Race and Ethnicity Reflection Understanding the affects of race and ethnicity on a student’s opportunity to learn is a subject that I personally have been illiterate to. In order to improve we must first examine how race affects teaching and learning. After we have awareness about the issue we must then proceed to develop teaching practices to improve all student’s learning. In doing so we as educators will begin to see the assets and not the deficits that the many different ethnicities bring to our classroom. Insight One The most common beliefs in regards to teaching begin with the idea of being color blind and ignoring racial differences in order to create equity in the classroom. Though equality and fairness are great attributes to the classroom improving the overall learning of a diverse class may require some different techniques. In a racially diverse class we must understand the racial, cultural and linguistic differences that each student brings to the group (Hawley & Nieto, 2010). In doing so, according to Hawley and Nieto, teachers will begin to gain a respect and build on differences to foster students learning (2010). Along with many other things a student’s ethnicity affects their learning …show more content…
Using a students experiences and background when developing these tactics will improve the learning success that each student may obtain. I believe that each teacher must develop an understanding of each students ethnical background; in doing so he/she will develop a rapport with their students which in turn will enhance each students learning curve. This article has proven that teachers who have avoided stereotyping students as well as limited the use of ability grouping students have seen more growth in students whose culture, race, and language differ from the majority (Hawley & Nieto,