POINTS of PRIDE: UNI Multicultural Teaching Alliance Conference

Officers in the UNI MTA

John F. Kennedy once said, "If we cannot now end our differences, we can at least make the world safe for diversity."

In the lecture hall at UNI

It was my pleasure to keynote the Multicultural Teaching Alliance Educating Educators Conference on Saturday, November 8 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.  The title of the conference was "Building Classroom Community by Embracing Classroom Diversity." The purpose was to prepare educators for diversity in the classroom and enhance understanding of current issues, cultures, and the diverse population that is present in the area.  My keynote address was "Learning - A Shared Journey of Discovery," and I talked about the boxes we build to put people into or we build to keep people out.  It is very important that our classrooms are places where students feel cared for, safe to tell their stories, and respected for who they are.

Dr. Sarah Montgomery

Workshops were varied and covered topics that included strategies for teaching about American Indians across the curriculum.  The presenter, Dr. Sarah Montgomery, explained that teaching about American Indians is not a social studies unit, but a social justice issue.  Educators must challenge:

• Negative depictions
• Romanticized stereotypes (as found in Disney's Pocahontas)
• Closely examine children's literature and some of the stereotypes present within them

Suggested teaching strategies included:

• Teach about diversity of American Indian Nations
• Use award-winning children’s literature
• Teach about American Indian Boarding Schools
• Teach about contemporary American Indians
• Challenge traditional Thanksgiving roles

Alicia Jefferson

Another workshop I attended was on "The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children."  Presenter was Alicia Jefferson who wrote a book for educators on this topic.  She talked about the feelings of these children including alienation, separation, anger, secrecy, shame, and social stigma.  She provided a list of books that could be used as resources:

• My Mother and I Are Growing Stronger (Maury)
• There are some Real Special Kids in Our Class (Black)
• Keeping in Touch by Long Distance (Kerniski)
• A Visit with Daddy (Black)
• My Mom Went to Jail (Hodgkins)
• Dad’s in Prison (Cain)

Ms. Jefferson emphasized that giving emotional support is key and providing students with a sense of belonging will help as they deal with this issue.  Picture books could help start the conversations about belonging so the child knows s/he is not the only one facing this issue.

Other sessions dealt with setting high expectations for our students, making math culturally relevant, cultural themes in children's literature, hip hop culture and higher education, sexual identities and adolescent literature, as well as wrestling with the "why" of reading and writing.

Emily and Caleb, two of my former 7th graders

It was fun to meet up with two former Maquoketa students who are attending UNI and majoring in education, Emily and Caleb.  Both representing Mauquoketa with their commitment to excellence.

In my opening speech, those in attendance were reminded that here in America we are a group of people brought together as a salad bowl - each with our qualities that when brought together create a wonderful dish.  That is how the differences we each have should be viewed.  Our differences are to be celebrated and appreciated with mutual respect. 

Josefa Iloilo reminds us,"We need to reach that happy stage of our development when differences and diversity are not seen as sources of division and distrust, but of strength and inspiration."