ABSTRACT
In my methods classes, students are required to write short reaction papers based on the assigned readings before we discuss them in class. They are expected to explain how the articles they read resonate (or not) with their own experiences as students and as individuals, as well as with their emerging teaching orientations. Consider the following excerpt from a reading reaction paper written by Luisa, a Latina prospective teacher. Luisa was one of five Latinas in an elementary science methods class with 17 other female students and 1 male student (who were of Anglo ethnic backgrounds):
I also believe that it is important for educators and teachers, as well as everyone, to embrace diversity and multiculturalism. A few weeks ago, I heard some of my peers discussing multiculturalism, and they were saying that they thought it was so “annoying” that the education department promoted multiculturalism, and that it was stupid, and when they wrote papers they wrote what their professors wanted to hear, not what they really felt. I thought it was sad, and a little scary, that these people are our future teachers and they thought the “whole diversity and multicultural thing was annoying and stupid.” It made me think that there are plenty of educators out there who also think like this, and there are even more children who will become the students of these teachers who will suffer because of their ignorance.
