This chapter can best be summed up by the following statement: Make connections. Whether it is fostering resiliency in disadvantaged youth or instilling pride in bilingual students, the common factor in these actions is how professional staff connect with young people. For students to feel like they can be successful and overcome obstacles and diversity-related challenges, they need adults in their lives who try to get to know them on a personal level and let them know they are important. Making purposeful instructional decisions to eliminate bias and discrimination in the classroom allows these relationships to flourish.
I was surprised to read about the lack of evidence to support teachers focusing on students' learning styles (Point/Counterpont, pg. 43). Many professional development offerings in my district have conveyed the importance of gearing instruction toward the preferred way of learning for each student. Were these sessions a waste of everyone's time? I'd like to think they weren't. I do believe the initial push of gearing instruction toward learning styles led to more reasonable teaching methods of differentiation and understanding by design.
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