Elementary Education Standard Fourteen

Standard 14: Elementary teachers develop strategies to address topics that are controversial to diverse groups. 

Within the classroom there is always diversity from race, to religion, to personal beliefs and values.  As a classroom teacher, I encourage my students to share their thoughts and experiences with their peers and remind them that we can all learn from one another.  I always respect my students for the individuals that they are and the different perspectives that they can share with me and their classmates. I constantly remind their peers to do the same. When I sense that conversations are heading in bad direction, I remind them of this and tell them that we need all different point of views to make our world work.  By modeling tolerance and appreciation  I teach my students to do the same and create a classroom environment where everyone feels comfortable being themselves and participating. Below I have included critiques of novels that discuss different ethnicities and cultures.