While teaching in a School system based in Essentialism I will focuses on the California

Teaching Profession Standard 2.1. Standard 2 is concerned with the environment for students

learning. Were in 2.1 is related to concepts such as; opportunities for Student to Student

discussions while practicing empathy/understanding, create feelings of student responsibilities

for one another in addition to self-worth as members of society, having activities for students to

get to know each other, and modeling respect and developing acceptance for all cultures and

language etc. I will try to use this standard to press the important of multiculturalism and its use

in understanding the dominate culture, as expressed in Social Reconstructionism. This will

contradict the preservation and assimilation to one American Culture that is dominant in

Essentialism. I feel most of the components of 2.1 can be used constantly throughout a school

year because it is based on maintaining a healthy diverse classroom environment. This will

require making students understand that it is not okay to look down on other student because of

their background and belief. Also, students need to be provided multiple opportunities to express,

develop and explore said backgrounds and belief.

In maintaining this healthy environment, it will be pertinent to teach students about

different key cultures, besides the dominate one, that has effected the course of American history.

Stressing such components as the Harlem Renaissance, Native cultural movements i.e. the ghost

dance and A.I.M., the rise of Feminism and other such events. Students will also be encouraged

to share their own experiences of culture that falls under and outside of the dominate culture.

Meanwhile students will be asked to connect their experiences to what they have learned by

incorporating them into group discussions or projects. This will also be expected of any new

understanding or beliefs that students develop while taking the class. It is important that students

critically think about how not including these perspectives would shape the view of inequality
within America. Similarly, they will be asked to keep a lookout for instances of exclusion or

inclusion of different cultural perspective in their daily live, bringing in concrete examples such

as news articles.

Most importantly students will be asked to participate and share in other cultures outside

of school time. Whenever a student volunteers at a cultural event or join in a culturally

recreational activity they will be given time to share with their class on Monday. I hope that this

will push students to be active in their community in ways that arent associated with their

normal cultural experiences. Consequently, this may help promote tolerance and a deeper

understanding for other cultural norms. It is vital that students can learn to interact together in a

classroom environment tailored for fairness, equity and respect while also being able to take that

knowledge and apply it to the world around them. If nothing else these traits should be enough to

start the shaping of the world into a more just place.