Diversity Statement

Growing up in a low-income household and being a first-generation bilingual ESL student, I can empathize much easier with those who come from a similar background. Therefore, I can offer guidance and support to students facing the same challenges I and many others alike have encountered such as identity, language, culture, and being low-income. From my teaching experience abroad and domestically, I have had the pleasure of working with students from many different backgrounds and understand that each student has had their own unique experiences with life and learning, which should be acknowledged, respected, and celebrated if we want to create a safe space for students to learn in.

 

One simple approach to celebrate the uniqueness of my students is by hanging the flags of different countries from around the world in my classroom. This is to show students that my classroom is one that welcomes all. It also promotes cultural awareness and a global perspective by exposing students to the different cultures and places that go beyond what they know and are familiar with. By hanging the flags of different countries in my classroom, I have seen some of my students point out their country’s flag to their friends and share some stories and facts about where they come from with their classmates and me. Another way to recognize students’ multicultural backgrounds in class is to select materials that reflect their own culture and people. When I taught eighth grade ELA years ago at a school that had many low-income ELL students from the Latino community, I would teach the novella, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. This novel focuses on women oppression, identity, and the Mexican American diaspora from the perspective of a young Mexican American girl. I remember one day after class one student decided to stay and talk to me. She thanked me for choosing the book because she can relate to the struggles of the main protagonist.

 

No classroom contains the same level of learners. Thus, each student needs the right accommodation to succeed in the classroom, which can be a challenge. To help create equity in class, I can provide alternative assessments instead of traditional assessments. I used to work with a second-grade teacher who would use a multiple-choice spelling quiz instead of having her students write down the words because many of her students still had problems with their fine motor skills. For newly arrived bilingual students who have low proficiency in English, I will incorporate translanguaging in my teaching to support these students. For example, asking students to read a text in English but allowing them to provide their answers in their native language to explain what they just read. 

 

Through teacher observations, teacher interviews, webinars, and teacher organization groups online, I can continue to develop myself as a promoter of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. My hope is that I can build a community that is accepting, mindful, and empathetic towards others. Through my teaching instruction, activities, and materials, I hope to teach students to love each other and to see the beauty in themselves, but more importantly, the beauty in others.