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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.

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