TEACHING FOR DIVERSITY

1
TEACHING FOR DIVERSITY

• Ethnically Diverse

2
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

• Approximately 300,000 immigrant children moved to
  Canada in the 1990s
• Most of these children reside in Vancouver,
  Toronto and Montreal, however there is a
  significant immigrant and First Nations
  population in many communities in B.C.

3
Aboriginal Enrolment B.C.

• Female Male Total Female
  Male Total
• 2001/02 24,076 24,829 48,905 7.8
  7.7 7.8
• 2002/03 24,691 25,668 50,359 8.2
  8.1 8.1
• 2003/04 28,593 29,290 57,883 9.5 9.3
  9.4
• 2004/05 28,717 29,322 58,039 9.7 9.5
  9.6
• 2005/06 28,286 28,943 57,229 9.7 9.4
  9.5
• Notes
• Provincial Overview Comments
• (1) The ratio of female to male Aboriginal
  students has remained stable over the last five
  years.

4
Aboriginal Students - SAANICH

• Aboriginal Students in Aboriginal Programs
• 2002/ 2003 2004/ 2005/ 2006
• 03 04 05 06
  /07
• Total 347 360 365 386 417
• Female 165 173 184 185 203
• Male 182 187 181 201 214

5
Aboriginal Students in Aboriginal Programs -
Victoria

• 02/03 04/05 06/07
• Total 1351 1323 1290
• Female 656 655 630
• Male 695 668 660

6
SCHOOL DISTRICT 61 VICTORIA - Six year Dogwood
Completion Rates

• 2000/01 Non aboriginal 72
• Aboriginal 30
• 2001/02 Non Aboriginal 75
• Aboriginal 33
• 2003/04 Non Aboriginal 73
• Aboriginal 35
• 2004/05 Non Aboriginal 79
• Aboriginal 37

7
VICTORIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

• SD NO. 61 2004/05
• 9,661 Elementary students
• 2, 076 Middle school students
• 8,499 Secondary, Continuing education and
  Alternative program students
• 1,302 Aboriginal students
• 471 Special needs students.

8
Aboriginal student issues

• Canada has the HIGHEST adolescent suicide rate in
  the G7.
• Teenage males - 1960 5.3/100,000 1991
  23.0/100,000.
• Teenage Girls 1960 0.9/100,000 1991 4.0
  100,000.
• Aboriginal male adolescents 5 times more likely
  to commit suicide then non-aboriginal males
• Aboriginal female adolescents 8 times more likely
  to commit suicide then non-aboriginal female
  adolescents.

9

• Aboriginal teenage males 6 times more likely to
  commit suicide then Aboriginal female adolescents
  (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples)

10
Aboriginal youth - problems

• Substance abuse, depression, anxiety and low
  academic achievement, high unemployment all
  related to suicide risk.

11
SOME KEY CONCEPTS

• Know your students ethnic and cultural
  backgrounds
• Treat each student as an individual
• Respect
• Teach all your students, set high but realistic
  expectations
• Emphasize meaning rather than memorizing

12
EQUITY IN THE CLASSROOM

• Gender stereotyping careers and roles
• Sexual harassment put downs, sexist comments,
  inappropriate boundaries
• Sexually offensive language, pictures in the
  classroom
• Anti- harassment policies in your school district
• Edmonton Bullying is now a criminal offence

13
Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgendered Students

• Exploration and experimentation with sexual
  orientation in adolescence common
• Homophobia , Heterosexism
• Attempted suicide rates in gay and lesbian
  adolescence three times higher than heterosexual
  peers
• Zero tolerance in your classroom/school for
  demeaning , teasing or bullying based on sexual
  orientation

14
Culturally sensitive classrooms

• Creating culturally sensitive classrooms
• Must avoid stereotyping.. Ethnic group
  differences in learning styles may very well be
  over stated
• First Nations primarily oral tradition rather
  than written but not exclusively. Tend to have
  above average spatial abilities which should be
  recognized. Once again not always true.

15
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

• Teachers are legally required to report suspected
  or known incidents of abuse or neglect
• Child abuse usually reflects patterns of
  behaviour rather than an isolated incident.
• The vast majority of child abusers are parents,
  relatives, or trusted adults, not strangers.
• Children rarely lie about abuse. They are more
  likely to deny abuse and take back truthful
  statements than to make false reports.
• Child abuse knows no class boundaries.

16
Neglect Failure to give due attention or care to
a child resulting in serous emotional or physical
harm.

• Behavioral Indicators
• pale, listless, unkept
• frequent absence from school
• inappropriate clothing for the weather
• dirty clothes
• inappropriate acts or delinquent behaviour
• abuse of alcohol/drugs
• begging /stealing food
• frequently tired
• seeks inappropriate affection
• mature for their age
• reports their is no caretaker

17
Physical indicators

• poor hygiene
• unattended physical or medical needs
• consistent lack of supervision
• underweight, poor growth, failure to thrive
• constant hunger
• under nourished
• Emotional Abuse Verbal attacks or demeaning
  actions that impact on a childs self esteem and
  self worth.

18
Emotional Abuse Verbal attacks or demeaning
actions that impact on a childs self esteem and
self worth.

• Behavioural Indicators
• depression
• withdrawal or aggressive behaviour
• overly compliant
• too neat and clean
• habit disorders (sucking, biting, rocking, etc.)
• learning disorders
• sleep disorders
• unusual fearfulness
• obsessive compulsive behaviour
• phobias
• extreme behaviour
• suicide attempts

19
Physical Indicators

• bed-wetting
• headaches
• nausea
• speech disorders
• lags in physical development
• disruptive behaviour

20
Physical Abuse the intentional use of force
against a child resulting in injury or causing
bodily harm.

• Behavioural Indicators
• inconsistent explanation for injuries or cannot
  remember
• wary of adults
• flinch if touched unexpectedly
• extremely aggressive or extremely withdrawn
• feels deserving of punishment
• apprehensive when others cry
• frightened of parents
• afraid to go home

21
Physical Indicators

• injuries not consistent with explanation
• numerous injuries in varying stages of recovery
  or healing
• presence of injuries over an extended period of
  time
• facial injuries
• injuries inconsistent with the childs age and
  developmental phase

22
Sexual Abuse any form of sexual conduct
(touching, exploitation, intercourse) directed at
a child.

• Behavioural Indicators
• sexual knowledge or play inappropriate to age
• sophisticated or unusual sexual knowledge
• prostitution
• poor peer relationships
• delinquent or runaway
• reports sexual assault by caretaker
• change in performance in school
• sleeping disorders
• aggressive behaviour
• self-abusive behaviours
• self mutilation

23
Physical Indicators

• unusual or excessive itching in the genital or
  anal area
• stained or bloody underwear
• pregnancy
• injuries to the vaginal or anal areas
• venereal disease
• difficult in walking or sitting
• pain when urinating
• vaginal/penile discharge
• excessive masturbation
• urinary tract infections