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An Explanation for the Descriptor "Culturally Sensitive"
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| Educators should be able to
develop awareness and understanding of individual and group
differences when diagnosing and prescribing transformational
systemic change. It is critically important that educators
understand that the demographics of American public schools are
changing rapidly and the number of language-minority students
attending Georgia public schools has more than tripled in the past
decade (Georgia Department of Education, 1999). The Georgia
Department of Education (2000) also estimates that approximately 46%
of the children now enrolled in Georgia public schools (P-12) are
minority students. These students usually bring with them
languages, cultures, and educational experiences markedly different
from those of their classmates and their teachers. Therefore, it is
critical that our graduates embrace multicultural and global
perspectives, reflect upon their personal attitudes and beliefs
about diverse groups in today's classrooms, and understand that
throughout their teaching careers they will be expected to be
proactive in constantly adapting their teaching styles and
strategies to create educational environments that are truly
equitable (Banks, 1994; Nieto, 1996).
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Presentation of Evidence That Portrays My Role As Culturally Sensitive
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