Reactions to Sleeter Ch. 3
I was interested in the Human relations approach described by Sleeter in this chapter. It seems like an excellent tool to use in any classroom to improve understanding and tolerance among children and adults in and out of the classroom. It really is not enough to just treat all children the same. I feel like it would be so easy as a teacher to just avoid the issue of diversity and pretend like differences among children don't exist. In fact, it would be even easier, it seems, in an elementary classroom because children may not have fformulated stereotypes or labels for different groups yet. But really, it is at this time in a child's life when it is crucial that a knowledgeable and informed teacher provides them with true information about cultural and ethnic differences. By using the human relations approach, teachers have a clear cut model to help them provide this information to their students without including biases or falsified information.
I think one of the more important aspects of this chapter was that of communication between groups. Language is thrown around today seemingly without any consequence. Kids talk to each other using derogatory terms and slang that could be hurtful to others, but it seems like they are immune to that kind of talk. Of course, there is always the one student that really is affected by the things other kids are saying, and they are often further teased if they dare speak against this kind of talk. Even on the college level words are used without thought that could be hurtful or rude. When a person tries to speak out against the use of derogatory terms I have found in my own experience that people attempt to justify their use of the word and put down the person that spoke against it for challenging them. The Human relations approach seeks to deal with this problem by teaching students what is and is not appropriate in terms of communication. The approach did not strike me as going against the right to free speech in any way, but rather it teaches kindness and consideration for people of other races, genders, orientations, etc.
I really like the idea of including information about diversity in subtle ways throughout the curriculum. Though it may be challenging in certain subjects to involve a great deal of emphasis on differences among students, an all around introduction of the material into the basic curriculum could make an enormous difference in a classroom. Sometimes I think diversity is introduced as too much of a big deal. While it is something that is crucial for students to understand and identify with, I think if teachers incorporated it as if it were completely normal and a part of the everyday curriculum, students would have a better reaction and would put its teachings into practice. I think it is time we stop touting diversity out loud and start practicing it in the classroom as if it is nothing new. It's important that students have a solid understanding of their differences and that they can communicate effectively and considerately with each other, but they also need to understand that it should be a part of their daily lives instead of a special thing they should consider once in a while.
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