As I completed the Diversity Proficiency Survey it was nice to reflect on my teaching experiences from the past three years. One strength that I demonstrate when it comes to diversity is learning environment I provide for my students (Walden University, n.d.). At the beginning of each year, I spend a lot of time building relationships with my students. One of the most important things a teacher can do for a student is show them they care for them (Schmidt, 2021). I take the time to learn about each student. I find out their interests, cultures, what subjects they enjoy, and what topics they struggle with. Students in my class know that I care about them and know that we have a safe environment. I try to relate learning to students’ past experiences. I incorporate topics that relate to their lives into various activities. This is important because students who feel safe are more likely to allow themselves to be vulnerable and to make mistakes. When this happens, the most learning occurs.

One area that I would like to improve on is my planning, instruction, and assessment (Walden University, n.d.). I have a very diverse group of students in my class. Both culturally and academically. I work with my colleagues to create learning experiences that are tailored to all of my students. I try to incorporate multiple learning styles so that my students can have a meaningful learning experience. I know what needs to be done, but there are times when I struggle with planning experiences that fit all the needs in the same lesson or activity.

One aspect of Nieto’s definition of multicultural education focuses on anti-biased learning experiences (Laureate Education, 2015). According to Nieto (2015), educators should be looking at the inequalities that students may be experiencing. More specifically, why are some students achieving and some are not. As mentioned above, I would like to improve the curriculum that I deliver to my students. I thought I had a good grasp on what my students may

need, but after hearing about all the different inequalities listed by Nieto, it makes me think that I need to take a deeper look at the experiences I am providing.

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015). Introduction to multicultural education [Video file].

Baltimore, MD: Author.

Schmidt, S. J. (2021). What is the most important thing you do in your classroom? Journal of

Food Science Education, 20(3) , 90–96. https://doiorg.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1111/1541-4329.12226

Walden University. (n.d.) Diversity proficiencies survey. Walden University Blackboard.

https://class.waldenu.edu .

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