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acknowledge that you may have some the characteristics of your shoes, and
assumptions that will influence your none of these things can be changed. To effectively teach all
expectations for student performance, You, the shoe-teacher are who you are. children, teachers must
the environment of your classroom, your Now suppose as the shoe-teacher, you
communication with students, and the must plan a lesson for all your shoe- recognize their own as-
design of your instructions students. The lesson should be active sumptions and beliefs
To effectively teach all children, teachers and suitable for all students to partici- about diversity.
must recognize their own assumptions pate. As the shoe-teacher, the lesson
and beliefs about diversity. Here is an activity that you planned can be con- traits, characteristics and perspectives
exercise that will help educators reflect ducted and successfully participated of your shoe-students. Students differ
on their own beliefs about diversity by you. Can this lesson also be partici- from one another in many ways. Some
represented in the classroom and how pated by your students? For example, individual characteristics are readily
he/she can approach learning so that suppose you are wearing hiking boots. noticeable whereby others are subtler.
everyone can participate in the lessons. The first lesson involves hiking on a These characteristics affect how stu-
Educators and students as… shoes. rocky terrain for three miles. Which one dents approach learning and therefore
Take every shoe in your closets at of your students would easily be able to how you should teach. The goal of
home. Select one shoe from each successfully participate in this activity? education in the United States is that
pair and place in a pile. Separate Which would be able to give it a good all children learn, regardless of their
the shoes in the pile into two groups. try? Are there any shoe-students that differences.
What characteristics did you use to may require special accommodations?
separate them? Next, separate the If so, what accommodations? From the above activity, you can infer
shoes in each of the two groups into Suppose you did another lesson activity that everyone in the classroom comes
two subgroups for a total of four piles. that involved jogging for three miles. with unique characteristics that affect
What characteristics did you use to Now ask yourself the same questions. how learning is approached. Educators
separate them? Which students would be able to easily can teach acknowledging these unique
characteristics so that each student
What if each shoe represented a participate in activity and which stu- feels respected, accepted and is
student? Each shoe-student would dents would give it a good try. For some motivated to learn and challenge their
have the characteristics of the shoe, students, perhaps jogging three miles best. Regardless of perceived differ-
complete with the material it is made would be easy whereas with others, ences, Visconti (2011) writes that we
of, its color, its size, its purpose, and three miles of jogging would be difficult. must come to the realization that “I am
whether it is a left or right shoe. Each As the shoe-teachers, how would you not different from you; I am different
shoe-student would be in a group with a accommodate those students that may like you.” Thinking about lessons that
label that describes the group’s purpose. find this task extremely easy and those accommodate all learners, educa-
None of these can be changed; they are that may find it extremely difficult? tors may reflect on their own beliefs
who they are. As the shoe-teacher, consider your about diversity represented in their
Look at the shoes you have on. These own shoes. If you assume every shoe- classrooms and discover how he/she
shoes represent the teacher. This shoe- student learned the same way as you approaches learning so that everyone
teacher has the purpose, the looks, and do, you would be ignoring the different can participate in the lessons.
References:
Martin, D., and Loomis, K. (2014). Building Teachers: A Constructivist Approach to Introducing Education. (2nd ed.).
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Merriam-Webster. (2012). Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Author
Visconti, L. (2011). DiversityInc.com. http://diversityinc.com
About the Author
Dr. Eloise Marks-Stewart has worked as a school administrator, special education teacher and depart-
ment leader across all grade levels. She earned her Doctor of Education Degree from Walden Uni-
versity in Teacher Leadership, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration and Supervision and a
Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. Eloise has presented at workshops and published articles in
teacher preparation textbooks, journals, and newspapers. She is a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson Uni-
versity in the Humanities Department where she teaches academic writing. In 2011, she was selected as
an “Outstanding Educator” by Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in Education. In her spare time, Eloise works closely with her
sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in various community service activities.
Educational Viewpoints -29- Spring 2018