruction-and-practice/

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776