Melissa Adams

STANDARD 3 – Diversity: The teacher understands how students differ in their

approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to

diverse learners.

1. Write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and understanding of the standard—put the

standard into your own words.

Diversity comes up a lot in schools today. There are so many backgrounds, races, religions,

disabilities, abilities, economic statuses, and so forth that shape who our students are. As a

teacher it is my responsibility to know the differences my students have and to accept them and

use them to their advantage. Not every student will understand a certain topic the same way, and

a good teacher who teaches with diversity makes the necessary changes or adjustments for her

students to learn the best way they can. Relating material to the students background,

community, lifestyle, etc. are ways to help the diverse community of learners get the most out of

their education.

2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and application of the

standard.

The artifact I chose is a demonstration of how I made myself present in my student’s community.

I crossed a cultural border and went to a place I was not familiar with or comfortable in to ensure

that I knew where my students were coming from. It gave me an understanding of the

community they come from, what they are familiar with, what they value, and what kinds of

resources they have available to them. This helped me to connect with my students on a more

personal level and provide them with material that relates to their life and background so it was

easier for them to learn from. It also helped explain the life my students have so I can better

understand them and where they are coming from as individuals and as learners.
3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your teaching will change in

the future to further meet the standard.

B. If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class assignment, reflect upon how

your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

I think the way I relate to my children will change based on my artifact. I now know ways to

connect with my students and what things they are used too outside of the school. It will help me

give them material that they can easily relate to and not something that they would know nothing

about. It also helps me realize what types of resources I need to provide for my students, what

kinds of projects we can do, or how easy it is for them to get something special for class. With

so many different income levels and learning abilities it is hard trying to coordinate for a class

without doing background research first.

4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to Teach and Learn in a

Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

I use to think of the word diversity or diverse society strictly as race or cultural differences.

However, I have learned that is not the case through this standard. I have learned that teaching in

a diverse society can mean teaching in a place with limited resources, different learning abilities,

different income levels, or different family dynamics. It is important as an outsider to a learning

community like this with so much diversity in one area or another to research and be present in

the community. I think it sets a good tone and allows for better teaching and learning if you go

out and discover the community so you can connect with the families and students on a more

personal level. This way they can also relate to you as a person and not just their teacher.