Diversity

I often see diversity as two, mutually symbiotic beliefs: 1) that each person is a unique individual—in terms of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, etc.—who possesses a multitude of special skills and experiences, and 2) when applicable, these unique characteristics should be explored and celebrated as part of what makes us human. In thinking back to my earliest memories of experiencing the benefits of diversity, I can clearly remember when my mother purposely included me in activities that involved meeting unique individuals, such as people with visual impairments, mental handicaps, or people of different ethnicities and sexual orientations. With each new experience, my mother instilled in me a belief in the beauty of a diverse world. Later on, I often approached meeting new people as an opportunity to learn something new about life–and, in turn, myself. Over the years, this passion to know people and their differences manifested into many amazing, life-changing experiences, ranging from working as a summer camp counselor at a Jewish community center for five years and learning about Jewish culture, to teaching technology integration to neurodivergent individuals. In all, I honestly believe that this world is a better place because of the diverse people in it.

As a teacher, my beliefs about diversity and inclusion helped play a critical role in instructing my students. Over the ten years I spent as a high school instructor, I worked at two rural Title I schools and educated students of various socio-economic, ethnic, and academic backgrounds. During my first three years of employment, I specialized in instructing the school’s “bubble kids”—i.e., students who tested below proficiency in the state exam the previous year. As a teacher who respected the individual differences of each student, I made a concerted effort to build rapport with all my students and treated them as co-creators in my curriculum, such as deciding on readings that connected to their own life experiences or participating in peer-teaching activities. Through this effort, my students taught me as much, if not more, than I taught them. With each passing day in the classroom, I was able learn more about my students, their cultures, and their unique voices, which enabled many moments of real cultural exchange. Amazingly, many of my students still connect with me to recall the positive impact that these moments had in their own lives.

Lastly, through my socio-cultural and constructivist-oriented teaching approaches, my lessons are designed to give my students the opportunity to share and explore the diversity of voices within our classroom. For example, I instructed graduate-level students in a course that focused on integrating digital storytelling—the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories—into K-12, higher education, and a variety of other professional spaces. In this class, students choose their own topics and decide how to tell their own stories. Some students chose to explore outward—i.e., previous memories of places they have visited, their childhood homes, etc.—while others explore inward—i.e., internal feelings of joy, depression, grief, etc. Through this class and their final assessment, students are encouraged to share topics that are important to them, which typically results in the class sharing current issues related to social justice, inclusion, racism, LGBTQ+, etc. In all, I have a strong commitment towards promoting diversity through my teaching, research, and service. Whether using culturally responsive teaching techniques or participating in university-led diversity initiatives, I will continue to empower individuals who may otherwise be silent and to help improve the lives of my students and their respective communities.