Diversity Journey
"Diversity is a journey, not a destination, and because the world is always changing, the journey will always continue. We embrace that mindset along each step of our diversity journey" (Wainwright, 2001).
During the 1970's, the era of desegregation, teachers experienced a major change in the classroom; a diversity journey. White Teacher, a novel written by Vivian Gussin Paley, deals with her thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns about children of different cultures and races. Paley is a kindergarten teacher who, in this book, undergoes a variety of teaching changes for the better, through five years of her teaching career. Throughout most of the book, Paley ignores some of the differences in the class, but by the end, she realizes how significant it is for teachers to recognize the differences between the students in the classroom. She learns that each individual difference a student brings to the classroom should be celebrated, encouraged, not ignored. She recognizes the differences of her students, their parents, as well as herself, and in that, she recognizes other cultures. In the end, Paley tries to promote equality in the students to teach them about other cultures. "Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day," (Anonymous, 2003).
Each and every student, parent, and teacher brings a part of themselves to the classroom, including their customs, background, or culture. There were numerous times when the individual differences of each student came out without warning. The largest difference was focused on racial issues, but topics such as gender, religion, imagination, and life events were present. When all of these cultures come together, each one needs to be celebrated and encouraged, not ignored. In my kindergarten service learning class at Lowell Elementary, on each child’s birthday, they brought in an item from their culture. These items could include food, a story, an object, or anything the child desires to bring in to celebrate their culture. This wonderful expression of culture allows the other students to recognize each others background and this forms a bond and community between the students. There can be less discrimination when students understand one another and this is a remarkable way to express it. Paul, a white student, noticed that Alma was a black student, but Alma did not seem to care. Throughout the book, the topic came up between the doll corner and the block section. In the beginning, only the girls were playing house in the doll corner while the boys were imagining superheroes in block section. By the end of the book, both boys and girls were playing in both sections of the room.
Vivian Paley recognizes the differences of her students, their parents, as well as herself and in that she recognizes other cultures. Throughout the year, the students begin to recognize others’ cultures as well as their own.
Five-year-olds seldom draw any skin color. They leave the inside of the face colorless, much as they leave a huge space between the strip of blue sky at the top of the page and the strip of green grass at the bottom. When five-year-olds connect the grass and sky at the horizon, or color in skin, they have been carefully taught to do so. Rena made Cinderella black. Snow White was black. Goldilocks was black, though with yellow hair. (Paley, 2001, 108).
Rena, a student, recognized the color of the face of the characters to be the same as her own skin color which is a huge step for a kindergartener. The elementary school has quite an international population. “This class had families from
Paley tries to promote equality in the students to teach them about other cultures and in doing so, she teaches herself equality. She believed everyone should get the same treatment regardless of where their parents or grandparents were born, their race or religion, or how much money they have. One way that Paley promoted equality is through the community she started to create with the book, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” All the students worked together to recreate the story in the classroom in many ways, such as in mime, or in facial expressions and body movements. Vivian Paley made a great connection, “Teaching children with different cultures and language experiences kept pushing me toward the growing edge” (Paley, 2001, 112). When Paley made this connection, she opened her eyes to new ideas of teaching equality.
Paley second guessed herself many times, but by the end of the book, she grew greatly in many aspects of her teaching. “Kindergarten, for most children, is a time of awakening to the society of peer groups, but there are always children who have not yet reached this point,” Paley acknowledged (Paley, 2001, 128). Most children are open and eager to learn, share, and explore new and different people and their ways. As young students, they begin to see how small groups are formed. Girls recognize those who like to play with dolls, read books, or play house. Boys distinguish those who like to play with trucks and cars, like to pretend “good guys, bad guys,” or those who like to find bugs. They begin to “segregate” and do not realize it. They are not judgmental towards other “playmates”; they accept other students as they are. “Our children must grow up knowing and liking those who look and speak in different ways,” Paley greatly stated, “or they will live as strangers in a hostile land,” (Paley, 2001, 132). Teachers have to teach beyond the curriculum in all directions to a diverse group of students each year. You need to promote acceptance and tolerance of others, allowing each child’s personality to become part of the make up of the group and/or classroom environment. “Perhaps coming to terms with one kind of difference prepares a person for all kinds of differences,” Paley stated (Paley, 2001, 28). You have to be aware and comfortable with your own self to be able to teach others and through this experience. Paley grew as a person, realized the big picture, and was a better teacher for her students and herself.
Anonymous. (2003). Multicultural Center. Retrieved February 6, 2005, from http://www.uvsc.edu/multicultural/serve.html
Paley, V. G. (2001). White Teacher: Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Wainwright, Equilla. (2001, Fall). Taking the temperature of diversity. Retrieved February 6, 2005, from http://www.blackperspective.com/pages/mag_articles/ fall01_takingtemp.html
Graphics:
Book cover: http://info.product-finder.net/adl/Multi-Culturalism-10.html Students: microsoft clip art online
3 Billy Goats Gruff: http://www.janetstevens.com/books/award_books.html
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