Module 2

In this week’s readings, Chapter 6 was of great interest to me.  I found the section “Diversity in Learning” especially relevant because I come from a white, middle-class background, yet I am teaching for the first time this year in a socioeconomic and culturally-diverse school.  I’ve already experienced some subtle and some not-so-subtle differences between my expectations and my ideas about learning compared to my students’ and their families,’ so I was glad to read Woolfolk’s inclusion of Roland Tharp’s lists of concepts to consider in order to better manage diverse classroom (p. 240).

As Woolfolk suggests, implementing a social organization of the classroom that reflects that of a student’s culture might be more productive than one that contradicts it.  Offering choices or varying the group dynamics might also lead to more effective learning (p. 240). Carefully considering the cultural values and broad learning preference of a student’s background and tailoring lessons and environments to suit those preferences could help diverse students succeed (p. 241).   

Although potentially helpful, Woolfolk warns against blanket assumptions about groups of students, because generalizations can lead to prejudices (p. 241). She explains, “the best advice for teachers is to be sensitive to individual differences in all your students and to make available alternative paths to learning… get to know the individual” (p. 241).  

Reference:
Woolfolk, A. (2016). Educational Psychology (13th ed.). Boston: Pearson.