American Students

Within the different dimensions of diversity I was affected by a couple of those listed. I grew up on military bases overseas and within the United States. The socioeconomic status was a part of the influence on me and my classmates. The children who had fathers or mothers who were of a higher rank in the Air Force were more affluent and usually were the head of the class. They always had all of the supplies that were necessary. Children who were the offspring of airmen usually were not taken care of as well and sometimes had behavioral issues. I fell in the middle of all of that and was lucky enough to have parents who cared enough to push me in school and help me in any way possible. I was never what is referred to as a latchkey kid as many of my friends were. My mother never started work until I was in high school and could take care of myself sufficiently. My personal development was positively influenced by the diversity that I saw. Although I was never really negatively influenced by things such as crime, sexuality, or substance abuse I did witness these dimensions of diversity in other students lives. In high school I saw numerous teen pregnancies and drop outs, this just pushed me even harder to succeed and fulfill my dreams. Witnessing the problems that substance abuse and violence caused for my peers drove me away from the people I knew would be 'cool' to hang out with, but would only cause trouble for me. Although I did witness a lot of diversity throughout my educational experience thus far, I will need to fill in the gap by becoming more knowledgeable on the dimension including obesity. As a teacher I need to be prepared to help every child no matter what their learning style or obstacle to overcome happens to be, such as obesity. At risk students aren't just the students who come from the projects anymore they are everywhere and will certainly be a part of my own classroom population. When I become a teacher I will be able to identify the students who are at-risk and need some extra support. Children who are negatively and personally influenced by these dimension of diversity need to be provided with the love and support that is usually lacking at home. Because I have dealt with people who are at risk all my life I will be able to relate to them and get them the assistance that they need. I will need to help build their self-esteem and understanding and respect of themselves.