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My Commitment to Teaching in a Diverse Society - Lorraine Moreno

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My Commitment to Teaching in a Diverse Society - Lorraine Moreno

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The commitment I make to teaching in a diverse society is now that I am no longer in the dark about the valuable and impactful content in this class, I will continue to be a light that does not conceal the teachable anti-bias moments.  I will highlight cultural affirmation in my lessons, classroom environment, words, and actions so that everyone in my class feels welcomed, accepted, represented, recognized, and appreciated as a crucial person that belongs to our classroom community. I will work alongside the families of the children in my classroom, create authentic relationships, and invite families in to teach so that everyone’s cultural knowledge will expand.  I chose to draw a solar flashlight to remind myself that I can always place myself to be available to take in sunlight (knowledge and continuous anti-bias work) so that I can inform others to be out of the dark as well. I chose the phrase “Be the light that never goes dim” because I do not want to be dim or ignorant to the inclusive, equitable, and appropriate ways to serve my future diverse students. This means I need to continue my professional development, and to not allow myself to forget what I have learned or to just simply do nothing when injustice, discrimination, and bias actions or bias words happen.  I placed myself at the halfway point of my piece to acknowledge a quote that has stayed with me this semester from Dr. Rosemarie Allen.  She said, “When you are aware, you are halfway there. “I became half-way there in this class, and I need to move forward to continue on with what encompasses being in the know of my implicit biases, anti-bias work, anti-bias teaching, and having culturally affirming lessons. Lastly, I included a cultural wall space in my drawing because I loved the idea of having a perpetual place for my future students and families to share their culture and identity.  Students will be able to place a photo or drawing of their family and/or an image of an item connected to their culture.  It will be continuous and students will have agency and ownership in taking down a photo/item, and replacing it with a new cultural event photo or drawing that their family just shared together.

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I commit myself to educate my future students so in there coming future they can prosper in their everyday life, teach the to respective another and practice the quality and equity in ea h student and acknowledge every student's potential in-class work, conclude expiration and fairness in their environment. Introduce the values of every student's culture, and ethnicity region in that diverse society. Have communication with parents considering their child's everyday activities in class and have my student in a save and heard And both my self and student get to learn from me another as well.

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The thing I value most in life is trust. I believe that in a healthy environment, the best way to strive together is to have trust and believe that everyone is looking out for our best interests. I hope to gain my students' trust by creating a classroom environment with zero tolerance for negative attitudes on others’ appearances or judgment of any sort. The goal I strive to achieve is to make all students feel comfortable in their skin and personal attributes. Children will have my utmost respect, compassion, and values for learning through play and work. I want to make sure all students feel heard, cared for, and approach their lives through an open lens; always looking for something new. We will work together and learn from each other through the many mistakes I hope we make. Because students will spend the majority of their time in a classroom throughout their adolescence, I plan to make each moment something memorable and plan to provide comfort in all aspects. It can be difficult to learn when we find ourselves in tough situations which is why communication is a big aspect of being on the same team. Families will be welcome to share cultural attributes and learn from one another as well. It is important for children to see the differences in one another so that they can later on share their own similarities with each other. Students will learn to take pride in both their appearances and work, achieving fundamental knowledge in not just school but diversity and culture as well. While we are all different, we all want the best for our students and want to help each step of the way. I’m committed to see each child strive in a diverse environment both individually and as a team. Together, we will change the future for the better and create a more open society that appreciates not only our successes but failures as well.

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Differences are Beautiful Within a Community - Alexis Schneider

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Differences are Beautiful Within a Community - Alexis Schneider

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A few month’s ago, I went to Boise and in the alley was a beautiful mural of a variety of people with different completions and facial expressions. I understood it as a mix of emotions of all walks of life. This mural inspired me to create my piece of art. As you can see, this is a represenation of me looking (or teaching) a group of children with many differences, yet we are all human, living on earth. But it is our differences that make us unique.

As a future educator, I pledge to create an environment where my students feel represented and support them through the their journeys of growth. I pledge to give value to my students needs and help build their confidence within themselves. In doing so, I will create a trusting and respectful relationship with their families, show compassion, actively find new teaching methods based on my students abilities to learn , listen and act.

