Lesson 6: Diversity in Today’s Schools

My service learning placement has taken me to north Provo. When thinking of diversity my first thought would generally go to cultural or racial diversity. However, through this lesson I have come to more fully understand what diversity can mean. In the part of Provo I am in, the majority of the students come from white or mixed race homes. In my morning class there are two sweet little Asian girls, both quiet, and one that is a bit more quiet than the other. One of the girls has trouble with English, and so she spends extra time in special reading and writing programs to help her get at the same level with the rest of the class. She however is not the only one that spends extra time with reading and writing workshop, other students that are on a lower reading level spend extra time with Mrs. Hansen (Mrs. Nelson's teaching aid).

This example along with other accommodations show just how exceptional Mrs. Nelson is at working with her students and celebrating differences in her class. Another notable area of diversity in Mrs. Nelsons class is with religion. Many of the students in her class belong to the LDS faith. But no matter the faith of the children, everyone is treated in the same manner. It has been wonderful working with these young children, because they themselves often don't see themselves as extremely different from their peers. These wonderful little ones just see everyone as children and friends, which makes Mrs. Nelson's job, in that sense, just a touch easier.