Ehtnographic Study paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ehtnographic Study paper - Essay Example Regarding the students in the entire school, these students’ ethnic background(s), language(s), ages, educational level of community members, behavioral norms and values, and socioeconomic statuses will be evaluated and thoroughly analyzed. Here we will analyze primarily the students in the entire school, with a philosophy of diversity centering upon the particular class. II. Background The ethnic mix of the learners, both in the class and in the school, is diverse. The school’s student body is predominantly African-American, although there are small amounts of other races present in the student body. The school used to be more racially diverse years ago. Regarding students’ socioeconomic status, this is diverse as well. The SES of the learners at this high school is varied, but a lot of the students tend to come from backgrounds with socioeconomically disadvantaged status. The primary language spoken is English, and in some cases, Ebonics (although not formally recognized by some as a bona fide language) is widely spoken by the student body. The type of community surrounding the school is in the city. Therefore, this school is an urban school. This school has special populations (special education, ESL/ELL, gifted). This school has a comprehensive special education program. Moreover, however, it has a large gifted population in its 7th-12th grade program. A certain percentage of the 7th and 8th graders in the Gifted program remain to go on for high school there, so there is that factor to consider, too. It is a keystone of any teacher’s philosophy of diversity that the classroom be a place of inclusiveness—whether students be Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, or of mixed race(s) or races not named here, and be of whatever socioeconomic status, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or cultural affiliation—that students feel that they are equals in the classroom regardless of the teacher’s cultural lens. An inclusive philosophy dictates that each student should have the same opportunity to learn their subject. This includes being cognizant of striving against favoritism, especially based on gender or race. Students who are from lower levels socioeconomically should be given a fair chance to succeed by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in an environment which has typically favored the dominant culture’s hegemonic social strata. A level playing field is key. Strategies include having class materials available such as extra paper and pens. Teachers should want students of various national origins and religions to feel comfortable enough to express themselves within the dynamic of their own backgrounds. Especially with students who have ESL/ELL/bilinugal/multilingual backgrounds, teachers should want to make sure that their class is accessible to their language capabilities by supporting their learning with extra attention in order to check for understanding so that they don’t fall behind. Additionally, teachers should like to extend their help to students of different genders and sexual orientations who may suffer discrimination from other students—and try to combat that discrimination within the classroom by having an open-door policy. The teacher should wish to facilitate a learning