I value differences in cultures and want to create a day where my students can share and be proud of who they are. I want to be able to create a “culture day” where students can share someone about their culture. This in return can spark conversations of similarities and differences in a respectful and meaningful way. By doing this, I can introduce inclusive toys, reading materials, art, music, movies, and activities that represent all of them and find new ways and opportunities to talk about our differences.

My goal is to create a everlasting pride within my students of who they are and where they came from and to teach them to respect others differences in the world.

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The message that my drawing is portraying is the importance of representation in the classroom. I grew up in a Jewish household so every year around December teachers would have us do Christmas activities and draw Santa clause and reindeers. I recognize that not everyone is christian and that there are many holidays to be celebrated and to learn about and there will also be kids that may not even believe in religion and could be Athiest. No one in my class will ever be forced to participate in such activities. In my drawing you will also notice the different languages as well. This all plays a role in diversity.  Kenya Edelhart

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The message that my drawing is portraying is the importance of representation in the classroom. I grew up in a Jewish household so every year around December teachers would have us do Christmas activities and draw Santa clause and reindeers. I recognize that not everyone is christian and that there are many holidays to be celebrated and to learn about and there will also be kids that may not even believe in religion and could be Athiest. No one in my class will ever be forced to participate in such activities. In my drawing you will also notice the different languages as well. This all plays a role in diversity.  Kenya Edelhart

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The message that I am trying to get across with my drawing is that everybody needs to be accepting and respectful of other cultures so that we can eliminate biases and create equality for all. As a future educator I will create a safe, understanding, and accepting environment so that children are able to build their identities and feel a sense of belonging. By providing learning opportunities and implementing at home values children will be able to gain a new perspective and become accepting as well as respectful of other cultures as well as their own.

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As an educator, I want to be able to talk to children about how we treat others equally. I want to prevent children from being bullied in the future. I want my classroom to feel a sense of belonging. I want students to be able to go to an adult when something is going on. I want my classroom to not be afraid to stand up for themselves.

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Step through my doors and everyone is welcome. It doesn’t matter the color, age, sexual orientation, history, what car they drive, or their favorite food, they are all welcomed with no discrimination (unless you’re not supposed to be there of course). All my students, whether in my class or not, will always feel included and belong. My mission within the education system is to ensure every child is included, represented, and proud. When they walk out of my room I want them to feel empowered and overall proud of who they are. They’re going to feel and witness discrimination at some time in their life outside of my classroom, even possibly right outside of my classroom, but never when they are within my walls and in my care. I will try my best to be accessible, to parents but most importantly to my students. I will always have a lending ear if they feel any discomfort or are at ease. I will be that adult they can always count on to talk to and listen to. Parents will feel confident to have their children under my care while they are not around. They will be able to contact me if needed and express any inconveniences or even any praise that they feel.

A child can play, express themself, be happy and be able to explore and discover different parts of themselves and the world around them. It will be my responsibility to show them the experiences as positively as possible and be a guide while their beautiful minds wander. Questions will be encouraged and I shall answer to the best of my ability. If a child feels discomfort, the child will be able to express themselves. They will feel free to express their culture, emotions, toys, and things that give them joy with other classmates which will allow the classroom to build a sense of community within each other. Possibly building those relationships that can flourish for a long time, or at least get them the toy they want to play with. A child will be able to look at another child and see the beauty of the other child and everything they represent. The main thing would be to keep a child happy, there’s already a lot of negativity outside of the classroom.

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Differences are Beautiful Within a Community

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Differences are Beautiful Within a Community

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A few month’s ago, I went to Boise and in the alley was a beautiful mural of a variety of people with different completions and facial expressions. I understood it as a mix of emotions of all walks of life. This mural inspired me to create my piece of art. As you can see, this is a represenation of me looking (or teaching) a group of children with many differences, yet we are all human, living on earth. But it is our differences that make us unique.

As a future educator, I pledge to create an environment where my students feel represented and support them through the their journeys of growth. I pledge to give value to my students needs and help build their confidence within themselves. In doing so, I will create a trusting and respectful relationship with their families, show compassion, actively find new teaching methods based on my students abilities to learn , listen and act.

I value differences in cultures and want to create a day where my students can share and be proud of who they are. I want to be able to create a “culture day” where students can share someone about their culture. This in return can spark conversations of similarities and differences in a respectful and meaningful way. By doing this, I can introduce inclusive toys, reading materials, art, music, movies, and activities that represent all of them and find new ways and opportunities to talk about our differences.

