So far this semester, this class has helped me grow and develop as a future educator of a diverse body of students. I chose to take this class to enlighten me as to how to incorporate a variety of multicultural literature in my classroom that will allow all students to be able to see themselves and relate to the stories that are provided in the classroom library. In addition to being able to relate to the books, a collection of literature from a wide range of cultures will act as a window for students to learn about others who may be different than themselves. This is a difficult task for teachers to adequately provide quality multicultural literature for their students. I took this class to help me understand what to look for while evaluating these texts and do get insight as to what makes a piece of diverse literature valuable. In addition, this class will help me learn how to incorporate multicultural literature in everyday discussion and lessons. Although pedagogy is rarely discussed, I can take what I learn from our class discussions and transfer it to my own pedagogical practices in the future.
As a teacher, I hope to be able to make all students, of all cultural backgrounds, feel confident and comfortable in my classroom. In order to do this these students must feel that their cultural identity is valued and respected. A good way of showing students this is by incorporating literature that represents their culture and heritage accurately. This class will teach me how to evaluate literature and assess its accuracy so I know how to choose books to include in my classroom.
Issues of diversity are an important aspect in teaching literature. Students who are unable to see themselves in the texts that are read are more likely to disregard it and lose appreciation of reading. On the other hand, when books are available for students to use as a resource for seeing their own identity as well as a tool for learning about other cultures, they will become more interested and involved in their growing knowledge. Diverse literature can be used as an instrument to broaden students’ understanding about the world that surrounds them. When multicultural texts are shared in the classroom students will most likely gain appreciation for both themselves as well as others.
My philosophy concerning multicultural education is that students of all cultures, and of all subcultures, should have an equal opportunity to learn in an environment that fosters their growth as individuals and respects the differences among all students. Children’s literature can be used as students utilize it to gain knowledge about the world. Although children’s books do not contain a complete illustration of a specific culture, if the portrayal is accurate it will still help to develop a classroom that respects all students, regardless of their cultural background.
When I think about actually implementing my philosophy in a classroom filled with a diverse body of students, I get really nervous that the literature I choose will offend some students. Although I am learning a lot in this course regarding assessing quality literature and addressing issues that may arise from diverse books, I am sure I will not be able to catch all the possible misrepresentations that may be present in a text. I will feel terrible if I choose to incorporate a text in the curriculum that contains stereotypes or distorted images that may lead my students to believe the inaccuracies or take offence to the representations in the book. Because of this, I will try to seek another opinion aside from my own as to how the book represents the culture it is about. Although I will try to avoid books with any obvious offensive stereotypes, I’m sure they will come up. In cases like this, I will use the book to spark a discussion as to why the stereotypes may be incorporated in the text and the harm they can cause for those who read the text. This course has made me feel more confident in my ability to choose quality literature and I am excited to implement what we have learned so far in my future classroom.
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