Reflection 7

Teaching For Inclusion is actually a good read not just for students in a diversity class but this article could also be helpful for those already in the profession who are looking to improve their student relations. The article gives excellent pointers on the subject but I think its important that before someone can teach in this manner they must first be intercultural incompetent. It makes no sense to learn all these new methods of teaching when you can't first relate to all the groups in your class and make everyone feel comfortable. So after we break down all our biases, prejudices, and such then we are ready for inclusive teaching.
The first step of getting to know your students is very important because first impressions are important. Its always easy to work forward than to have to backtrack so one of the first things you should do is explain what you expect the climate of the class to be. When you set the ground rules in place on the first class meeting, not only will you find future discussions to be more productive, but also you're students will respect you for essentially respecting them. I also agree with having a mixture of responses from volunteers and people who are called on. From a student's perspective I seem to enjoy classes that follow that structure in oppose to classes that are either or. Furthermore, you should never put a student on the spot as the representative for a whole group of people. In the movie Freedom Writers, which is based on a true story, the African American student is put on the spot in her honors english class when the professor asks her to explain how the whole race felt in response to The Color Purple. The young lady was highly upset not only because they didn't have diversity in the class but also because the teacher stereotyped her; assuming that because she was black she came from a poor family and asked her to explain what that was like when she actually came from a two parent home where money wasn't an issue. As a result, the honor's class lost its only black student.
Realistically, one doesn't just become multiculturally aware. Just as you're culture was learnt, you must also learn to be intercultural incompetent; this is the only way you'll be effective in reaching all, not just a specific group, of your students.