My goal is to create a everlasting pride within my students of who they are and where they came from and to teach them to respect others differences in the world.

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As an educator, a caregiver, and a person I promise to serve with respect, understanding, and compassion. To create an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and respectful. To create a community between my peers, the children, and their families. I will continue to grow as a person in order to be a caring and committed educator. I will make sure to keep updated on new information and foundations and implement them in the classroom if they are appropriate and help expand all levels of development.

By learning new cultures and implementing them in the classroom children from all backgrounds have an opportunity to feel welcomed and included. Materials such as dolls of different races and genders, books in different languages and with a variety of characters, costumes that all children can feel comfortable in, and activities that help children through various areas of development, allow for a classroom that is diverse, inclusive, and unified. Talking to families about what their views are on certain topics and what may or may not be appropriate to talk about during class creates a space where families feel included in their child's education, creating a bonded community. Being an educator is much more than just being a teacher, it is being a person that a child feels comfortable enough to talk to and ask for help. Someone that families can ask for help if needed, and not fear being judged.

As a person, it is important to be aware of any biases one may have and make sure they are worked through. This allows us to be better educators and caregivers as we see much more beyond and can gain a better understanding of why a child may be acting a certain way. Keeping an open mind and being aware of what may be going on in children's life may help in knowing how to help them in the classroom in order to have an easier time or help them work through tough situations.

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At my school I currently work at we implement a 'cultural day' where students can dress and bring objects that represent their family's culture. I chose to be on the cultural day committee because as educators I believe that we must implement cultural experiences throughout a child's educational journey. Emphasizing the importance of activities like cultural feasts, implementing cultural share and tells, coloring/drawing what is important to them in their culture, can make a child feel seen and heard by their peers and their teachers. Teaching in a diverse society is about respecting and valuing all cultures. I personally loved being on this committee at my school because it made me value the importance of one's culture. I teach at a school where the majority of my students are Armenian, the Armenian culture is unfamiliar to me, so I myself feel like an outsider not knowing the cultural norms. This experience has allowed me to learn and value the Armenian culture, I have enjoyed this experience very much. Now moving forward on my educational journey, I have experienced first hand what it feels like to be an outsider and value the fight for acceptance by others around you.

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Commitment to Teaching in a Diverse Society

My commitment to teaching in a diversity is based in staying connected to the community in which I serve, keeping an open mind to new information and finally having the ability to partake in self reflection.

I will stay connected in the community I serve by teaching my students about cultures they may not see or have not had the opportunity to see yet, taking part in community events, and inviting parents to share their culture in my classroom as often as allowed. In my classroom I will make sure students have the opportunity to read, discuss, and see different cultures through books, dolls, artwork, dramatic play area materials, music, and photos that will be added to/changed to highlight a different culture monthly. I will stay informed about community events and keep my parents informed on community event by keeping an up to date bulletin board that is on the door and also express which events I will be attending. While also sending home in the parent preferred form of the bulletin (emails, printed out, voice mail ect.). Inviting parents when they feel compelled/asking if they felt comfortable coming into the class and showcasing their culture from a first hand experience rather than from a book or art.

When faced with new information about any part of the community that is represented in my classroom I will research the information I was provided and gather unbiased or sources from both sides of a view so I can share with the parents I serve in order for them to also be informed community members.

The ability to participate in self reflection is vital when keeping a diverse classroom. Self reflection allows us the opportunity to have a serious thought about how situations/information presented to us was handled and how in some cases it could have been handled differently.

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Janet Ramos
I will teach in a diverse society by showing different cultures to the children, speaking home languages with the children, and treating every child the same. Showing the children that other cultures besides their own exists is important because then they will get to know more about others. There are so many cultures around the world so getting the children familiar with them will make them understand them more. Having clothing items and dolls from different cultures is something that the classroom I am teaching at has which is something that I see kids playing with often. Speaking the home language with the children is something that I also do. Some children speak Spanish at home so I make sure to use that language as well as English because that makes them feel more comfortable. This also helps children who may not speak Spanish learn it which is something that I had witnessed. Seeing how the children are slowly starting to speak that language as well makes me happy because they get to experience something new. Lastly, I will treat every child the same. I will not have special treatment when it comes to the children. Everyone deserves to be treated equally and fairly. Teaching in a diverse society is something that I am passionate about because it is helping the children become better people for the future and the community.

