Multiculturalism in the Classroom
At Brandeis University, we pride ourselves in our mission towards achieving social justice. As an active member of the Brandeis community, I adopted the value of social justice and reflect on it with everything that I do. To achieve social justice, I believe that it is important to go beyond tolerance and acceptance. As a teacher, it is important to embrace all of our differences and backgrounds in order for each student to feel comfortable in the classroom community. An environment where differences are celebrated and embraced allows for more effective learning, and helps students establish appropriate values that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
During my senior year at Brandeis, I participated in a workshop offered by the Education Department for all of the students enrolled in the Elementary Education Program. The workshop was run by a METCO Coordinator for a school district in the area, and a former teacher at Zervas Elementary School in Newton. We discussed our own backgrounds and differences openly, and gained insight towards what it might be like as a minority student in the classroom. We even heard about specific incidences that took place at Zervas in an effort to achieve an active anti-racist environment. I learned about the METCO program, and I am excited that Newton participates. Currently, two of the students in my class are enrolled in the METCO program.
While spending a semester abroad in Israel, I gained a glimpse of what it is like to face daily challenges and limitations as a result of being part of the minority. I was the only American living in an apartment with four Israelis. Overall, I was able to see past the daily challenges and embrace this new cultural atmosphere. While I will never fully understand what it must be like to be a minority student in an American classroom, my experience abroad has certainly helped me reach a greater understanding and a new, global perspective.