I believe that each and every student that has walked or ever will walk into a classroom is a uniquely created individual. They have their own likes, dislikes, culture, beliefs, experiences, and so on. They come from different backgrounds and have different things that have made them the person they are at that time in their life.
As a teacher, it is my duty to exploit these differences. Not only will they help me know more about the student and help me teach him or her more effectively, it will help other students to learn about different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. In so exploiting these differences, the students become the teacher. They have opportunities to share about traditions and experiences that they have had that other students may not have had or ever been exposed to. It would mean a lot for a student who is living a certain tradition, be it a cultural or religious tradition, to share with the students that way they can get more reliable information than it might be from someone who was less informed and tried to teach my students about a certain thing.
It is also fun to share differences, because it gives me as a teacher the chance to promote unity in the classroom, even though we are all different. We are all on the same team in the classroom. Sure, you may accomplish a task in a different way than your neighbor, but we are all moving toward the same goal. We learn to adapt and grow and learn from others. This is a vital skill that children can take with them throughout life as they meet various groups of people in the world. That training and adaptation starts in when they are young. It is up to teachers to give this knowledge in the diverse school setting.
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