Diversity

Diversity is my favorite part of the school I work in. I came from a school that was predominately white and very suburban. I got a good education in high school, but I never felt like I was exposed to the "real world". The school I work in now is full of all different kinds of people. I love coming to school and learning about my student's. I get the opportunity to work with blacks, whites, hispanics, and a variety of other minorities. I get to speak with students who love to hunt and who love to rap. I work with students who are poor and wealthy, book smart and street smart. I've learned more about how diverse Kansas City is in my conversations and interactions with students than I ever did in high school. I see my students as blessed for the opportunities they have to learn about different lifestyles.

I work to bring my classrooms together as communities. I want my students to be accepting of one another. I want them to work together despite their differences. I want my students to leave school each day with the understanding that others believe differently. I want my students to take from each other to construct their own honest understanding of the world around them.

We live in a global community where everyone has the opportunity to be connected to one another. Because of the Internet, a wide variety of ideas are always being exchanged. I encourage my students to be accepting/critical of all ideas. School is a place where one's worldview is really developed. It's a shame when students work their way through the system without developing any understanding or acceptance of the differences between themselves and others. We all have a responsibility to embrace our students and to show them how great it is to interact with peers who looks or act differently than we do. My strategy is to embrace my students as individuals. Hopefully they see how happy it makes me, and they feel encouraging to explore who they are outside of themselves.

Zachary McNulty
Winnetonka High School
Kansas City, Mo.