Developing a Personal Philosophy

The reason I took this course was to better understand diverse literature and learn how to critically read diverse literature in order to figure out what books are best for my classroom. I also want this to help my library become authentically diverse. While being in this course up to this point, I have come to learn a lot about what makes a book authentic. I have also learned to look at the insider/outside issue when picking out books to read and teach to my classroom. I am in this course to better prepare myself for teaching a group of students about every difference and every culture possible. My personal professional goals are to teach a well rounded lesson with everything. I want my classroom to be diverse and full of learning about differences in people and different cultures. I want them to know that there are people who are different from each and every one of them and those differences are good and unique and special. I do not want my students/classroom to have one perspective on life. I want them to have a lot of insight into differences and different perspectives.

Issues of diversity is very important in literacy teaching and literacy learning. The issues are important because teaching diverse literature, I believe, can be overlooked. Just like talking today about Little House on the Prairie, issues are not seen and are overlooked by the teacher. Most of the time, if the teacher overlooks the issues in literature, the children will not pick up on them. These issues have to be brought to the students attention and they have to learn to think critically, know that they can ask questions about it, and question their knowledge, what they have learned, and their beliefs. My own personal philosophy about multicultural literature is that it should be authentic and taught to children. Like I said above, I want to have the chance and the ability to teach my classroom about different cultures and about differences; people who are different from them. I think that it is important that different literature is brought into the classroom. I grew up in a predominately white school district and part of town. I was rarely taught about differences and people of different races and different cultures. I think that it should be brought to children's attention.

I am both excited and scared to think about teaching with diverse literature in my classroom. I want to teach my students about differences and different cultures and races becausue I want them to be accepting of others. I want them to know that every one person and child is different in their own, special ways. I want them to learn that these differences makes them who they are and make them unique and special in their own ways. I also want my students to know that they are different from others too and have to treat others the way that they want to be treated. I am scared because I am afraid that I will not be able to teach a well rounded lesson on diversity with diverse literature. I do not just want a diverse library, I want to actually teach with diverse literature so issues are brought up and questioned and then looked at critically.