Deconstructing Diversity: Professional Development for Elementary Teachers

Abstract

Organizing and facilitating professional development (PD) for teachers around issues of ethnicity, race, language, culture, and religion is an important area of research within Canadian education. The diversity in schools across Canada is growing, and meeting the needs of these students becomes essential as we reflect on the aims of teacher responsiveness to cultural diversity. This article examines the PD of a Calgary, Alberta school whose population consists of a majority of “visible minority” students and a predominantly White staff. Through a recounting and analysis of the feedback and reflection of teachers who partook in an initiative geared toward “getting out” into the actual community of the students, this article presents significant themes in the necessity around the PD of educators. The implications revealed in this action-based research include (a) a view of short-term and long-term planning, (b) the risk of essentializing others by applying experiences of a representative to an entire group, and (c) being aware of and taking ownership of one's own learning and understanding. These challenges and the benefits of PD, organized by a visible minority staff member, add more depth and knowledge to the growing understanding of multiculturalism and its impact on education in Canada.