Although Thanh possesses quite an interesting virtual bag, his education is sadly disadvantaged. The geographical position of the state primary school in which Thanh is attending is known as “one of the poorest in the country” (2002, pg. 2). Furthermore, the learning experiences which take place in Thanh’s classroom do not coincide with the contents of his virtual schoolbag, thus his educational outcomes are disadvantaged as his teacher promotes Thanh’s active engagement in number activities as he is more successful when working with arithmetic. Thanh is not receiving the necessary help nor exposure to the classroom activities which he is struggling with, ultimately falling behind his peers at a very early, and crucial, age.

Certain skills and knowledge which Thanh possesses were not utilised in order to increase his chances of school success. Thanh has “an understanding that school is important” (2002, pg. 2), therefore his teacher should expose him to learning activities other than working with numbers which challenge his understanding and push him to achieve results. Thanh also possesses “a capacity to get on with a wide range of people” (2002, pg. 2). Pairing him up with a buddy or into a small working group would enable Thanh to collaborate and complete activities with assistance whilst also being socially active. 

As my teaching method is Drama, I believe that Thanh’s virtual school bag would be of value in my classroom. In Drama, students “draw on human experiences as a source of ideas” (ACARA, 2017, Drama), providing Thanh opportunities to utilise his experiences and knowledges of different cultures into a performance. Furthermore, his ability to get on with a wide range of people is optimal in a Drama classroom as students are constantly working and collaborating with each other. His love for music would also allow him to make practical and effective use of music as a prop for his performances. 

In order to respond to Thanh, and other students’ virtual bags, a teacher should have an understanding that each student is different, thus each student will bring with them perspectives and understandings that may differ from other students. It is the role and responsibility of a teacher to perceive students as “active, critical makers of their own meaning” (Hart et al, 2004, pg. 105). The view of teaching and learning should be seen as a process of exchange between teachers and learners. Teachers will be able to respond to virtual school bags effectively when they commit to the process of understanding that “what learners bring and contribute is as important to the learning that takes place as what the teacher brings and contributes” (2004, pg. 105). The contributions of students (what they bring to the classroom) and the response from the teacher is necessary to be able to respond to student differences. 

I will approach this work during placement using three important factors identified by Garmon (2004). I opt to keep an open mind to others “ideas or arguments” (2004, pg. 204), as I understand and accept that people may share different perspectives than my own. I am eager to explore outside of my comfort zone, and self-reflect on my beliefs and attitudes critically to help facilitate my growth as a teacher of diversity. Furthermore, I have always believed in providing a “commitment to equity and equality for all people in society” (2004, pg. 206), thus I endeavour to effectively respond to social injustices I may encounter. 

I will judge the effectiveness of my teaching for diversity by comparing my growth and development to Garmons three dispositional factors, identified earlier. I will keep a journal and document my progress and changing teacher identity throughout the discourse. Furthermore, I will utilise the self-analysis checklist to reflect on my teaching practice. 

Diversity is everywhere. We experience diversity daily through the multiple types of diversity that we encounter. Diversity encapsulates all of the ‘what, how, who, where, when and why’, thus teachers need be be aware how all these notions are connected. 

Graham, L.J 2007, ‘Done in by discourse… or the problem/s with labelling’, Ch. 4 in: M. Keeffe and S. Carrington, Schools and Diversity, 2nd ed, Pearson Education Australia, Sydney, pp. 46-64.

Hart et al 2004(a), ‘Patrick’s approach: only connect’, Learning Without Limits, Open University Press, England, UK, pp. 105-117.

Hart et al 2004(b), ‘Transforming the capacity to learn’, Learning Without Limits, Open University Press, England, UK, pp. 165-194.

Keeffe, M 2006, ‘The inclusive society’, Schools and Diversity, Pearson Education Australia, Sydney, pp. 2-15.

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs Melbourne 2008, Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, MCEETYAM, retrieved August 10 2017. 

Thomson, P 2002, ‘Vicki and Thanh’, Schooling the rustbelt kids: making the difference in changing times, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, pp. 1-18.