Teacher's Role in a Classroom That Exists Essay

Teacher's role in a classroom that exists in a multi-cultural society can be a very daunting and at times complex. However, there is a proper way to engage in teaching a class of that nature in a respectable yet effective way. However, there are certain things that should not be occurring, either from the students or the teacher him or herself, and those will be explained as well.

What to Avoid

The things that should avoided are perhaps the most important so they should be stated first. First, any teachers or students that engage in racist, sexist or religiously insensitive ways need to be immediately coached and/or removed from the classroom if they cannot or will not refrain from such behavior. Examples of this would include a Muslim being mocked or taunted for wearing traditional Muslim garb (e.g. hijab, etc.) or a child from a foreign nation like India or China having their accent mocked. Bullying and bigoted behavior is never a good thing in a young child's classroom and it should never be condoned or accepted to stand as is. It should be immediately halted to send the right message to everyone involved (UWW, 2013).

Second, teachers and administrators should not go out of their away to identify or classify someone as being a minority, whether it is based on religion or race and so forth, unless the topic is mundane to what is going on at the time or is really necessary in the first place. For example, speaking very slowly and deliberately to a person of foreign origin when the person can understand English just fine at "normal" speeds should not be done as it could stigmatize or otherwise make the minority student feel unwelcome.In other words, don't shun the person's differences from the class but at the same time do not draw them out and make a big thing out of them because there is a thin line between that and bullying and perceptions can vary widely, especially with the person who is a minority from a religious or ethnic/racial minority (UWW, 2013).

Third, and finally, rules should be flexed when possible and practical based on situations that require or demand it. For example, if there is a general policy that headwear is not allowed in the classroom, that rule should not be applied to someone that is wearing headwear for religious reasons. There should be a specific exception to the rule that is granted on a case-by-case basis for students that require it. For example, Jews and Muslims often wear head garb of one sort or another as do Sikhs and some Indians. Some entire countries, like France, have either toyed with or enacted legislation that bans certain religious garb in public and that is simply wrong. A particular school that made all students wear religious garb as some sort of lesson should be told the same thing (Starnes, 2013)(Asthana, 2013).

What Should Be Done

As for what should be done, the teacher should inculcate the idea that everyone is different yet equal and that everyone should be an equal participant in the learning process. Shunning or otherwise excluding people because they speak….....