Working with Diversity Issues

By: Iris Perry

Diversity is wide spread in many areas of life. Even in today's classrooms

Diversity is sometime Challenging and often issues may arise.These are some of the Issues in today's

classrooms….Religion/CultureGenderLanguageCommunicationSocialRace

Gender

Religion/Culture

Language

Communication

Social

Five Out Comes of Cultural ConflictsResolution through negotiation resulting in

compromiseOngoing management of the unresolved

conflictTeacher educationMutual education in which teacher and

parent educate each other

We can Handle Diversity Issues using this Formula R= Reflect which includes both active

listening and self- reflection.E= Explain your perspective, but only after

trying hard to understand the other’s perspective

R=Reason; give the reason for your perspective, if you know it

U= Understand, both the other person feel empowered

N= Negotiate a solution only when both you and the other person feel empowered

Suggestions For Approaching Cultural Conflicts

Take it Slow

• Building understanding takes time.

• You have to learn to cope with differences when there is no common resolution

Understand Yourself

• Become clear about your own values and goals

• Know what you believe in

• Have a bottom line, but leave space above it to be flexible

Become sensitive to your own

discomfort• Tune in to what is bothering you instead of just ignoring it

• Work to identify what specific behaviors of others make you uncomfortable

• Try to discover exactly what in yourself creates this discomforts.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, Being an Early childhood professional, it is our responsibility to handle, learn, and teach diversity issues sensitively.