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Acknowledging Unique Perspectives

By Eloise Stewart, Ed.D., Educational Leader/Professor, Fairleigh Dickinson
University

Each student has a unique social forms and material traits of a education as the professional purview of
racial, religious, or social group… the teachers and that families should not be
perspective that is different set of shared attitudes, values, goals, a part of that endeavor. Various cultural
from every other student. and practices” (Merriam-Webster, groups have different views when it
Educators must acknowledge the 2012). There are several attributes that comes to educational perspectives,
common need that all students need make up a person’s culture including and as educators, their perspectives
to feel a sense of belonging, respect race, ethnicity, social aspects, and will often impact academic needs of
and acceptance. Students need to religion. Students of diverse cultural students within the classroom. One
know their unique characteristics and backgrounds have had different life culture may support the need for having
their perspectives they bring into the experiences and challenges. They a highly-structured, teacher-dependent
classroom are valued. may bring different perspectives, classroom, and another culture may
understanding and characteristics
see teachers as authoritative. Although
Students come to school with diverse into the classroom. Even though these are broad generalized statements,
backgrounds, values, expectations, their perspectives may be different, it is important to acknowledge that
traditions, strengths and limitations. teachers should not view them as a parents and students from various
These differences often impact their hindrance to learning and academic cultural groups value distinct aspects
overall academic achievement. Often achievement. of school, teaching and learning.
when considering cultural diversity, Educators are challenged with creating
many of us immediately think of race. Some cultures believe that education and teaching lessons that acknowledge
But a person’s culture includes much is a joint endeavor between the school, cultural diversity. However, before you
more than race. The dictionary defines community, teachers, students and can teach in a way that acknowledges
culture as “the customary beliefs, family whereby others may view cultural diversity, you must first

Educational Viewpoints -28- Spring 2018