Mother Teresa of Calcutta in India was one of the greatest humanitarians of all time. She once said that “ …You can only truly love other people if you do not have the time to judge them… ” (Hitchens, 2012). In a clear expression of empathy, the phrase calls on all individuals to focus on loving others as they are rather than judging them for what they are. The quote advises on acceptance and appreciation of each other instead of looking at differences that exist among people.
Pluralism and Its Influence in the Classroom
In my opinion, pluralism refers to the existence of many options as regards a particular concern. That is, it refers to the presence of more than one option, more than one way of looking at a concept, more than just one. Concerning learners, pluralism would thus indicate the presence of more than just one category of learners; they would be different in terms of their socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic origins, religious beliefs, family backgrounds, and even sexual orientation. In the discharge of my duties asa teacher, pluralism influences the way I relate to the learners. It guides my communication, approach to instruction, and even the examination of learning progress. Often, I have to be politically correct in my speech and conduct while dealing with the learners. In large part, this caution is founded on my appreciation for, and sensitivity to the feelings of others. In essence, pluralism is in every aspect of my duties as a teacher when planning my tasks.
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Synthesis of Readings
Ennis and McCauley (2002) hold the view that pluralism can only survive where there is trust in the relationship among teachers and learners. The trust is created through positive interactions over time; thus, it is necessary for teachers to interact with learners in a manner that communicates trust. It is only through positive interactions that the differences in individuals can be appreciated and handled sensitively. Weinstein et al. (2004) hold the view that due to the increasingly diverse nature of school populations, proper classroom management can be best achieved through multicultural competence on the part of teachers. The instructors would need to understand how to appeal to the needs of various constituencies of learners competently. Without this competence, it would not be straightforward for teachers to manage their classes effectively and deliver knowledge to the class.
Akom (2009) proposes a radical approach to pedagogy termed as the Hip Hop Instructional Method as an alternative strategy of instruction. The use of Hip Hop as the dominant culture for the founding of an instructional approach, base в on diversity that the genre embraces in terms of race, sexual orientation, class, and even gender. For Nodding (2005), in order to have learners who are competent in the global economy, it is necessary to teach them greater cultural awareness while still in school. Individuals get to achieve a global outlook only if they have been exposed to, and have understood, the importance of diversity in interpersonal relations on a worldwide stage. Finally, Liou et al. (2016) advance the view that students can only inspire change in scenarios where their instructors are ready to provide them with proper mentorship. To influence change in learners, the instructors, therefore, need to embrace all learners in their differences and competencies.
Roadmap to Address Pluralism
To ensure there is greater pluralism in my classroom, I will pursue a three-pronged strategy. Encompassed therein would be; actively advocating for the admission of more minorities, setting aside lessons during which learners provide their perspectives on the week’s lessons, and approaching assessment form a more inclusive point of view.
First, to actively advocate for the admission of more minorities, it would be possible to increase the audience that each learner can speak. That is, each learner would feel accommodated when they share similarities with others. Just as much, social commitment means that learners would be able to achieve a more diverse outlook on learning and education in general. The learners would themselves seek to be more liberal in their view of the world, and their relations with others.
Secondly, setting aside lessons during which learners provide their perspectives on the week’s lessons would help improve the space for expression. To me, this particular action point would improve liberalism by ensuring that learners get to access different perspectives on an issue of concern. As such, this would increase their competence in terms of intellectual diversity and openness to the ideas of others.
Finally, approaching assessment from a more inclusive point of view would ensure that each learner is gauged on a scale that is fair to them. In this way, it would be possible for each learner to pursue their competencies rather than competing with their peers. The assessment method would help me, as a teacher, to allow students to interact with their environment in the manners they are most competent.
Conclusion
As a teacher, improving pluralism in the class can be achieved through three key strategies. The first would be actively advocating for the admission of more minorities to increase the audience that each learner can speak. Two would be setting aside lessons during which learners provide their perspectives on the week's lessons to help improve the space for individuals' self-expression. Finally, approaching assessment from a more inclusive point of view toallow gauging the learners on a fairly on a scale that appreciates their differences.
References
Akom, A. (2009). Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis. Equity & Excellence In Education , 42 (1), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680802612519
Ennis, C., & McCauley, M. (2002). Creating urban classroom communities worthy of trust. Journal Of Curriculum Studies , 34 (2), 149-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220270110096370
Hitchens, C. (2012). The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice . Hachette UK.
Liou, D. D., Martinez, A. N., &Rotheram-Fuller, E. (2016). “Don’t give up on me”: Critical Mentoring Pedagogy for the Classroom Building Students’ Community Cultural Wealth. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education , 29 (1), 104-129.
Noddings, N. (Ed.). (2005). Educating Citizens for Global Awareness . Teachers College Press.
Weinstein, C., Tomlinson-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2004). Toward a Conception of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management. Journal Of Teacher Education , 55 (1), 25-38. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0022487103259812