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Diversity through valuing our differences

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Diversity through valuing our differences

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My submission is a piece that discourages color blindness ideology and promotes a teaching environment where everyone is included, acknowledged and respected.

A piece of paper where one half is white and the other is black and there’s different colors on the entire paper but because one side is black it’s hard to see the other colors, this is supposed to show how if we don’t acknowledge different colors then everyone is seen as the same and we can’t see the beauty and differences of everyone. Teaching in a diverse society is about valuing and respecting our different cultures and appearances as we are all a part of the rainbow, rather than just putting everyone into the category of human being. We have to acknowledge differences in appearance. My piece demonstrates my pledge and commitment to teach in a diverse society because it shows how all of the different colors come together and create a diverse image. Rather than just grouping everyone together, it is important to validate each and every one of the many cultures that make up a single person or community. I strive to create an environment where a child’s identity is strengthened and created in partnership with their parents and families. I want families of children to feel accepted and important as they are the ones who are giving their children the gift of their culture. I intend to encourage them to give their children the benefit of having more than one language and to see that their culture is valuable and important. When we create a place where children and their differences are seen as assets rather than deficits then we create a place for them to belong and feel welcome. My goal is for every child to feel comfortable with their culture no matter how different it is from the others around them.

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As educators, we must do more than teach and talk about diversity, we must implement it in their activities/free time. Having books about diversity in the library center is already one step further. Doing activities like coloring/drawing what they look like along with their friends can get the children to talk more about how different and unique each and every one of them is.I think another great idea would be to have a "culture day" where they can dress like or bring an object that represents their culture. Learning should be fun!

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Camel Farm in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Zoe Landaverde

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Over Thanksgiving I went to Mexico. I did many activities and visiting a camel farm was one of them. Within the farm, me and my family got to ride camels and walk along the greenery and shore. We had a tour guide at the farm. Before getting the opportunity to ride the camels, we were given a lesson about camel feces turning into paper! The process takes a few days but it is eco friendly and very interesting. There are not many camels or camel farms within California, so learning about how different areas do what they can is a great opportunity. There were other families on the farm receiving a tour and they were from other states and countries. Receiving the lesson about making eco friendly paper out of Camel feces brough us all together even though we all have our differences. After the lesson, we moved on to the different plants on the farm. Our tour guide told us about the native plants and about all the cacti. They also gave an explanation about a type a cactus only every 5th generation of the family can eat. He said it relates to religion. There was also an area of the farm that was dedicated to meditation, which can be universal but done differently. We all are aware of how to meditate and it can be important to learn how other cultures perform it. As educators, we have to be open to learning about diversity across all subjects such as food, religion, and traditions. We had eaten foods that the farm had made for any visitors, and the food was culturally important to them. I am Portuguese, so I am very appreciative of stepping outside my culture and traditions to learn about others. I thank the tour guides for sharing their beliefs and culture with us and others. It has expanded my mind and hopefully I can learn more when children I will encounter share with me. When we put ourselves in positions to learn new cultures, it unites us and helps us learn appreciation. Other cultures are beautiful, and as someone has taught me theirs, I will teach students others too. Students can feel valued and appreciated through the inclusion. I will implement diversity in activities so that when they are older, they can visit new places and continue to value traditions outside their own.

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Throughout America, there are so many different people of color. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, African Americans, etc. We are a whole country of different races, that include different colors, religions, beliefs and cultures. And we are all united as one. With all these races, religions and beliefs in the classroom, it will promote inclusion and understanding of diversity in children.

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I was inspired by the drum circle I attended for my cultural experience and the idea that throughout history and today, in cultures around the world, there are unique types of drums. They have been used ceremoniously, as a means of communication, and for creative expression. Music itself is a universal language that can convey emotion, spark conversation, and create a sense of connectedness. Including a variety of music in the classroom is a powerful way to promote inclusion and expose children to diversity.

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Check out Sarah Wilson's website and her artivism work. Once you have decided how you would like to express yourself, whether it is a poem, photo collage, a painting, a drawing, or a song, be sure to post your contribution to our Padlet board. Have fun creating!

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Award-winning multidisciplinary artist determined to evoke empathy through performing and visual arts. Writer, director, fine art, teaching artist