Nothing or Someone? Some thoughts on Identity, Diversity and Education

Abstract

A children's story about a cuddly toy, forgotten and left behind in the attic, serves as the vehicle for Elaine McCreery's reflections on identity and diversity in the context of education. For both children and teachers, the sense of who we are – especially when all around us (and within us) is changing at an alarming rate – is supremely important. Ethnic and racial diversity, migration and acculturation have powerful consequences for identity, as have the changing religious and normative orientations of post-modernity. For teachers (and teachers-in-training), learning to juggle the multiple realities and conflicting expectations of a diverse society is an immense challenge. The effective teacher is not unlike the stand-up comedian, ‘reading’ the audience and adapting to the local scene, but with much more at stake: the moral and spiritual well-being of those s/he teaches.