Chapter 4:

What teaching strategies would you use to make sure all students learn effectively in your classroom, whithout distinction of their gender or sexual orientation?

There are many strategies you can use to teach for all students to learn, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. First, every teacher needs to know how to reach children of both genders. Girls and boys learn different. Their brains think differently. Boys tend to be deductive, meaning they start with general and move to specifics, and girls tend to be inductive, meaning they start with specifics and move to the general. Knowing this fact teachers need to know how to accommodate both girls and boys. In my classroom I would plan group activities, this will help the girls learn better. Girls tend to learn better in a group where the students work together. I would also plan lessons that can be done in other areas of the classroom besides a desk. For example I could do a science lesson outside, that would be beneficial to the boys in the classroom. Boys tend to need more space to learn and even some physical activity to help them focus. Now not all girls learn well in a group and not all boys learn better in a spacious environment. Therefore as a teacher I would also have to have lessons where the students work as individuals as well as one on one with me and as a whole class. Teaching so that any student with a different sexual orientation can learn in a safe environment in not to different in my opinion. I would teach they the exact same way I would any other student. I would make sure that there were rules in my classroom that would be there even if there wasn’t a student with a different sexual orientation, which would make sure that that student felt safe. I believe that anyone can learn in an environment they feel safe in. That would be my one of my goals as a teacher.

Chapter 3

What would you do to make sure socio-economic backgrounds do not negatively affect your students?

With the recent economic recession more and more families are struggling. This affects all “classes” in the United States, as well as the rest of the world. So some middle class families are now in the lower class or poor class. So that means that students that used to have a roof over their heads and nice clean clothes and shoes don’t have those things anymore. Or these students have had to move from their houses into shelters or apartments. As a teacher you have to try and treat all the students the same no matter if they come from a rich family or a poor family. In my classroom I would do my best to treat every student equal. I would also try to help the students whose families have fallen on hard times. I know that some people may not want the help or are too embarrassed to accept the help, but I could offer it to them. I believe that as a teacher we are on the front lines and that we are the eyes and ears for the future. We make the difference. I know that we can’t help everyone but we can help some. For example, one of the classes I observed had a student in it that’s family has fallen on hard times. The teacher noticed this and had a bag of clothes sent home to this student’s family. It wasn’t much, but it helped this family. I believe that if you treat all the students the same and help the ones that need help you can make the students feel like they belong. That sense of belonging can help them do better in school and help them succeed. That is how I would make sure that the socio-economic background did not negatively affect my students.

Chapter 2 Post

What role did the Civil Rights Movement play in today's cultural diversity?

The Civil Rights Movement played a huge role in today’s classroom and cultural diversity!! Before the Civil Rights movement the schools were segregated. This means that the white children went to one school and the black children went to a different school and the two did not mix. The problem with this is that the white schools got a lot more funding than the black schools. Therefore the children at the black schools got a poorer education. Because of the Civil Rights movement the schools had to integrate and mix the two races. This caused many problems at first but over time most of the issues have worked themselves out. Because of the Civil Rights movement and integration white children have been exposed to African American, Asian, Hispanic, and many other cultures. The same goes for the other ethnic groups; they too have been exposed to each other. This exposure brings about the understanding and friendships we have today. Another great thing to come from the Civil Rights movement, other that civil rights, is the government funding for the schools. Now the funding is not based on whether you go to a white school or a black school but is based on other economic factors. So with the Civil Rights movement we get better more equal (not totally equal) funding, more friendship and understanding, as well as many other things!