Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

For this assignment I chose to explore the Sesame Workshop link. I loved Sesame Street as a kid! Sesame Street creates an environment that every classroom should strive to achieve. When considering diversity and Sesame Street I am struck by the realization that Muppets don’t have a specific color or look. No one would consider a red Elmo to be any better or worse than a green Oscar. Diversity is so welcome and present on Sesame Street that, while intentional, it is not obvious. If only our classrooms could all be this open! To be inclusive of all of the resources (our diverse students) in a way that seems effortless would be amazing. I understand that some teachers, myself sometimes included, are not always comfortable with immersing diversity into daily classroom activities, not because they or I am against the practice in any way, but because my own limited experience makes me fearful of stepping out of bounds to hurt a student or make him feel uncomfortable, obviously an outcome I would never want. Wouldn’t it be fun, though, if one day a teacher called roll by asking what each student had for dinner the night before? This simple activity could lead to great discussion about the differences and similarities in all of our families.

I think Sesame Street addresses a different type of diversity other than the multicultural variety. Sesame Street was originally begun to bring education to an underprivileged population. The show and its affiliated programs address a holistic form of learning. Not only do they address 1-2-3s and A-B-Cs, but they also focus on topics such as healthy living and respect. These may be lessons that every child might not otherwise receive at home. The show also encourages a sense of community where everyone is welcome, again, a welcome element in the classroom and school.

I admire the Sesame Street community. There is research, hard work, and passion that goes into the making of each show. Children laugh, sing, and dance along with the inviting content. Isn’t that the goal of every teacher? To approach learning with good background, preparedness, and enthusiasm to the effect that our students are engaged and almost “tricked” into enjoying the learning? Maybe we should all take a stroll down Sesame Street. Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away…

Diversity in the classroom

It is often said that history is recorded by the victors. I believe the same is true in the classroom. Often what is taught in school is determined by who is in charge. Should this be the case? Not necessarily.

My personal education is not a reflection of multicultural championship. My elementary school consisted of 199 white students and 1 black student. There was also only one black teacher. We did not have any Hispanic students. Even the janitors and cafeteria ladies were white. This was not out of the ordinary; it was just a reflection of the rural farming community in which I lived. In middle school and high school there was more diversity in the student body, but not in the curriculum. I personally don’t feel slighted by my education, but I am part of the cultural majority.

My only exposure to cultural diversity was through my friends outside of the classroom. I had a friend who moved to my hometown from Brazil in 7^th grade. When she arrived she did not speak a word of English. By December she could speak fairly fluently. By high school her written English was probably better than mine.  I don't remember any attempts by my teachers to include any Brazilian culture into our lessons.  She graduated in the top 10 of my class, and now she is a dentist back in Brazil. The entire time her family lived in America her mother refused to learn any English. I felt like that had to be really lonely for her mom.
Fast forward to my first year in the classroom. In February some of my students began to ask me what we were going to do for Black History Month. I didn’t have a clue. Growing up I had never had a big focus on Black History, and my lesson plan at the time wasn’t centered on an African American author. I didn’t know what a Black History Month unit should even look like. I ended up offering poems and biographies of a few African American authors to my students as extra credit. The subject of Black History was never brought up in any of our faculty meetings or school wide emails.

My point to these stories is that after reflecting on my personal experience I can definitely see how curriculum, policies, and structure can be used as a form of social control. I don’t think this is the intentional goal. I think educators sometimes are focused on finishing paperwork or preparing for standardized tests or maybe even following the plan that had been proven successful for so many years before. These things often take priority over a diverse sampling of view points on various topics.